Tour de Coops Is Saturday, November 10: Here's a Preview of Three Awesome Chicken Coops on the Tour

By Katie Johnson Tue., Nov. 6 2012 at 7:00 AM

Categories: Chow Bella, Events

Katie Johnson

Ask any of your eco-friendly pals and they'll tell you that sustainability is the green gift that keeps on giving. From edible gardens to ethically raised eggs, more and more Phoenix urbanites are looking to their own backyards to fuel their families.  

Which is why the Valley Permaculture Alliance organizes Tour de Coops, a Valley-wide residential tour of urban livestock- specifically chickens and their decked out chicken wire cribs. The tour, which extends throughout Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale and Phoenix is intended to inspire, educate and promote growth within the community of modern farming.

This year's Fourth Annual Tour de Coops, happening from 8 am to 4 pm on Saturday, November 10, will feature 29 homes, 13 of them bikable. Participants in the tour will choose from one of three locations to check-in:

-Duck and Decanter on Camelback for the morning bike tour
- La Condesa for the afternoon bike tour 
-Escalante Community Center for the basic tour

Tickets are $15 in advance ($20 at the door). For more details or to purchase tickets, you can visit VPA online. And for a better idea of what to expect, check out three of our top design picks at this year's Tour De Coops.

Katie Johnson

David and Laura Deynes

The backyard of this South Phoenix home has much more than meets the eye: ducks, chickens, roosters, turkeys, goats, dogs, cats and probably a few other creatures who have made themselves at home in the spacious sustainable space. Still a work in progress, the Deynes plan on turning the yard into a non-profit demonstration garden.