What does your family do about global warming?

Today's Oregonian has a front-page story with a photo of two cute kids helping their mama with their garden, and quotes from urbanMama Leslie Carlson. The concept: just how guilty are we making our kids feel about global warming? And can they even do anything about it?

While I love that Portland mamas are featured as trying to do something about the environment, I don't love the general pitch: we're all making our kids feel responsible, and it's causing psychological trauma (not to mention that we're having kids in the first place -- I like to think of it as generating little humans who care about the environment and will help solve the world's problems, instead of thinking of it as straining the world's resources. Just because they're people doesn't mean they're destructive).

There's a quote from a 20-something Portland guy, who's anxious when he sees a pregnant woman (ack, my belly itself is causing anxiety, that's just what I need): "I wonder," he says, " 'What is that child's future?' "

While I occasionally get in the tear-out-my-hair mood, I'd rather just do something to make it better. I know I'm not alone in urbanMamas land for having chosen to drastically reduce the use of my car; the kids and I take the bus, walk to the market, and, when the weather's nice and the gear's in shape, ride the bike a lot. I've recently become enamored with my Trader Joe's canvas bag, a gift from another awesome mama, and I've been using that religiously and struggling to convince the generally oblivious checkers at Walgreens, Fred Meyer, and the like not to doublebag the two items I could just throw in my knitted catch-all. The focus on compost piles in the Oregonian article renews my desire to start one of those, and I've been mulling over ways to reduce our energy consumption at home.

What do you do with your kids to reduce your carbon output and benefit the world? Any great ideas or fun projects you can share? What should I be doing that I'm not?

Comments

[Hau]

I agree that we are already guilt-ridden so why do we need to add global warming to the equation? I like your perspective at looking at your daily activities and how you can make a difference. Here's our attempt at being more eco-condiserate:

- When we eat out, we try to walk or bike to neighborhood venues
- I ride the bus / bike to work. When the weather is nice(r) I (will) try to bike to pick up the kids from daycare.
- We try to remember to bring canvas bags for groceries. When at Freddies we ask for paper rather than plastic since we can reuse the paper bags.
- We use energy efficient appliances.
- We use compact fluorescent bulbs in our home. It's been four years and counting since we've had to change a bulb.
- We try to hang our clothes out to dry in the summertime. Sometimes it doesn't happen but we try.
- We're starting to compost and the big yogurt containers are a great way for storing scraps if you don't make it out to the bin everyday.

We're not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and I am certain there are many many changes that we can still make. The ones above were easy to integrate into our family lifestyle. I'd also love to hear other ideas as well!

[Monica]

We aren't saddling our kids with guilt. We are teaching them to deal with reality, to adapt, to learn how to inhabit the planet in a way that is least disruptive as possible.
The 20 somethings comment is what I would expect from a thinking 20 something, but in my opinion, it's also immature. Choosing to perpetuate life requires a lot of optimism. We are trying to teach our kids to be useful, optimistic, to pay attention and affect change (among others things... among them getting dressed in under 30 minutes and not throwing food on the floor). Like Sarah, I think our (collectively) kids will help figure out the challenges that face us and then them (there will surely be lots more).

eco-considerate measures we take:
- the right light bulbs
- clean cleaning supplies
- grocery bags made out of oil cloth
- energy efficient appliances
- less driving
- opted out of junk mail
- refuse plastic bags in favor of throwing in my bag
- receive bills and statements online.
- lights off when you leave the room.
- buy less crap
- trying to limit our consumption of petroleum based products (I'm over oil)

Our family is just learning how to do more than recycle, so let's hear about what you all do!

[Sareena]

By far our biggest contribution was selling our SUV and committing to a vehicle-free lifestyle. We walk, bike and use mass transit (including Flexcar and Taxis) instead.

[Monica]

Also, write our Senators and Reps. Let them know that the US needs to participate in finding solutions and taking action to combat this issue. We are the next generation's mothers and we have an obligation to tell them how important this is for our children.

www.senate.gov

www.house.gov

[clementine]

god I love portland. the fact that we are talking about it and inspiring eachother is a step in itself. one thing I read about lately is limiting use of standby power, turning off computers and unplugging cell phone chargers can help a lot (and lower your electric bill!) Also, the kids at my daughters school (MLC) recently promted administrators to get rid of all disposible containers and utensils in the lunchroom. They asked parents for silverware donations and even got a grant from PPS!

