Perhaps Albuquerque isn't the first place you'd think of when looking for backyard chicken coops, but many New Mexicans are discovering the city is a good place to start an urban farm.
UNM graduate student KT LaBadie, who started the Urban Chickens project in Albuquerque in 2007, said interest in urban chickens is growing throughout New Mexico.
"There has been a big increase in people's interests in local food and food in general," she said. "There have been a lot of publications and books related to food, our food system and where it comes from."
Albuquerque City Ordinances allow up to 15 chickens and one rooster in a household, whereas most cities allow between four and 10 chickens, LaBadie said. She said there are stricter regulations related to hoofed animals, but backyard goats are becoming popular in some cities.
"We definitely have more than most cities, but New York City doesn't have a regulation on the number; you can keep as many as you want," she said.
LaBadie said she takes advantage of Albuquerque's lax regulations. She and her husband grow fruits and vegetables and keep chickens for eggs.
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Dan Schuster, who works as a consultant with individuals and groups to help them take the first step in urban farming initiatives, said LaBadie's project will help people become more aware of where their food is coming from and how it is made.
Schuster said Albuquerqueans should start urban farms because humans have a knack for agriculture.
"It's in our DNA," he said. "We know how to do this. It is very rewarding, and really it doesn't have to be too hard."
Schuster said urban farming should appeal to people in the city once they realize they can start growing small gardens and reap the benefits of fresh food.
But many people are intimidated by the thought of maintaining a garden and don't know where to start, he said.
LaBadie said she has heard similar worries from people interested in urban chickens.
"I'm just really focusing on letting people know they can keep chickens and how to do it properly," she said. "Because if people aren't keeping chickens properly, it can become a health issue and a burden to city animal control."
LaBadie said a surprising number of people are raising urban chickens, especially in the Nob Hill area and the Northeast Heights.
Schuster said the trend is catching on because people notice a difference in taste between the foods at a growers market and the food at big chain stores.
"We don't know where (food at the grocery) comes from, what is on it, how long it has been out of the fields," Schuster said. "When the stores say fresh, they mean the food has been out of the field for more than a week."
Not only does urban farming deliver a fresher product, it also cuts down on the cost of food transportation, Schuster said.
Some students at UNM are getting in on the urban farming movement.
Sophomore Scott Hovlik said urban farming would be great for students because it is cheaper, in the long run, than grocery store shopping. He said there are also worldwide benefits of urban farming.
"Societies have moved away from growing and farming, so now a small number of people are left with the task of feeding huge populations," he said.
Hovlik said that when people get together for a common cause, it strengthens social ties and improves a community as a whole.
"It is a positive place where people can explore an alternative lifestyle," he said.
