Seattle Tilth’s upcoming Chicken Coop & Urban Farm Tour on Saturday, July 11 will have 4 sites in West Seattle that have been chosen as Seattle’s “Top 25 Urban Farms” – Wild Craft Garden, Buried Treasure, Ceramistas Seattle: Garden and Studios and Rake and Make Ranch.

Buried Treasure, one of the sites in West Seattle, has won the “Garden-to-the-Max Award!” This award is given for the most diversely planted garden and most efficient use of urban space.

Other sites in West Seattle:
· Wildcraft Garden

· Ceramistas Seattle: Garden and Studios

· Rake and Make Ranch

Other awards include “Animal House” for the most interesting animals and coolest coop; “Innovation Station” for the most cutting-edge gardening spaces; and “Community Star” for the most community-oriented coop and garden.

Seattle Tilth’s 16th annual Chicken Coop and Urban Farm Tour is a self-guided “choose your own adventure” experience. People can select sites to visit among Seattle’s “Top 25” urban farms throughout the city on Saturday, July 11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

The urban farms demonstrate impressive ingenuity. Urban livestock on the tour will include diverse chicken varieties, mini dairy goats, ducks, rabbits, pigs, mason bees and honey bees. You can see bountiful organic gardens, food forests, recycled materials, compost systems, wildlife gardens, rain water harvesting, solar energy systems, hugelkultur beds, rain gardens, native plants, mushrooms, permaculture design and garden art.

Many of the hosts have fun names for their sites including, The Eggplant, Robin’s Nest, Yummy Yard Farm, 41 Legs Urban Farm and City Art Farm. Hosts have vast knowledge about their urban farms and are happy to share what they’ve learned so others can participate in raising a bounty from their own backyards.

Seattle Tilth judges will choose awards in the following categories: Community Star, Innovation Station, Garden to the Max and Animal House. Tour attendees will vote for the People’s Choice Award online after the event.

Seattle is at the forefront of chicken coop tours. The first U.S. coop tour was held in Seattle in 2000, organized by Seattle Tilth. Now there are dozens across the country from Boston, to Atlanta, Chicago, Silicon Valley and many places in between. Seattle Tilth started the event as a way to interest people in keeping chickens as a source of fresh eggs, even in an urban setting, and the tradition continues.

Tickets can be purchased online for $12 or $5 for kids, with discounts for groups, Seattle Tilth members and bicyclists. Tickets can also be purchased at various locations that can be found online including Whole Foods Roosevelt, the main event sponsor.