Backyard Chickens and Food Shortages

I sent the following e mail to the mayor today:

Dear Mayor Subrizi,

The impact of Hurricane Sandy and Nor'easter Athena have brought to light how fragile our food supply is. The mere threat of an oncoming storm leaves supermarket shelves empty and the interuption of the supply chain causes them to remain that way indefinitely. Even if the supply chain is not broken, local power outages prevent the opening of stores and also do not allow residents to keep perishables at home. The longer these outages and supply disruptions last, the harder it becomes for people to find food to sustain themselves and thier families.

We do not live in an area with a climate that supports a year round growing season, further increasing our reliance on outside food sources. Our climate will, however, support the raising of chickens and goats without the need for electricity. These small animals can be fed kitchen scraps and can also forage in backyards when outsourced food is unavailable. They can provide eggs, milk, and meat for families that would otherwise have nothing. Chickens and goats make little noise and thier waste can be composted and used to naturally fertilize vegetable gardens, thus providing even more food as the seasons permit.

I implore you to speak to the members of the council and instruct the Board of Health to lift the ban on rasing chickens in New Milford so the residents can provide for themselves especially during emergencies. The reality is, these events are becoming more frequent and more taxing on the residents. Wouldn't it be nice for the citizens of New Milford to have one less thing to worry about during these trying times?

Thank you for your time and all you have done these past few weeks. I am sure you will do the right thing.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey DelVecchio