Uncle Sam Expects You To Keep Hens and Raise Chickens

Once upon a time, Uncle Sam used to encourage everyone via published ads like this to have backyard chickens (including a rooster!)!  Now, you’re hard pressed to find a local community in which you’re allowed to even just keep the laying hens alone.  If they don’t have an ordinance against chickens, they do about roosters.  There are even some communities who are trying to tell people they can’t grow a garden

 on their own little plot of land!  

1918 - Uncle Sam EXPECTS you to keep
hens and raise chickens

It’s sad, really.  The facts in this Uncle Sam ad from 1918 are as true today as they were back then.       

But, alas, too much government has gotten involved in our private lives.    We’re becoming a nanny-state.  Leading lives in which we’re being watched so we don’t “bump our heads” or “fall out of a tree”.  Soon we’ll be bubble wrapped for our own protection.    

Now, I understand that raising chickens or a garden isn’t everyone’s “cup of tea” as you will.  But everyone should still be able to have that option if they change their mind for whatever reason prevails them!  (i.e. job loss, household budget cuts, finding their way back to the simpler life, etc)  In these economic times, more and more people are finding their way back to our immigrant roots tho’.   Good for them!  I applaud their efforts.        

In my humble opinion, depending on other’s to raise our food for us sets us up for failure in self-sufficiency.  We, as a nation, are allowing others to make choices for us.  This includes adding dangerous chemicals (i.e. pesticides, dyes, artificial flavors, etc) to our foods that we wouldn’t normally consider serving to our families.       

Honestly, I’m not a conspiracy buff.  (But don’t they all say that?? Hhmmmm)  But I have taken a look back at the times when I was a child vs current affairs.  Food used to be FOOD back then.  Generations of today may have never seen the real stuff before!  I have and it was glorious and beautiful and just full of nature’s natural flavors.  REAL FOOD.  Not this processed junk you find on our store shelves they pass off as the legit stuff.  It's not.             

I’m not much of a gardner myself.  Seems like I can’t keep a plant alive to save my soul!  Even my silk flowers turn brown....  It’s a real bummer ‘cuz I love plants!  But I can manage to keep animals (and my children alive) with relative ease.  I do, however, support our local farmers who do have this talent and buy our fresh produce from our local food co-op.  It's all organic and 95% of it is grown right here in my state by local farmers.  How cool is that?!?  I find it very cool indeed.  

So, chickens it is for us with a goal of a fresh fruits and veggies garden someday.  I’ll work on that... starting with some native WA fruit plants/shrubs/trees which will take less maintenance by me and have a chance at success!  LOL  I ordered these plants through the Pierce County Annual Native Plant Sale (due to inclement weather, this sale has been extended until January 27th).