Dear Reader,
Today marks day six of my hunger strike. Each day without food reminds me why this protest is necessary: families in Valley Township are being squeezed harder than ever by rising costs, shrinking support systems, and local policies that actively make it more difficult for people to feed themselves.
Before anything else: thank you.
The response these updates have received is extraordinary. Our email chain grows every day. More neighbors are speaking up. More parents and community members are contacting Township officials. More people are signing the petition.
Please continue sharing. Awareness is building, and you are the reason for that.
Jo Ann wrote:
“I rely on my hens as well as ducks immensely! I donate eggs to community in Valley Twsp and am at total loss. Please give us back our crops”
This isn’t just me.
Why I Am Still Doing This
Valley Township’s current enforcement actions are happening at a time when the basic cost of survival is higher than at any point in modern history.
When the Township last updated its chicken regulations in 2015, the country looked very different:
📈 Cost of Living Has Jumped ~30%
The Consumer Price Index was about 237 in 2015.
Today, it is over 300—a roughly 30% increase in the overall cost of living.
🛒 Grocery Prices Alone Are Up ~30%
The federal “food at home” grocery index was around 242 in 2015.
Today it is over 315.
That means groceries cost about 30% more than when these rules were written.
📊 And most of that spike happened recently
2022: groceries rose 11.4%
2023: another 5% increase
2024: still rising
Families are paying dramatically more for the same basic food.
What This Means for Valley Township
People are being forced to make impossible choices:
Food vs. rent
Groceries vs. gas
Heat vs. medication
In a region where:
Coatesville lived as a food desert until last year,
Poverty remains at ~25%,
And ~75% of children rely on school breakfast and lunch programs which were recently defunded,
you would expect local government to support every small step toward household-level food security.
Instead, Valley Township is eliminating it.
They are citing families who keep hens for eggs.
They are shutting down modest flocks that provide nutrition and stability.
Some of these families donate their eggs—thousands per year—to neighbors in need.
And they are being punished for it.
At a time of historic grocery inflation, the Township is removing one of the few affordable, reliable, locally produced sources of protein families still have access to.
My hunger is voluntary.
The hunger created by these policies is not.
Take Action: Sign the Petition
Many have asked how else they can help.
Please sign and share this petition calling for updated, humane, practical chicken ordinances that reflect today’s economic reality:
Your signature matters.
Your share matters even more.
Keep Speaking Up
Every call and email adds pressure.
Township officials need to hear from you—clearly, consistently, and in growing numbers.
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 continue forwarding these updates.
Please keep contacting the Township.
Please keep speaking up for your neighbors.
Together, we can demand policies that support—not punish—household-level food security.
Thank you for standing with me.
Sincerely,
Stephanie N. Shermer