On Dec. 5^th, 2009, Tucsonans can find out everything they’ve ever wanted to know about raising backyard chickens in the desert. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. participants in this self-guided tour can travel around town visiting designated backyards with resident poultry. On the tour, a wide variety of coops with be on display representing different sized flocks, unique coop designs, and a wide variety of coop construction materials. Owners of the coops will be on hand to answer questions about keeping chickens.

This is the 2^nd City Chickens Coop Tour that Food Conspiracy Co-op has organized. The first tour took place last May to resounding praise. Over 200 people bought tickets for the last tour and another 250 were turned away after the event sold out. With over 18 homes on the last tour, participants were busy all morning visiting coops and talking chicken. Several participants from the last tour have since reported starting up new coops in their own backyards.  The tour this December includes a mix of new homes and homes from the tour in May. Participants from last May’s tour will find new and interesting sites to visit if they decide to join the tour again.

Tickets for the tour cost $5 and all $5 from each ticket will be donated to a worthy local non-profit. The tour last May raised over $1,000 for the Community Food Bank. The beneficiary of this December’s tour will be Watershed Management Group (WMG).  WMG runs an innovative co-op program where community members can volunteer for workshops at other people’s homes installing sustainable systems like cisterns, grey water hookups for laundry, and berms and basins for rainwater harvesting. As people volunteer at other houses, they earn credits toward a workshop at their own home installing a project of their choice. The money raised from the City Chickens Coop Tour will become seed money for WGM to add a chicken coop installation workshop to their co-op program.

Participants on the 1^st City Chickens Coop Tour praised the event for being a fun, family friendly way to meet new friends, visit unique Tucson neighborhoods, and learn about all sorts of sustainable living practices, including chicken keeping. Many of the homes on the tour were also home to other interesting sustainability features like cisterns, gardens, solar showers, grey water hookups for laundry, rainwater harvesting earthworks, solar panels, solar ovens and native plantings.

To purchase a ticket for the Dec. 5^th City Chickens Coop Tour, interested individuals may visit the Food Conspiracy Co-op at 412 N Fourth Avenue. For more information about the tour, send us an email or call 624-4821. For more information about Watershed Management Group, this year’s tour beneficiary, visit www.watershedmg.org.