[Renee]

Hi, I'm Renee. I'm the mom quoted in today's Oregonian article, and those were pictures of my kids on the front page (I haven't seen it yet, as we don't have a newspaper subscription).

My kids are young, and consequently I've never spoken to them about global warming (nor have I seen "An Inconvenient Truth"). My husband and I have composted for over 10 years -- the whole time we've been married. We involve our kids in recycling and composting so they don't have to unlearn bad habits like me. I have no interest in making people feel guilty, especially kids.

We're just making positive, mindful changes for the future, being hopeful and taking a "baby step" approach. No one can be perfectly green. As my friend Betty pointed out the other day - there are many shades of green. I just do what I can do, and have my kids help where they can. I'll be posting later today on EnviroMom.com about how we compost - it's amazingly easy.

[Debby]

We love to compost and use renewable energy sources. I see more and more signs in peopl's lawns saying they do the same, which is heartening. I recycle with a vengence, and feel very guilty when I throw away anything that could be reused or recycled. I think the most important things we can do as responsible and conscientious (sp?) adults is to keep talking about what we are doing at home to our coworkers, extended family and friends, even people in businesses we use regularly. There is a trickle effect to doing that. I wish I could figure out a way to use my car less, but with my work right now, it doesn't work for me. But if I can secure a bike this summer, I might try the biking it to day care thing. I am very excited about the new Max line that appears to be appearing right near one of my offices near SW 6th and Broadway. Once they put one in going to my other office near Sunnyside Hospital in Clackamas, I might be all set!

[fionnsnana]

You are all so inspiring. Some of these things we do, some we have never thought of. Some we are saving up for! (like a car that runs on bio-deisel.)
We try to buy local food, and are growing a lot of our own too. There's no need for long explanations to young children...Why should we wait until summer for strawberries? So someone doesn't have to bring a strawberry here from Argentina! We can tell them more as they're ready. Like when they can read and say: Momma, what does 'no blood for oil' mean?

Composting is easy and really fufilling.
And I am of the opinion that urban chickens can (and will) save the world.

[sarah gilbert]

I love all your ideas! I've been desiring chickens for a long time, fionnsnana... maybe this spring is the time to do it! local food is also a really good thing to strive for, especially since we're lucky to have such a great climate for a huge variety of yummy fruits & vegetables.

and Renee, you'll really have to check out the front page -- your girls really are adorable -- and I hope I didn't come off as accusing *you* of making your children feel guilty. I've noticed that particular writer tends to create controversies where they may not actually exist. I guess it sells papers ;)

[clementine]

fionnsnana, tell us more about the urban chicken idea...sounds cool.

[Kat]

Something that's helped me change my perspective on all of this is to think of the changes we're making as getting back to the habits that were part of a more balanced life a century ago, not desperate measures for a doomed world. When I think about my grandparents and how they lived as children on the farm in Cornelius, then in NE Portland for their adult lives, I see how small their footprint on the earth was yet how full and satisfying their lives were.

What we do:
1. Run bio-diesel (B99, meaning 99% veg oil, 1% petroleum) in our Ford F250. Someday we'll convert to straight veg oil.
2. Compost. Recycle. The usual.
3. Buy local fruits and veggies and meat, almost exclusively. Last fall we went to a farm to buy chickens, and those were the best chickens ever. When Clara asks for something that comes from south of the border I simply tell her "That's from Mexico, which is far away, so it's not fresh." And she accepts that just fine. It's amazing how quickly they forget about bananas and pineapple when they've got yummy apples and pears in front of them all the time. And we've *saved* money going this route.
4. Buy prepared foods from local companies whenever possible, so we're not buying food that's been trucked across the country, even though the ingredients may not always be local. Every little bit helps.
5. Buy used whenever possible: clothes, toys, kid products, furniture. It's pretty easy to do and you're probably supporting a family-run business when you do it.
6. I've started running to preschool with the girls in our new (used) double stroller one day a week, instead of driving. Every little bit helps!
7. Switched to Dr. Bronner's soap--a little easier on the environment, a little easier on my face. And no need for moisturizer anymore.

Things we plan to do this year:
1. Switch to flourescents.
2. Grow fruits and veggies. Wish me luck!
3. Remember to bring my bags to the grocery store!

