East Hempfield Township (Lancaster County, PA) residents may only raise chickens if their land is zoned 'Agricultural' or 'Agricultural Holding.' This amounts toa bout 30% of the township, by zone. The goal of this petition is to show the Board of Supervisors the level of support in this community in order to spark discussion about modifying the zoning ordinance to allow a small flock of hens on land zoned low-density residential.

A small flock of chickens in one's backyard provides many benefits. A flock will allow the family to live a more sustainable lifestyle (reduce ecological footprint via less dependence upon mass farming and transportation), reduce pollution (chickens eat insects and provide fertilizer reducing dependence upon herbicide and pesticides, major pollutants to the Chesapeake Bay) and provide many learning opportunities for children.