The natural food co-op that wants to operate an “urban farm” on part of the former Countryside Golf Course property says neighbors’ concerns about chickens are mainly the result of misconceptions. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more.
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The Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op wants to use 12 Countryside acres for an urban farm with an egg farm right in the middle. A half-dozen nearby residents voiced objections Monday before Roanoke City Council, concerned the chickens would be smelly and loud. The Co-op’s John Bryant says neither would be the case, and the experience from urban farms in other cities, he says, enhances a nearby neighborhood’s desirability.
Any sustainable urban farm also includes plenty of fruits and vegetable crops, but Bryant says an egg farm is a necessary component to make it work.
