More Hip Than Hippie #260 - Backyard Chickens

Thousands of ordinary folks are raising backyard or urban chickens as a source of sustainable food.

The "Chicken Chick" is in the henhouse! Carol Albrecht from Chaffin Family Orchards joins the Hipsters to discuss the ins and outs of chicken ownership. She also explains why we should avoid "battery eggs" and how to use roadkill to your benefit, then tackles questions from our Facebook friends!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Holy Homegrown Hops! The Chatoe Rogue Dirtoir Black Ale is a delightful limited-edition brew not to be missed. "Dedicated to Farmers and Fermenters. GYO is a Rogue Ales term for Grow Your Own."

Chocolate: No, those aren't dog turds, they're Next Organics Dark Chocolate Coconut pieces. Nice flavors, but the brittle bits of coconut are a shock if you're expecting to bite into a Mounds bar.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Val's Favorite Thing! Here comes sandal weather, so freshen your feet with Peppermint Foot Scrub. With natural pumice and walnut shells, this organic scrub exfoliates and invigorates.
• Toys R 'X'. They've banned pthalates from kids' toys, but what about adult toys? Find a selection of body-safe products at Ethical Sex Toys.

Hip News

• Et tu, TJ? After Greenpeace outed their fishy seafood practices, Trader Joe's has announced plans to clean up their act.
• Watt a deal! Guests at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen can earn a free meal by generating a few watts of electricity on a stationary bike.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Put a lid on it! Shanan in New Hampshire writes: "Another way to reuse yogurt containers with lids is to punch a bunch of holes in the top and put baking soda in them. I pack one at the bottom of storage containers when I put my winter things away. Add a few drops of essential oils and put them in closets and drawers too; great way to freshen the house!"

 

Backyard Chickens

The "Chicken Chick", Carol Albrecht, is in the henhouse! She's part of Chaffin Family Orchards, a sustainable 5-generation family farm in Northern California. Carol has been raising chickens for 35 years and shares her wealth of knowledge about the care and feeding of backyard poultry. Her farm is currently home to about 500 chickens!

• Heirloom breeds help protect genetic diversity in livestock. Try to support endangered chicken breeds.
• When ordering chicks by mail, use a no-kill hatchery like Sandhill Preservation Center.
• Carol recommends Harvey Ussery's Modern Homestead to get great tips for raising chickens on a small scale.
• If your town doesn't allow backyard chickens, get support from groups like CLUC.
• Carol started a local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation, which is dedicated to "Food, Farming and the Healing Arts".
• She teaches cooking classes based on Sally Fallon's "Nourishing Traditions".

Listener E-mails

• Maggie in Madrid wants the truth about CFLs. Yes, they save energy! Use a dimmable CFL to extend the bulb's life in a dimmer switch.
• Sarah in NYC wonders about her acrylic drinking glasses. The bad news: they are indeed non-recyclable plastic. The good news: they don't contain BPA and you can buff out the scratches.
• Brian in Tennessee thinks NASA scientist James Lovelock is rightfully glum about our future prospects, but hopes we'll geoengineer Mars first. He also shares a story about self-pollinating almond trees.
• Ashanti in Austin, TX loves Dirt Girl World, an animated show about real food, coming soon to the Sprout Network.
• Katie in Toronto (eh!) wants everyone to watch the Story of Stuff and a shorter segment about Bottled Water. As for rental cars, go with something small and lightweight with cruise control and A/C.
• Heidi in New York can't believe the ticket price for a 3D movie! You should be able to Train Your Dragon on DVD by Christmas.

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More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.