Cecil County Couple Challenges Zoning Law for Pet Goat

An interesting article was published in The Baltimore Sun this morning regarding a goat turned pet in Cecil County, MD. The Balunsat couple purchased Snowbird for several hundred dollars through a newspaper advertisement and have raised her alongside several other animals since she was just a kid.

Snowbird, who lives in a home with less land than zoning laws require for animal husbandry, was not the original complaint. A rooster was - and the family already got rid of it (seemingly without objections). Neither the law or the family involved are concerned with whether or not the goat (or chickens, dogs, etc) qualify or act as working animals - or about the natural needs/purposes of/for the animal in question. 

The idea of farm animals in urban areas has been a hot topic lately as many urban and suburban neighborhoods are circulating petitions to allow residents to keep chickens for the purpose of fresh laid eggs. University of Maryland Extension sheep and goat expert, Susan Schoenian, points out the separation human beings have had from farm animals and processes and that there is a growing movement back towards that connection. 

But this particular case does not appear to be affiliated with the growing "backyard farmer" movement - which begs the question: What is it that draws human beings to animals? Is it for food? Survival? Companionship? Or a need to nurture? 

To keep up with Snowbird's story, 'like' her Facebook page.

Get Started

Last time, we got you thinking about starting a garden. Since then, it has rained and rained and... you may have found you can't to a darn thing. Even if the rain has stopped the ground is still much too wet to till. However, you can keep your enthusiasm high by learning a few more gardening how-to's, understanding which varieties you can grow, and even giving some of those seeds a jumpstart indoors.

Previously, we pointed you to the resources on the University of Maryland's gardening site but today - to really get you going - it's time for Cornell University's Cooperative Extension Program. It's certainly one of the best gardening sites around.

A little diversion here for some bakground about and kudos to the Cooperative Extension Service. The program began in 1914 as a way of disseminating university research to farmers and families so they could apply the latest findings in life sciences and agricultural research to their lives and practices. It was literally an extension of the university that took place at UMD, Cornell, and almost all major state universities in the U.S. I'm a big fan because the Extension Service has helped so many farmers and regular folks improve their quality of life and crops despite, in many cases, having limited education and little chance to obtain this knowledge. The programs provided a critical independent source of gardening, nutrition, health, and child rearing guidance long before there was an internet, before corporate farming took over food production, and before we all had instant access to affordable food and health care services 24/7. And FYI, Extension Services ae still providing this service today.

So I urge you to visit Cornell's site (find it here) for user-friendly, easy-to-understand guides and info on veggies, flowers and lawns...

BTW, beyond just reading about gardening on these wet days, you can actually start some plants indoors right now. I've planted some basil and lettuce indoors to get a jump on outdoor planting and provide the opportunity to see progress with my garden daily (newly emerging basil seeds are pictured). In just a few more days, the lettuce should pop.