Madison city lives in a protected bubble where the crudeness of the farm life surrounding us can’t contaminate our sophisticated air. Is our city really that different from from our more rural neighbors?

This time of year many families start planting a summer garden with things like squash, melons, and tomatoes. Some people are taking it to the next step by creating a miniature homestead within the city. These people, who will remain unnamed, raise chickens, ducks, rabbits, garden, compost, and collect rainwater.

Homesteaders view their animals both as a food source and as a way to teach their kids about where food comes from. Many students have never experienced what it is like to raise their own food for meals. Some young children when asked where eggs or milk come from will reply “the grocery store.”

When students at Bob Jones where asked what kind of pets they owned most replied cats or dogs, a couple said they had no pets, but only one owned small livestock animals. Why is this percentage so low? It may be the ordinances against chickens in some areas or possibly just a disgust of farm animals. “They just seem kind of… dirty,” stated Lillie Robinson.

Josh Ramsdell, a junior at Bob Jones, counters with, “they help reduce the family cost of eggs and occasionally, meat.”

When one female rabbit can supply up to 600 pounds of meat a year and one hen or duck can produce 5-6 eggs a week, the benefits of raising these animals is high. They provide companionship and services for their owners. All that is needed is a bit of compromise between homesteaders and their neighbors. One of the homesteaders I interviewed said “I do try to avoid being seen while slaughtering rabbits in case it would upset anyone.” To view the entire interview click here.

These are the very reasons we should question whether or not Madison should start a small scale return to its rural roots.