Addition of chickens to Central Gardens sparks interest in backyard birds

by Marianne Gasaway

News that a few chickens will summer at Central Gardens this year has ruffled a few feathers.

Central Gardens of North Iowa announced the addition of a Happy Hen House on its website as the the 2021 season kicked off this week.  While the news was welcomed as an innovative idea by some, others have taken issue with allowing poultry in a residential area.  There are also those who say they want to have chickens, too, but are prohibited by City ordinance.

According to Central Gardens Board President Becke Dorenbush, the organization received permission from the City to house three hens on the 2.75 acre site this summer.

“We wanted to add a small coop to the Bee Happy Discovery Garden to add another educational component to connecting kids and visitors on growing food and how chickens can contribute to a garden in an environmentally friendly way,” explained Board member Leigh Trembath.

Trembath said Central Gardens was given permission with the understanding they would only have hens, it be temporary, 

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and educational in purpose.  The organization wrote a grant to Ag Ventures Foundation and was awarded part of the money needed for a coop.  The Clear Lake Local Foods group also provided financial support.  In cooperation with Mossycup Farms, seven of their hens will be selected to stay at the garden on a rotating basis-three at a time.  At the end of the summer, the hens will return to Mossycup Farms.

“Central Gardens has visitors from all over the country and even foreign countries.  Despite being an agricultural state, many youth and even adults do not know where their food comes from.  We hope that through some of our onsite educational signage and programs, we can help to change this and empower others to raise their own food,” added Trembath.

Public response to the educational use of the chickens was, for the most part, positive on social media.  However, some object to Central Gardens being allowed to have chickens in town, while a city ordinance specifically denies it.

Clear Lake resident Laurie Cook is among those who says she would like to have hens in a backyard coop for their eggs and as a way to keep bugs down.  A few years ago she inquired about keeping chickens and was told the city prohibits them.  She hopes renewed interest may help to bring about a change.

Clear Lake Building Official Mike Ritter says he receives calls and emails on a regular basis from residents asking if the city allows chicken coops within city limits.  His answer is a firm no.  The question falls under the general rule that no livestock, including fowl, are allowed in town.

Without elaborating, Ritter said he is opposed to a change in the ordinance which would allow chickens.  

There has been a trend in recent years for communities to allow residents to raise their own chickens.  In North Iowa, Forest City requires residents to procure a “City Urban Chicken Permit” prior to raising, harboring or keep chickens within its city limits.  Those who do may have up to six chickens (hens only).  

According to Iowa State University Extension,  some cities in Iowa, such as Fairfield and Cedar Rapids, are allowing domestic chickens with varying specific requirements for the housing, location, and upkeep of the birds. These mirror those of larger cities in metropolitan areas such as Portland, Ore., Madison, Wis., Ann Arbor, Mich., Seattle, Wash. Fort Collins, Colo., and Little Rock, Ark. that also allow city dwellers to raise poultry for egg production or meat. Some requirements include a limit on number of animals per enclosure, varying by city from four to 10 in number, stipulations on the size of lot domestic poultry is allowed to be kept on, and specific building codes for the design and maintenance of the structure, typically a coop or mobile chicken tractor, that birds are kept in.

Those visiting Central Gardens will soon see a coop under construction.  Volunteers plan to landscape around it prior to the hens arriving around the beginning of June.

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