DSA's Contributions Help Build New Cupertino Chicken Coop

The ribbon has been cut, and the flashy black-and-white abstractly striped Barred Plymouth Rock chickens at Hollyhill Hummingbird Farm officially have a fancy new coop, in part thanks to the Deputy Sheriff's Association of Santa Clara County.


The DSA contributed $1,000 to the effort, an Eagle Scout project of 15-year-old John Lentfer. 

The organization egged on other groups to match its original $500 donation, and Tim Green of Home Designs in Castro Valley, a firm that specializes in creating blueprints for home owners took up the challenge, bringing the total to $1,500, about half of the cost to construct the coop, which can house 50 chickens.


"The Deputy Sheriffs' Association's donation really showed us how much it cares about the community that they serve. We are so proud to have the seal of the DSA on our Donor Wall. The donation helped us purchase the necessary supplies that weren't donated as reclaimed materials by other members of the community. Purchased supplies included were electric fencing around the coop, drain rocks, roofing, feeders, paint, latches, handles, boards, gate, gutters, screws and loads of nails," said Lisa Fink, vice president of Hollyhill Hummingbird Farm.


The farm, located in Cupertino, aims to educate everyone on food, where it comes from and how it can be better produced. "This new coop will be a great way to showcase where eggs come from and what happy chickens look like," Fink remarked. The hens produce cafe latte-colored eggs. The farm also produces fruit and vegetables.


The DSA represents enforcement deputy sheriffs in the county. Its brother organization, the Santa Clara County Correctional Peace Officers' Association, covers deputies who work in the county's jail system.