Boston Globe 10/13/10: Rent-a-coops put ‘farm fresh’ in suburban yards. Raising chickens is not just for poultry farmers anymore. As suburban consumers strive to learn where the food they eat comes from, some of them are also keeping birds in backyard coops. In addition to getting flavorful eggs with vivid yellow yolks, owning chickens has its advantages. The chicks produce great lawn fertilizer and can be fun. But becoming a suburban chicken farmer takes a pretty serious commitment. Enter Land’s Sake Farm, which offers a chicken rental program — sort of a “risk-free trial,’’ says education director Douglas Cook. Now in its second year, the program runs from spring through mid-November (depending on the weather). Rentals come with two chickens, a portable coop, and organic feed. For $100 you can be a farmer for two weeks and call for help when you need it.