In April 2022, the founder of Chicken Feed News, Atia Kampstra, turned 10 years old. Her six Barred Rocks also turned one-year-old at the end of April. Our May 2022 issue also marks the one-year anniversary of Chicken Feed News (CFN) in print. In celebration of all of these milestones, we thought our readers might like a look at the history behind CFN. Atia, the fearless leader that she is, started her hand-printed and hand-drawn newspaper at six years old when she was living in Northern Wisconsin. Fun fact: She didn't even own any chickens yet.
After a move to Central Wisconsin (and after years of research), she and her partner in crime, Grandma Marsha, found four laying hens for sale in May 2020. This was the opportunity to begin their own flock! The whole family (Atia’s mom, dad, and little sister) all got sucked into chicken madness. They came together to go completely out of their comfort zones (and skill levels) to build a chicken tractor and a chicken run. (Hey, after 80+ mph winds, it’s still standing…)
And, well, they sure enjoyed all those fresh eggs, too. Yum.
The next year, they raised Barred Rock chicks. At this time, Atia wanted to introduce everyone she knew to those new chicks and their epic personalities. An aunt blessed her with a laptop she no longer needed, and CFN started up again -- this time in print form on a regular schedule for family members and friends.
These days, as the CFN issues get larger, family and friends help out where needed: proofreading, brainstorming, photography, artwork, layout, and circulation. CFN includes information on daily life in the coop along with current happenings in the poultry industry, history, recipes, product reviews, jokes, contests, predator reports, and just about anything that has to do with chickens.
Now, in 2022, there's a brand-spanking new Facebook page and website so the whole world can learn more about chickens. Atia was also interviewed for a Wisconsin Public Radio article about chickens and highly pathogenic avian flu. (The reporter even linked the article to the CFN website!)
It's been a fun journey so far! Thanks for making us crazy chicken peeps, Atty!
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