ROCKLAND — Discover the joys and benefits of backyard chicken keeping in a free community class with the Good Tern Co-op, Sunday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m., at Hole in the Wall Bagels, 754 Main Street, Rockland.

Fern Axelson, a local suburban homesteader, will lead this discussion-based class, sharing her research and personal experiences to help others in starting their own journey in backyard chicken keeping and living more sustainably. The snow date is February 25.

Axelson will cover the following topics:

●      Understanding local city codes for chicken keeping in Rockland and surrounding towns
●      Selecting breeds that both thrive in our climate and meet the participants’ specific goals
●      Understanding the cost and time expectations of raising a flock
●      What to consider when crafting/buying a coop, selecting feed, and more
●      Insights into what to expect in maintaining the health of the flock through seasonal challenges

As Maine upholds the Right to Food as a constitutional value, backyard chicken keeping becomes a meaningful contribution to locally sourced, sustainable practices. For Axelson, this class supports her personal goal of empowering our community with the skills and knowledge needed for a small but impactful step towards self-sufficiency.

“We started keeping chickens for the first time within months of moving to Maine to keep our yard tick-free for our dog, but the flock has become the center of so much more in our lives,” said Axelson, in the Good Tern news release. “On top of bringing daily laughs and smiles, we now have thriving compost (and nearly zero food waste), gardens, a fridge full of eggs, and a freezer full of meat, because of our little flock.”

The Raising Backyard Chickens class is free, and registration is required. For more information and to reigster, visit Good Tern’s Facebook page.

Good Tern Natural Foods Co-op is a member-owned food and health store, founded in 1980 to provide healthy food and wellness choices at reasonable prices for the local community. The Co-op’s Education & Community Outreach Committee is a volunteer effort to engage residents of Midcoast Maine and beyond in fun and satisfying ways to learn while improving their own mental and physical health as well as ensuring a healthy planet.