Oh, and fionsnana: Remind me to show you how Iris goes "bock bock bock" when she sees the chickens!

[larissa]

Hi there,

I'm surprised no one has mentioned one thing my family has been doing for a long time. Buying all our power as wind power. This blog post on bottleworld.net explains why it's high-impact and incredibly easy (just a phone call).
http://bottleworld.net/?p=29

Another thing we do is live in a very small home. It makes for stress sometimes, but it is proven to save energy as compared to bigger homes, even when those bigger homes have power-saving appliances and the like in them. An on-demand hot water heater is our latest addition, and has improved bath time too!

It's all such an impressive list of what we are doing. I too love living in a city where this kind of conversation is not only possible but absolutely normal. Where you can do things like bike to work so easily and use FlexCar and such.

I have to kindly disagree with Kat about it being more like a century ago, though. That was one of the worst times for the environment ever, what with the industrial revolution, lots of burning coal, and yet still a proliferation of horses and other animals being bred for use by people. I'd like to think we can do something even better, ultimately. I guess I am an optimist too like others who've commented here.

Larissa

[fionnsnana]

Kat, I didn't know you have been running the girls to school...you are my hero!

Okay, urban chickens: (I can get a little evangelical about chickens, so I'll try to be brief.)

Keeping chickens has been the most simple and profound thing we have done to connect us to the earth.

First of all, they are so simple to keep, and are by far my favorite pets. (Shhhh! Don't tell the bunnies!) The children love to hold them, and watch them "work" around the yard and garden.
Their droppings make for rich compost, which we use to grow the veggies that we eat. They eat the scraps of those veggies, then lay eggs, which we eat. The shells can be used for the compost, or to protect the plants from slugs, or fed to the chickens to make their eggshells stronger. They hang out in the garden and eat slugs, which protects the plants and makes for better eggs. (Which we eat.) You know exactly what is in the eggs, because you know exactly what they ate to produce them. Healthy, organic produce, flax seeds...whatever!

So...we're not buying eggs, compost, or slug bait. I have the very real feeling that if the stores run out of food or something, eggs from my feathered friends could help feed my family, the preschoolers, and my neighbors.

They offer a sense of self sufficiency and gratification that simple, rural living can provide. The children love to check the hen house for eggs every morning; it is the most magical gift to find an egg. When we have enough we eat them for breakfast. They don't lay all winter, so their first eggs really marks the birth of spring. (For the last 2 years their first eggs have appeared on Imbolc, Febrary 1st.) Right now we are hard-boiling them, coloring them, and making little baskets for them. We have been having a rooster come to visit, so we are hoping for baby chicks this spring! After a while we will pass the chicks on to others who want to keep chickens, and the cycle will continue.

The more people who live sustainably, the less we need to rely on fuel and other resources. We can remember some ways of life that provided folks a more balanced existence a century ago. This is how urban chickens will change the world.

[martin]

I've spent like half my life thinking about environmental issues (the other half, okay maybe slightly more than half, thinking about sex -- which might explain why there was very little time left for linear algebra), and I have two suggestions:

A) THE THING YOU SHOULD DO WITH YOUR KIDS: grow your own food!

It doesn't have to be much.. just a little lettuce or carrots or chicken farming or something. Just to help you and them understand how the planet supports them. Growing a green bean or an oat.. with all the help from bugs and dirt and sun.. will give them a better education than most adults have. They'll understand the consequences of stupid stuff like dumping paint in the yard.

B) THE THING YOU SHOULD DO ON YOUR OWN: try to figure out what you DON'T need to worry about. So much of environmentalism is guilt mongering, and most of it is just a tempest in a tea pot.

The entire mission of one of my favorite environmental organizations, unfortunately now defunct (but its website lives on! http://www.ilea.org ) was to do the numbers and try to figure out what really makes a difference and what is not really worth worrying about. Here's the list they came up with:

1. Purchase a more efficient automobile AND drive less
2. Increase energy-efficiency in your household
3. Purchase green electricity and/or generate your own
4. Include more vegetable protein in your diet
5. Teach children about the environment
6. Consider having a small family
7. Contribute money to an environmental organization
8. Give time to an organized environmental cause
9. Live in the city
10. Vote

Note that a lot of traditional environmental flashpoints (paper vs plastic bags, cloth diapers vs. disposable, etc) aren't on this list. Yeah, the right choices there might make a smidgen of difference. But you can make a whole lot of difference by choosing right in the ten things above.

