05-19-2024 Harford Magazine - Flipbook - Page 23
Clearly, the podcast has an audience. Today, nearly
13% of U.S. households keep backyard chickens, a 5%
jump since 2018, according to the American Pet Products
Association. The pandemic seems to have triggered the
spike, as folks strove to be self-sufficient by producing
their own eggs.
The podcast that began amid that surge was a
no-brainer for two longtime chicken-loving friends.
DiCarlo is a retired veterinary technician; her co-host
is a historian whose poultry research helps drive the
show. The women grew up together, in Essex, and never
lost touch.
“We’ve been talking on the phone together since we
were 10,” DiCarlo said of their banter. “Last year, we
drove to Boston, 17 hours round trip, and never once
turned on the radio.”
Before COVID-19, she said, “We would get together
for coffee and talk forever, about life. Then the pandemic
hit, and we noticed [a run on] chicken coops. We realized
there was a crazy chicken boom on, and that we both
have credentials to educate people, so why not put our
wisdom out there to help them, and make it fun?”
Their chemistry is apparent as they settle in to tape
the podcast in the basement studio of DiCarlo’s home.
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