Petaluma Bounty is a multifaceted community food security initiative that includes the Bounty Community Farm in Petaluma, CA. The 3-acre urban educational farm grows sustainable, local food for low-income families, seniors, and individuals. They received a $4,995 grant to purchase supplies to add chickens to their fruit and vegetable operation.
The addition of a mobile chicken coop with a solar powered fence and automatic door opener allows them to rotate egg-laying chickens into their crop rotation, minimize mowing (and greenhouse gas emissions) in non-cultivated spaces, interrupt pest life cycles in the orchard and growing areas, provide natural fertilizer and minimize organic losses when produce goes bad, as well as provide eggs at their various sliding-scale sales outlets. “Despite some delays due to staff turnover, the farm purchased all of the items needed to implement the project and have prepared the community and new staff members in order to ensure long term success of chicken management at the farm. The chicks have arrived from a local breeder and are being raised onsite,” said Director Suzi Grady.
