Community matters, Connors tells me. When he first opened his business, customers had to sometimes step over and around winos. Nearby a sex worker occasionally might be glimpsed servicing a john.
Connors pushes a broom around the floor of the stripped-down coop as he talks, herding the shavings through the entranceway into the adjoining chicken run where they will decompose into soil.
Heres a look at some of the rules in Brevard County: Melbourne allows chickens with an animal permit. Residents apply at the City Clerks Office. Code enforcement officers will review the coop, placement and other items before issuing a permit. In recent years, Melbourne has prohibited roosters because of noise complaints. Cocoa Beach has no rules banning chickens. Problematic fowls, however, could be deemed a nuisance, which would require owners to remove them from their property. Chickens are allowed in specific zoning districts in Palm Bay, Titusville, West Melbourne and unincorporated areas of Brevard County. Laws in West Melbourne and unincorporated areas allow residents to keep one chicken as a pet. No permits are needed. Cocoa, Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Melbourne Beach, Rockledge and Satellite Beach are among the cities that outright ban chickens. Over the years, Melbourne Beach officials have talked about loosening its rules, but it has not happened yet. Source: FLORIDA TODAY research
He also likes the odd way the chickens help unite the community. Connors and Flewelling have an “open backyard policy”: kids and adults have birthday parties out in the coop. Adults come and take the manure and throw it in their compost bins. When the partners are away, friends and neighbours tend the chickens and hens in return for their eggs.
If it’s night, the cafe may be hosting a seminar for sex workers, a fundraiser for Adsum House, the shelter for homeless and transient women, or an auction for Leave Out Violence, a non-profit youth violence prevention organization.
No matter where you call home, you will have chores that need to be done. If possible, choose a warm, clear-sky day to accomplish the tasks outlined below. Happy winter prepping!