Do you think my neighbors would mind a few chickens?

I've always loved the idea of having a small little farm: a garden where I can grow my own veggies, a few chickens to produce eggs, even some bees for honey. But alas, I live in the city and the likelihood of moving to the country is nil, so it remains a dream for me. But city life didn't stop Novella Carpenter. A resident of Oakland, California, Novella decides to become an urban farmer, squat gardening in an abandoned lot and keeping chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, bees and even pigs in her back yard. Her book Farm City: the Education of an Urban Farmer is an entertaining tale of her attempts to create a farm amidst concrete and violence. Barbara Kingsolver's memoir Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is probably a more well-known tale of do-it-yourself farming, but I found Novella's story more endearing. The urban aspect created some humorous situations, as well as some unlikely friendships with neighbors. Her farm not only serves to provide her with food, but it also provides a sense of community. Neighbors stop by to help with weeding and enjoy fresh produce. Young children get a chance to see pigs and rabbits for the first time. When Novella is dumpster diving for pig food, she meets the chef of a local restaurant who teaches her how to make salami and prosciutto from her pigs.

Novella's farm gives me hope. Perhaps I can have a chicken or some bees after all. My village's code is a little vague. I just read that Novella is working on a how-to book for urban farming, due out in the Spring of 2012. Yay! Maybe by then I'll have convinced my husband this is a good idea.