Sounds like most of the people on this list are doing pretty good by these standards. So after you work on some of those 10 points, give yourself a break! Use that disposable diaper! They are just as easy and absorbent as you think they could be.

[martin]

Just as a postscript to fionnsnana, I completely agree with you about small scale farming being an amazing educational tool, not to mention a wonderful and grounding practice. (see my longer comment, above!) I've published papers in ecological journals, and yet I think I've learned more about basic ecology just by sitting on the patio and watching bugs and flowers and lettuce grow.

However, I might challenge the concept that life a century ago was more balanced. They weren't. For example, in many parts of Appalachia there was far less forest 100 years ago than there is now... most of the "virgin" forest had been cleared for farms which didn't work out, and have now grown back.

In fact, ecological scholarship suggests that never in human existence have humans lived in "balance" ... rather they have gradually expanded their influence over the earth until today it's complete hegemony. The balance of nature, with humans or without, is mostly an idea pushed on us by TV shows; the ecological reality is long slow change.

The challenge for people interested in sustainability is to not get caught up in romantic notions about a past that never existed; instead, it's to create a completely new way of living, that combines the old, the present, and some things we haven't even invented yet. Your chickens just might be part of that!

[larissa]

fionnasnana makes me want chickens!

[fionnsnana]

Martin, that list is fascinating. I'm going to go to the website and check it out. I like the idea of a scientific approach to helping the enviornment. It seems like we spend a lot of time spinning our wheels! Guilt, blame, etc.

I'm going to start looking into wind power...thanks Larissa.

Thanks also for the reality check about life in the last century. It's so sad to realize that the human mark on the earth has been so negative!

For me, I am simply inspired by more "old-fashioned" ways of living for families. Growing and baking your own food, watching the animals for entertainment (and they are entertaining), having unstructured time in general, but especially outdoors, getting to know your neighbors, family dinners... just plain simple living.

Personally speaking, I've noticed that the things that complicate our family life ( and use more energy) often seem to be unique to modern times, like driving my son to school and soccer class, getting on the computer, going to the gym, and Tevo-ing the new episode of "Lost."

My goal for my family is to try to keep it all in check...and as I'm making elaboate plans for us all for the summer, just take a moment to stop and think about how the Walton's lived. Or the Engall's. (You know, "half-pnt" and the gang.) They had such rich family lives. And how much energy do you think they used?

[hau]

I've been thinking about this more since I first commented. The reality for our children is that if we integrate some of these simple eco-friendly ways of everyday life, it'll become just the way things are done like wearing seatbelts, wearing a helmet when riding a bike, or recycling. We should be proud that our kids are growing up in a time where their classmates are fighting over who gets to compost the food after meals at school, or waiting anxiously for their teacher to find the next worm for them to hold.

Yay for urbanChickens! I am so intrigued. We might have to seriously consider them. Fionnsnana, do you have a waiting list for the chicks? I'd like to be put on it :-)

[leslie]

in addition to the urban farming concept- growing our own food, herbs, and such, composting, raising chickens, etc.- we also have incorporated primarily native plants in our garden beds and are looking into a rainwater runoff system that will collect rainwater for use in our gardens...until then, it's watering with leftover kiddie pool water...

FYI on the chickens: Linnton Feed and Seed has everything necessary to start your own brood, and there's a great Yahoo group with ample advice - I think it's UrbanChickens (really)

[NoPo Mama]

We're not doing anything in particular that hasn't already been mentioned here...we switched to compact flourecent bulbs years ago, except for in our recessed lights, but I was excited to recently find them available in the hardware stores so I feel good knowing I'm using the right bulbs, but they are still attractive.

I've been pretty good about bringing my own bags to the store, my favorites are the waterproof bags from Trader Joes--they are only a dollar each, but they are super strong, hold so much, and fold up nicely. I've just noticed that Fred Meyer now has their own version of canvas bags--also only a dollar each--and they looked really nice.

And we've recently started throwing our kid into the shower a few times a week instead of the bath tub--I think it uses a lot less water.

