How Raising Hens Provides Benefits Beyond the Eggs - Cathy Erway

In Chapter 13 of 19 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with Erik Michielsen, author, food writer, and rooftop gardener Cathy Erway shares the emotional and physical benefits gained by raising three egg laying hens on her rooftop garden. She gets her hens from Heritage Farms. The first, Beaker, is a BB red bantam hen; the second, Yoko, is a Silver-Spangled Hamburg hen; the third, Mama, is an Aracauna hen; and the fourth, MeiMei, is a Cochin hen. Over time, the hens teach Erway about social behavior and resiliency during winter while creating a more positive mood. Erway is the author of "The Art of Eating In: How I learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove." She writes two blogs, "Not Eating Out in New York" (http://www.noteatingoutinny.com ) and "Lunch at Six Point" (http://www.lunchatsixpoint.com ). Erway earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Emerson College.