Upcoming Meeting With The Planning Director

Tomorrow I have a meeting with the City of Bakersfield's Planning Director. He and staff are preparing for the upcoming City Council meeting that is scheduled for Wednesday, August 12th. Backyard hens will be on the agenda and discussed officially.

I am excited to have been asked to speak with the Planning Director prior to staff putting the "workshop" presentation together. This means that your efforts have been noticed. Thank you. We have an opportunity to be heard, to share the positive aspects of hen ownership, and to correct the many false and exaggerated misconceptions regarding hens as pets in the urban setting.

Now is the time to double your efforts. Have every member in your family and circle of friends email City Council in support of backyard hens, sign the online petition while sharing it with as many likely supporters as possible, and continue to visit the website to become as knowledgeable as possible so to be able to articulately have positive pro "Bakersfield Urban Backyard Hen" discussions.

Here is a current real-life story to make this point: While I was bike riding the other day, my riding partner and I grouped up with two other riders at the Enos Lane turn-a-round; one of them was a stranger to me. After introducing myself and allowing him some time to share about what was on his mind I asked him what he thought about backyard hens. His initial response was, "No way. " I asked him why he felt that way. He shared several of the common misinformed reasons. We had a discussion where I was able to share my experiences and enlighten him about the many benefits of backyard hen ownership. I was also able to share how hens are not noisy and do not smell. By the end of our discussion he said he liked the idea of backyard hens (especially the self-reliant, food-security aspect), knew friends who would be interested, and would sign the online petition.

Keep me in thought and prayers for tomorrow's meeting with the City of Bakersfield. Bless me with wisdom, word choice, and effective communication skills.

#henfriendlybakersfield