Dear Reader,
Today is day four of my hunger strike. I continue because the issue we are facing is not a minor disagreement—it is a direct threat to community food security, self-sufficiency, and the wellbeing of families who are already struggling.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out with support, concern, and encouragement. Your messages matter, and your voices are needed. Please continue directing your concerns to the Township officials listed below and keep sharing these updates widely. The only way this changes is if more residents understand the gravity of what is happening.
Online petition has been started, please start sharing far and wide to let Valley Township let us be heard on updating the chicken laws.
Why I’m Still Doing This
My hunger strike is meant to highlight the real consequences of Valley Township’s code enforcement actions. These are not abstract policy decisions—they directly remove food from our community.
Here is one example that illustrates the scale of harm:
The 7 Families Who Were Cited
Each of the seven families cited kept about 15 hens—a completely normal, responsible flock size.
Total hens:
7 families × 15 hens = 105 hens
Annual production per hen:
150–300 eggs per year
Total egg production:
15,750 to 31,500 eggs per year
That equals 1,312 to 2,625 dozen eggs annually
But here is the part Valley Township has ignored:
These families donate their eggs.
They are not selling them.
They are not hoarding them.
They are sharing food—fresh, protein-rich, high-quality food—with neighbors, elders, families in need, and community members who rely on that support.
By citing these families and forcing the removal of hens, Valley Township has effectively removed:
Up to 2,600+ dozen donated eggs per year
From a community where 25% live in poverty
And 75% of children depend on school meals that were just defunded under the “big beautiful bill”
This is not simply enforcement.
This is harm.
This is stripping resources from the people who need them most.
A Community Already at Risk
In a region where tens of thousands of children rely on school breakfasts and lunches—and where those programs have now lost major federal support—the last thing any Township should be doing is eliminating local food production that directly feeds families.
Removing hens from seven generous families doesn’t “clean up the neighborhood.”
It increases hunger, pressures nonprofits, and deepens community dependence on already strained emergency support systems.
My hunger is voluntary. The hunger created by these policies is not.
Keep Speaking Up
If you believe Valley Township should not be eliminating donated food from households…
If you believe small-scale food production is part of community resilience, not a threat…
If you believe the Township must address the loss of federal meal funding, not worsen it…
Please contact Township officials today and ask:
Why are you removing thousands of donated eggs a year from a community with one of the highest poverty and school-meal dependency rates in the county?
You can reach any Township office through the main number: 610-384-5751
Janis A. Rambo – Township Manager/Secretary, Right-to-Know Officer
610-384-5751 ext. 101 | jrambo@valleytownship.org
Code Enforcement Department
Codesofficer@valleytownship.org | 610-384-5751 ext. 402
Kyle Bendler – Building/Codes Officer – 302-266-9057
Joy Hurst – Codes Coordinator – 610-384-5751 ext. 401
Dave Porter – Zoning Officer – 610-356-9550 x217
Township Solicitors
Andrew D.H. Rau, Esq. – arau@utbf.com | 610-692-1371
Amanda J. Sundquist, Esq. – asundquist@utbf.com | 610-692-1371
Unruh Turner Burke & Frees, 17 W. Gay Street, West Chester, PA 19380
Supervisors / Officials
Linda Baugher – 610-384-5751 ext. 505 – lbaugher@valleytownship.org
Casey Max Leidy – 610-384-5751 ext. 503 – cleidy@valleytownship.org
Kris Lenhart – 610-384-5751 ext. 201 – klenhart@valleytownship.org
LeRoy Goldsmith – 610-384-5751– lgoldsmith@valleytownship.org
Sharon Yates – 610-384-5751 ext. 504 – syates@valleytownship.org
Please share this far and wide. Awareness brings pressure. Pressure brings accountability. Accountability is the only path to change.
Sincerely,
Stephanie N. Shermer