Urban farmer arrested following backyard duck discussion

By Nathan Vickers

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    KANSAS CITY, Kansas (KCTV) — An urban farmer who has been ruffling feathers over her backyard ducks was arrested last week after showing up angry at a commissioner’s house.

Corinna West was charged with disorderly conduct after confronting Harold Johnson and his family at his home, interrupting a virtual zoning meeting.

Johnson had previously voted against West’s request for a special use permit that would allow her to keep 12 ducks in her backyard. The zoning commission would only allow her to keep eight.

West said she was angry that Johnson and other commissioners had voted no.

“I probably crossed a line,” she said.

West started raising ducks in her backyard three years ago. She now teaches others how to start their own poultry operations through her organization, USA Duck Team.

Her urban farm takes up nearly all of her quarter-acre plot. Her ducks roam a backyard filled with native flowers, berries and vegetables, which the birds graze on enthusiastically. They are a heritage breed of duck, called Cayuga ducks.

West is also a former Olympic athlete. She competed in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga. KCTV5 has interviewed her in the past about her work in mental health advocacy.

She said keeping the ducks happy helps keep her happy.

“Ducks are the happiest animals on the farm,” she said. “Urban poultry is fun, it’s safe, it’s good for the environment. It’s good for entrepreneurship.”

At one time West had accumulated more than 50 ducklings in her backyard. She said police had cited her when they found out, which is why West petitioned for 12.

City codes allow six with no permit.

During the meeting several commissioners expressed an interest in her work. Ashley Hand, a spokesperson for the Unified Government, said the commissioners decided to grant the permit for 8 ducks at the recommendation of state conservationists.

“We recognize that there’s a lot of benefit to urban homesteads,” Hand said. “There’s an appropriate response in how we work with residents, to assess the opportunity and understand what’s going on, not just for one neighbor but for all neighbors.”

West said she will fight to keep her 12 birds. She said the extra four allow her to better preserve the genetic line of her Cayugas.

“We need to rethink our zoning processes,” she said.

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