We dont really have a good spot in our yard for a compost heap, but I've been reading a lot lately about worm composting...does anyone have any experience doing this to share? It seems like a really nice option--they like to eat all of your kitchen scraps, the bin takes up very little space, (you can keep it in your garage), and evidently worm compost is really rich and a little goes a long way...any tips on this?

[christinadw]

I'd like to hear more about worm composting, too. And along the same lines: how much yard room do you need to keep chickens? Anyone with experience with chickens AND a dog?

Thanks for all the great ideas here. I have nothing new to add but lots of new things to try.

[Monica]

Check out Renee's post on her site about in-ground worm composting. Sounds easy! She's got a great site!

http://www.enviromom.com/

[NoPo Mama]

The two articles I've read on worm composting were on the earth911 website (I hope I've pasted the link correctly here!) and in the March issue of Martha Stewart Living. They make it sound easy, and it seems like it could cut down on a lot of your kitchen scraps if you dont have room to compost outside...I think if I got it going now, I'd be able to "harvest" my first batch of compost by summer!

http://www.earth911.org/master.asp?s=lib&a=organics/composting/wormcompost.asp

[martin]

fionnsnana, it's lovely chatting with you about this ... it's been so long since i philosophized!

you wrote.. "Thanks also for the reality check about life in the last century. It's so sad to realize that the human mark on the earth has been so negative!"

I don't think we need to feel so guilty about the tremendous human impact on the Earth that's occurred in the past. Humans were just doing what any species would do... expanding to fill any environment we could adapt to.

The amazing thing that environmentalism challenges us to do NOW is to rise above pure instinct and take a more modest view of how much dominance our species should have. It's a totally new role for a species, and it's a true spiritual challenge.

Still, meeting that challenge requires more than just an individual change of heart... changes have to be made in the physical world too. That's why it's important to know what reforms really make a difference and which are so much navel-gazing.

I'm not sure where in that list worm composting would fall, but I can report that it's really fun and quite disgusting enough for kids! I did it for 2 years in a 1-bedroom apartment. It worked great and never smelled. But man that wriggly worm harvest was something some won't have the stomach for. :)

[clementine]

Everyone mama has to do what's best for her family first. I know that everyone has different views on eating meat. With that said....

Science shows that going vegetarian is perhaps the most effective way to fight global warming.

In a groundbreaking 2006 report, the United Nations (U.N.) said that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined. Senior U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization official Henning Steinfeld reported that the meat industry is “one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems.”

Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide together cause the vast majority of global warming. Raising animals for food is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide and the single largest source of both methane and nitrous oxide emissions.

Even changing eating habits a little can make a difference.

[sally]

I too am considering the the chicken idea. A few people who I have spoken to about it suggested rescuing chickens rather than buying them. I guess most farms kill the male baby chicks and you can avoid supporting that practice by rescuing. There is an animal sanctuary near salem I guess, I need to look into that more.

Great thread!

[fionnsnana]

If you want to raise chickens, just wait until after Easter and then check Craigslist or the newspaper. Lots of folks buy chicks for Easter and then don't really know what to do with them. Linnton Feed and Seed has baby chicks in right now, and order forms if you want a particular breed. We can keep up to 3 chickens in the city limits....only hens though, no roosters. I got a great book at Pistil's Nursery called Keeping Chickens. It's about keeping chickens in the city; THIS city. (It was written by a Portlander!)

Hau, I'll let you know when we're ready to give up our chicks!

(We will have to at some point, or The Chicken Police will come and fine us for each chicken above our 3 legal ladies. Don't you just love the idea of The Chicken Police? It makes me smile every time.)

[rosebengal]

Sally, et al.

Just a note to mention that, while the idea of adopting unwanted male chickens is a noble one, roosters are not legal backyard critters within Portland City limits (and in most other cities that allow urban chickens - clearly for the sake of the neighborhood).

Here's the definitive link for those of you interested in a flock of your own: http://www.growing-gardens.org/portland-gardening-resources/chickens.php

Not only is this a great reference but they also run the urban chicken coop tour each year. This year's tour is set for June 23rd.

[Chrissy]

I love this thread! I listened briefly to the World Have Your Say program broadcast from Portland this morning on NPR, and I was itching to pick up the phone and call in (alas, it's a UK number, and I had no idea what kind of charge that would've generated on my cell). The first part was all about global warming and Al Gore and generated some fascinating discussion.

