About this episode

The episode discusses raising backyard chickens in desert climates and their role in food resilience.

A Rosie On The House Replay In this episode Romey Romero from Rosie on the House and Farmer Greg sit down with Ashley McClure and Scott Brown of Phoenix Organic Feed to talk about raising backyard chickens in the summer heat. The conversation explores heat management, predator protection, organic feed, egg production, breed selection, and why chickens are one of the best tools for local food resilience. Ashley and Scott also share the grassroots story behind Phoenix Organic Feed and how a small community feed order turned into a regional network serving thousands of chicken keepers across metro Phoenix and the Verde Valley. Key Topics Backyard chickens in desert climates Organic chicken feed and local food resilience Heat management for chickens Predator-proof chicken coops Egg production and breed selection Chickens as composters and pest control Food security through backyard farming Phoenix Organic Feed community distribution model Rhode Island Red chickens Leghorn chickens Raising meat birds vs. egg layers Electrolytes and hydration for poultry Victory Gardens and modern homesteading Key Questions Answered Why should people keep chickens in their backyard? Chickens provide…

People in this episode

Host: Greg Peterson

Guests: Romey Romero, Ashley McClure, Scott Brown

Topics covered

• backyard chickens
• food resilience
• organic feed
• heat management
• predator protection
• egg production
• community distribution

Keywords

• chickens
• compost
• food security
• backyard farming
• organic feed
• heat management
• egg production
• predator protection

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Phoenix Organic Feed

Places: Phoenix, Verde Valley, Rhode Island, Leghorn

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• 984: From Vegetarian to Rancher: Rebuilding Resilient Food Systems with Abey Rae Scaglione · May 15, 2026 · 46 min

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