Suburban Farmers Coming Home To Roost

Don't expect a swarm of bees to invade Corte Madera, but it looks like there could be a few more hives coming to town.

The Corte Madera Planning Commission on Tuesday approved changes to a 1994 ordinance to allow greater flexibility in the keeping of bees and chickens within town limits.

The issue has been boiling in the town for the past few months. Early in the discussion, few of the council members seemed to be aware of the restrictions on keeping bees and chickens.

In fact, some admitted that they had friends who kept bees and chickens, but never knew it was technically illegal. Now, the underground suburban farmers are ready to come out of hiding.

"The (Planning) commissioners were great," said Glenda Corning, who was at the meeting. "None of them really knew much about chickens, but they asked thoughtful questions and really listened. The crowd was composed of a lot of experts who had a lot to say."

Larkspur, San Anselmo and the County of Marin have no regulations regarding beekeeping. Residents in Fairfax, Sausalito, San Rafael and Tiburon need to obtain a permit to keep bees.

"One other interesting comment was by Marin Master Gardener, Sherrie Vigneron," Corning continued. "She talked about how people have been keeping chickens for 5,000 years. Industrial farming practices made many ancient pursuits related to raising our own food fall out of fashion but now, with the realization of the chemical and viral contaminants found in commercial food sources,  people are returning to the old and simple practices of producing their own food by keeping chickens and raising gardens. In Belgium the government issues chickens to households to reduce green waste! 

"As for bees, this gentle and humble insect pollinates 65 percent of our fruits and vegetables in the U.S. and is currently experiencing decline. I think it is important to support this population by keeping hives and managing our environment in nontoxic ways." 

Town staff combed through the records to find references to beekeeping in the town ordinances. It turns out, the restrictions were enacted as part of sweeping changes to the zoning ordinances in 1994.

Presented with compelling arguments in favor of allowing the keeping of bees and chickens in residential areas, the Planning Commission voted to approve changes to the ordinance. It's now up to town staff to write a new ordinance that will go before the Town Council for a vote at a later date.

The ordinance is likely to require a certain setback from property boundaries and may prohibit the keeping of roosters, peafowl and guinea hens.

"One touching note during the meeting was the statement given by Zoe McCormick, a young 4-H member and her mom, Alexandra Matthews," Corning wrote in an e-mail. "Zoe told about how she had raised chickens for three years in Mill Valley in a very small backyard and made many friends in their community through others’ interest in the chickens. Alexandra spoke about how important the life lessons had been for her children and how rewarding chickens are as pets."

Corning continued, "I believe it is important to make this intention public for the sake of our children and as an example for other communities faced with these decisions. Corte Madera is currently the most restrictive town in all of Marin regarding these issues."