I find the current trend towards environmentalism extremely empowering, not guilt-inducing! When I was a kid, my parents were both avid environmentalists and it was exhausting and frustrating back then. There are so many more options and resources available today, especially here in Portland. Our current list (not all related directly to global warming but all designed to lessen our impact)...

* Bought a Jetta TDI and run it on B99
* Hubby gave up his parking pass and takes the bus to work
* Just signed up for a CSA (community-supported agriculture) share for the summer
* Converting our grass lawn to gardens/Fleur-de-Lawn
* Installing rain barrels and a drip-irrigation system
* All-recycled Xmas (had to buy gifts 2nd hand or make them ourselves)
* Composting
* We're getting chickens next week - yay!
* Switched to Blue Sky energy through Pacific Power
* Installed compact fluorescents in almost all of our lights that don't have dimmers
* Had an Energy Trust home energy evaluation (go to www.energytrust.org) and fixed two of the three things recommended (new windows and air sealing - couldn't afford to have insulation blown in our walls, but maybe next year) - they give credits that paid for nearly half of our expense for these fixes
* Buy recycled toilet paper and tissue products!!! Did you know that most tp is made from virgin forest? Go pick up some 7th Generation tp and read the stats on the back of the package, and you will understand how I can get very fired up about toilet paper!
* Buy 99% of the kids' clothes used, and as much of our clothes as possible
* Use biodegradable laundry/dish soap as well as bath soaps (steer clear of the nasty antibacterial soaps which are very bad for the water supply)
* Use cloth diapers - we don't just save on the landfill space but also all the water and energy that goes into manufacturing disposables. We use a diaper service so we don't have to wash them all ourselves, which honestly wouldn't happen! And when we have to use disposables, we use paper not plastic.
* Buy a reusable Diva Cup for those days when, um, feminine hygenie is an issue. And use the biodegradable feminine pads instead of the plastic ones when you do need them.
* Recycle, recycle, recycle! The stuff that can't be picked up curbside can often be recycled elsewhere, like at the Eastside Recycling Center or when the Metro Master Recyclers do their semi-annual plastic pick-up.

Yes, many of these things will cost a little extra, but by reducing our consumption of stuff we really don't need (like those impulse purchases at Target), it all balances out. I'd much rather buy my daughter some wind power than a Barbie... And we're definitely not perfect (I still can't resist buying my kids some new toys, and sometimes I'm just too tired to deal with washing out a particularly nasty plastic container and just chuck it in the trash), but every plastic thing that we don't buy/throw out has a positive impact. I like to think of it as positives rather than negatives, which makes it something that's exciting and empowering rather than guilt-inducing. You don't need to feel guilty if you can't do something (like buy a new car to run biodiesel or get rid of your car all together) - just know that everything you DO do is making a positive difference. As more people do each of these things, they'll become more and more economical and in-demand and will eventually become the norm.

Go, mamas!!!

[Sunny]

Regarding CHICKENS! We live in inner SE and have had chickens for over 3 years. It seems there's quite an interest, so here's the scoop. Initially there is a lot of money and time to get the chickens set up. You will need to build a coop/house, buy all necessary food, supplies, etc. There are a few ways you can keep them in your backyard, free range or in a fenced area allowed to free range out of the fenced area at times (we do this to keep out other noisy animals), or in a mobile chicken pen to help start your garden.

Baby chiks are great and the kids LOVE holding them, watching them, etc. But BEWARE baby chicks carry disease, so wash hands with an antibacterial after handling.

After about 6 months they are ready to lay eggs, they need different food for layers instead of baby chick food called starter. Chicken food attracts rats, a problem we're having now.

Multnomah county allows up to 3 chickens without obtaining a permit, but a permit is very cheap and you only buy it once for the time you're in the same residence, see website: (http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/health/vector/nuisance.htm)
I would HIGHLY recommend this book before even getting chickens (which you can buy from just about any feed store, though I would recommend: )

KEEP CHICKENS! Tending small flocks in Cities, Suburbs and Other Small Spaces by Barbara Kilarski (local Portland resident)

And this website: (http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/index.html)

If you have any questions or would like a tour, I'm sure my kids would be more than happy to show you and I'd be more than happy to talk to you about the pros and cons (what a mess, and stinky!

Email me @ freeman.sunny(at)gmail(dot)com