KES First Graders to Hatch Chicks for Local Egg Co-Op

InterGenerate and the first graders of hatched a plan for heritage breed chicks at John Jay Homestead.  

For the past year, the new non-profit’s raised hens at the local historic site.  For the first time this spring, members will work in partnership with the students of KES to hatch heritage eggs and then raise them into laying hens.

InterGenerate is a growing organization dedicated to building strong communities on a healthy planet.  Over the last few years they spearheaded the creation of four community gardens and most recently, a heritage breed egg cooperative at John Jay.  Members of the co-op work together to harvest and care for almost fifty hens in mobile coops at the site.

Students in our district have been hatching eggs for years with the help of 4-H but this is the first time they have hatched the eggs of heritage breeds alongside the traditional breeds.

“Many heritage breed chickens are endangered due to the prevalence of selective breeding at large agricultural farms, but the heritage breeds are often more nutritious and resistant to disease,” says Kathy Moreau, Director of InterGenerate’s Heritage Egg Co-op at John Jay. 

The collaboration between InterGenerate and KES was organized by co-op members Li Lai Luongo (who also happen to be a KES parent), and teachers Libby Grasso, Judy McCormick and Sheryl Carini with support from Melina Brown, Founder of the So. CT/Westchester Poultry Meetup.  After the students hatch the eggs in the classroom, the chicks will be raised with other hens in the one-year old Heritage Egg Co-op. The students and all in our community are encouraged to visit the John Jay Homestead this summer to see how the baby chicks have grown. 

Roseann Rutherford, Co-Founder of InterGenerate, said they're proud of the growth in their outreach programs based on our egg co-op. 

"Not only do our members get to enjoy lots of fresh eggs, but we offer a hands-on learning experience for the entire community on healthy, local foods and sustainable farm practices,” she said.

True to their name, InterGenerate’s projects are intergenerational. Rutherford adds, “An important facet of our programs is that they involve all generations.  As a matter of fact, children from KES whose families are members of the Egg Co-op, will be making special presentations to their first grade classes about the advantages of using heritage breeds.”

Anyone interested in joining the Heritage Egg Co-op should visit InterGenerate’s website at www.intergenerateny.org or call 914-232-8072.