birds of a feather

Houston's hippest urban chicken farmers hatch new showroom and gallery

Houstonians seeking the freshest eggs, handmade chicken coops, and even a chicken-themed art gallery need look no further than The Garden Hen.

Houston couple Michael “Chicken Mike” Graham and his wife, Nicole, are known by many for popularizing city living while raising backyard chickens. They've just opened The Garden Hen, their first showroom and chicken-themed art gallery — really — at 10142 Jones Rd., Unit 5B in Cypress.

The Houston-based company was founded in 2012 as a passion project for the husband and wife duo. Now, they’re committed to educating and encouraging farm-to-table living with chickens in urban settings.

“We are passionate about what we do and recognized a gap in the market for people who want to have that farm-to-table experience but need to see the operation in-person before committing,” said Michael Graham, co-owner of The Garden Hen in a statement.

The multi-faceted chicken and urban farming showroom will feature ready-made chicken coops for immediate purchase with prices ranging from $600 to $1,200. For custom, new-build coops, Houstonians can refer to the display wall for upgraded options.

“Once we decided to establish a place where people could pick up and bring home a coop and chickens on the same day, we knew we had an opportunity to add-on and the idea quickly grew from there,” he noted.

The 2,000-square-foot warehouse invites guests, visitors, and chicken enthusiasts to pose with The Garden Hen’s renowned Super Bowl-predicting mascot, Pinecone, in an interactive wall mural by local artist Franky Cardona. They are also encouraged to experience The Nest Art Gallery, a first-of-its-kind chicken-themed exhibit where notable artists and aspiring students will showcase their chicken and egg-inspired artwork at modest price points.

Additionally, The Grahams included a giant green screen at The Garden Hen for their reality television show, City Chickens, which focuses on the lifestyle and business of raising backyard chickens in Houston. For more information on City Chickens, visit citychickenstv.com.

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The Garden Hen is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm.

Nicole and Mike Graham, owners of The Garden Hen, with Pinecone the chicken.

Photo courtesy of The Garden Hen

Nicole and Mike Graham, owners of The Garden Hen, with Pinecone the chicken.

city-news-roundup

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”