Perhaps you are tired of all of the clucking over Salem’s Urban Chicken movement. Well, prepare to hear more — and read about it in the story I just wrote for Salem Monthly, called “Salem’s Urban Chicken Dance.” In it, you will hopefully see that urban chickens — and the chicken itself — represents far more than just a movement.
The very image of the chicken is changing, thanks to a perfect storm of economic woes, the foodie movement, and shifting perspectives about urban and rural spaces.
What is not being reported about Salem’s urban chicken movement is that the people pushing the issue are some of the area’s most successful professionals. people who wouldn’t normally lend their voices to movements, but who have been inspired of by these generally culturally maligned birds to make some noise and press for change.
Whether or not you are interested in chickens, keep them yourselves, want them, or are annoyed by them, they can no longer be seen as the pesty little beasts of the barnyard. They seem to be here to stay.
You could say that this bird has hatched.
