South Orange’s Backyard Chicken Law Passes (Thanks To 5th Grader)

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Backyard chickens will soon be clucking in South Orange thanks to an Essex County 5th grader’s inspiring foray into local civics.

The new municipal law will make changes to article IV, chapter 172 of the South Orange village code and will authorize a pilot program called the “Backyard Chicken Pilot Program.” South Orange Village President Sheena Collum announced that the new law - dubbed “Phoebe's Chicken Ordinance - passed unanimously on second reading at the Board of Trustees meeting on Monday.

Previously, South Orange village code stipulated that “no person shall keep or harbor fowl, chickens or pigeons on private property.”

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According to the Village Green, the new pilot program will go into effect in March 2018. It will prohibit roosters and the selling of eggs or slaughtering of the birds. More details about the new ordinance were not immediately available.

Collum shared some background about the inspiring elementary school activist who spearheaded the effort, Phoebe Handelman:

“Phoebe, with the assistance of her very supportive parents Kathryn Deetz Handelman and Marc Handelman, went through the correct and rigorous process of researching best practices, meeting with our Environmental Commission, Trustees, and Health Officer, and also understanding the tradeoffs of why we needed some restrictions and that we needed compromise in certain areas. I'm very proud of Phoebe and you should be too. It was only 4 months ago that I had my first FaceTime interview with this amazing young woman who took the time to educate me on this topic.”

Collum continued:

“I have a soft spot for youth. I think it comes from not being taken seriously when I was in 5th grade and wishing that adults would listen to me more. So while I hope our new backyard chicken ordinance is a great success, I think the larger lesson is that one person can make a difference - even if it comes in the form of a 10-year old with a dream and a chicken hat.”

In a July letter to the Village Green, Handelman gave several reasons why South Orange needs to allow backyard chickens:

• “Chickens are wonderful animals, not just as food, but as pets”
• “Maplewood residents can have chickens and so can most other towns and villages of New Jersey”
• “It is our land… WE own it and should be able to do most things to it, such as have chickens, on our property”

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File Photo: Flickr / Aaron Baugher