It may be the economy, but something is driving more and more cities to change their codes to allow chickens and (small, female) goats in people's backyards. Seattle has done so, and now some people in Forest Grove (outside of Portland) are trying to get a similar change.
According to the Oregonian, Stephanie Vasquez has presented the mayor with a city policy that would allow people to get permits to raise chickens, domesticated fowl (like ducks) and small goats if they live on lots that meet minimum size and meet other requirements. She points out numerous benefits including eggs and milk, lawn mowing and fertilizer production, among others.
Hooray for urban farming! The only other benefit she forgot to mention, of course, is that kids love kids!
That last line is funny - I was recently watching a video about the battle to allow backyard hens in some town, and those in opposition naturally brought up that old dependable fallback justification for senseless prohibitions "But what about the children?! There could be like, diseases, or like something bad could, like, happen, uhhhh...duhhhhh" (OK, maybe I'm paraphrasing a little...)
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