Show Your Support

If you are interested in this issue, please write to your county commissioner before April 17, 2014 when the ordinance will be presented to the Law & Courts Committee of the Board of County Commissioners.

You can use the template letter below or write your own letter explaining why this issue is important to you and how you and your community will benefit from legalizing dairy goats. If you were positively affected by the urban chicken legalization a few years ago, please mention that too. Urban agriculture in Ingham County (Lansing in particular) has gotten a lot of attention and support in the last few years. Let's show our governmental bodies what the next step is!

Find the county commissioner for your district.

If you would like to email your commissioner, find their email address on this page (click on their name to open an email to them in your browser window).

If you prefer to mail your commissioner a letter, address your envelope to:

 
Your Commissioner's Name HERE 

Ingham County Courthouse

P.O. Box 319

Mason, MI  48854   

Template letter:

 

County Commissioner _________________

Ingham County Courthouse

P.O. Box 319

Mason, MI 48854  

Date

Dear Commissioner____________:                                               

I am writing to you in support of amending the Ingham County Animal Control Ordinance to allow dwarf and miniature goats in residential areas within the county.

Several U.S. cities have recently passed ordinances or changed zoning laws to allow urban goats, including Seattle; Denver; San Diego, and Charlottesville, VA. Many other cities already had existing municipal codes that allowed urban goats, including Berkley, San Francisco, Oakland, and Pasadena, CA; Portland; Chicago; and St. Paul. The goat ordinances in these cities usually allow residents to keep pygmy, dwarf, or miniature goats. These goats are usually less than 24 inches in height and weigh between 50 and 80 lbs. Breeds within this size range include African Pygmy and Nigerian Dwarf goats, as well as miniature dairy goats, which are a cross between a full-sized dairy breed and a Nigerian Dwarf.

Goats are extremely friendly animals, and they make excellent pets. They provide milk that can be made into yogurt, cheese, and ice cream. I am concerned about the hormones and antibiotics that are found in store-bought milk. Some people, especially young children, are allergic to lactalbumin, which is found in cow’s milk but not goat’s milk. It can be very difficult (and expensive) to find goat’s milk for sale, so having urban dairy goats at home is a healthy alternative source for milk.

Goats can also help control weeds and trim lawns, which cuts down on carbon emissions, noise pollution, and gasoline use of lawnmowers. Goat manure (which does not smell) also provides natural fertilizer for home gardens and lawns, reducing the need for artificial fertilizers.

I hope you will look favorably on this request to keep miniature goats in urban area within Ingham County. This is an easy way to allow residents to be more self-sufficient and sustainable.

Sincerely,

Insert name