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RIDGELY – What started out as a simple school project for local twelve year old Mason Sparks turned into an almost year-long effort to change the Ridgely town code to allow backyard chickens. Now, he’s gearing up to bring his own chickens home to roost.
This time last year, Sparks’ homeschool co-op was hatching chicks as a learning experience. But out of the group, Sparks was the only one who lived within the town limits of Ridgely, and the town code forbade keeping chickens. Sparks decided to speak during public comment at the Ridgely Town Commission meeting that June to ask if the town would consider reversing this rule – little did he know he’d opened a whole can of worms.
Sparks was encouraged to come back to the Town Commission as a formal part of the agenda. He did so in August, presenting a poster on the benefits of keeping backyard flocks. The benefits he spoke of included insect control, fresh egg production, natural fertilizer via manure, and just plain old personal enjoyment. Impressed with his presentation, the Commissioners asked Sparks to gather signatures on a petition in favor of updating the code.
Again, Sparks got to work. Between August and September he knocked on 471 doors in Ridgely to ask for signatures on his petition. Of those that answered his knock, 170 people agreed to sign, and only nine refused.
After much municipal government rigmarole over the following months, Sparks’ backyard chicken ordinance was finally passed by the Town Commissioners in February 2026. While the town is still working out the kinks for hopeful backyard flock owners, Sparks said he is excited to bring his chickens - which are currently staying at his grandparents’ house outside town - home.
“I’m really proud of him,” said his mom, Sherri Sparks. Sparks himself is just glad the hard part of knocking on doors and speaking in front of the Commissioners is over, remarking, “it took long enough.”
