Have you seen them? Homeowners are replacing sod with vegetable beds and building chicken coops by their garages. The Joneses are becoming the McDonalds, converting their prime North End Tacoma real estate into a miniature farm. South Sounders are fighting for their right to raise hens, ducks, goats and honey bees.

Want in?

Local author Dave Toht will pull his tractor up to Orca Books and tell all your wannabe Farmers in the Dell how to turn your yard into a productive and wholesome "homestead," rich in fruits and vegetables, and livestock, including chickens, ducks, and goats. Toht knows. He wrote the book, Backyard Homesteading, in which he covers the laws and regulations of raising livestock in populated areas and demonstrates to readers how to use and preserve the bounty they produce.

He'll also tell you what to do about angry neighbors who are hating on your rooster. 

[Orca Books, Friday, March 30, 7 p.m., no cover, 509 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.352.0123]