About this item
* Winner of the Best Single Subject Book in Canada (English) at the 2016 Gourmand Cookbook Awards! *. Todays renaissance of the backyard flock is driven by a growing desire for healthy organic ingredients, food security and animal welfare - and while hunger might be "the best sauce," a dash of self-sufficiency is remarkably satisfying too. As communities across the country amend urban bylaws to allow backyard flocks, more and more of us are enjoying the pleasures and rewards of keeping hens in the garden.. In addition to tending her familys flock as a child, Signe Langford has kept chickens in her urban yard for almost a decade. Her book is stuffed full of practical advice on keeping the garden both gorgeous and productive and hens happy and healthy. In addition to answering questions about coop construction, year-round egg production and whether or not a rooster is really needed, she covers the best breeds for backyards. Langford includes dozens of simple and elegant recipes from her own kitchen, as well as contributions from celebrated chefs.. With beautiful photographs, illustrations and garden plans, this book is sure to become a favorite of avid and aspiring backyard farmers alike.
About the Author
Raised in the town of Hudson, Quebec, Signe Langford grew up surrounded by an ever-changing menagerie of critters, wild and domestic, and her special affection for all things feathered - present from day one - has never flagged. For Langford, keeping a tiny flock of laying hens is about so much more than real eggs; for her it's about offering hens a quality of life that, sadly, the vast majority of egg-laying hens will never enjoy. "For every hen in someone's backyard - even if the set up isn't palatial or absolutely ideal - it is one less hen in a factory cage."
The former restaurant chef-turned-writer tells stories and creates recipes for such publications as: The Globe and Mail, LCBO's Food & Drink, The National Post, Garden Making, and many others. Langford received a Gold National Magazine Award for her writing. Her work as a chef has garnered excellent reviews, including four star ratings. She studied Fine Art History and Humanities at the University of Toronto, and York University, graduating with honours from OCAD University. Langford earned her Wine Specialist Certificate from George Brown College. No doubt she can advise which varietal will go best with an egg dish.
She shares her downtown Toronto Victorian cottage with her own menagerie - wild and domestic - though she could do without the raccoons. For more information please visit http://signelangford.weebly.com/
