E16: A family hatchery working towards zero waste & a better future | Franchesca Duval of Alchemist Farm in Sebastopol, CA

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Franchesca Duval, the environmentalist and backyard poultry farmer behind Alchemist Farm. Franchesca’s love of chickens began at a young age. After planting roots on three acres of land, she realized her dream of having her own backyard flock. When she started researching the best hatcheries to get chicks from she was horrified to learn the standard practice of killing all the male chicks. In response, Franchesca decided to build her own humane hatchery, offering birds with wonderful temperaments and beautiful eggs. She started with an incubator in a bathtub and in under a decade has built a successful nationally recognized hatchery business. 

For Franchesca, her sustainable small business journey hasn’t been focused on financial success, her primary goal is to make a positive impact in the world. I so appreciate the zero waste and creative environmental solutions Franchesca has applied to every aspect of her home life and business. She is constantly improving and making adjustments to be a more mindful consumer and encouraging and teaching others to do the same. 

Franchesca's respect for the planet and all of the creatures that live here is so refreshing. Chickens are arguably the most abused animal on our planet and Franchesca is dreaming up revolutionary ways to change the industry for the better. I encourage you to support her efforts and follow her on Instagram @alchemistfarm. If you are interested in learning more about chicken keeping you can take an online workshop with Franchesca and you can also order chicks and eggs on their website. 

We toured Alchemist Farm in January of 2020. We have included a bunch of photos from our visit and additional interview questions that Franchesca responded to before the pandemic on the Urban Exodus Blog.

Franchesca is powerful agent of change and I so look forward to seeing how she continues to inspire others to follow a path towards sustainability, zero waste and greater self-reliance. 

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