We don’t have chickens, but here in Beaverton, Oregon, our back fence neighbors have four red hens. They’re something to show our little granddaughter when she comes. (I just looked up the policy, and apparently they are not legal here, although the city is looking at the issue.) There must be limits, of course, because lot sizes are quite restricted. But on a small scale this seems to have benefits. In our neighborhood, roaming cats are more of a problem.

In Redmond, Washington, our daughter benefits from having a farm within biking distance that’s open to the public and has activities for kids. All these things can have value both for food policy and for urban education. But Oregon clearly is struggling with the issues. Given a land use policy that puts a legal boundary between urban and rural, they are having difficulty defining what kinds of farm animals should be permitted in the city and how much income farms can derive from educational activities and entertainment.

How I wish the exhibit were closer. I may just have to make a trip…