Futzy Farm Bird & Barn in Plainville is more than just a retail store, it is a place to get just about anything related to caring for barnyard animals, including advice. 

The store, located at 416 South Street, opened on March 2 and is in the plaza with South Street Pizza. 

Owner Gretchen Munafo - affectionately known by many as “The Crazy Chicken Lady” - opened the multifaceted store in just 47 days with the help of family and friends. “Everybody pitched in; this place is a labor of love,” she said. 

Jennifer Scanlon is one of those helpful friends. “You started out as my chicken lady, and now you’re my friend,” Scanlon said to Munafo on a Saturday morning in April. 

Customer Caitlin Bankowski has also been going to Munafo for advice for many years. On that same Saturday, she was sharing concerns about her pig, Piper. 

“Every single time I’ve had a question or was worried or didn’t know what to do, I could call Gretchen, and she’s always there to help. She’s super super caring, she’s great,” said Bankowski. “She has pretty much anything you need all the time, and she’s like a ‘chicken encyclopedia.’”

Munafo says the store ‘is like if Etsy met Tractor Supply.’

“My store is an experience. I have a high energy upbeat personality and love to share my knowledge on wild birds, nature and chickens,” noting that some people, many people in fact, affectionately call her ‘The Crazy Chicken Lady.’ 

She said she was working in the industry for more than 14 years and was laid off just a few days before Christmas 2023. In December, she thought she would retire and spend more time on her personal farm in Cumberland, but she soon learned she missed the customer interaction. 

“I’m a people-person and I missed my customers,” she said. “I have been wanting to open my own store, it’s been my dream and my dream came true.” 

Her husband, master carpenter Steve Munafo, made all of the display cases (and several pieces of furniture for sale in the store), and her sister, Melissa Bowers, helps with technology. 

In addition to the merchandise and advice Munafo offers her customers, she also offers poultry workshops, and often serves as an expert on chickens for the media.  

For more information about this fun and informative shop, visit Futzy Farm Bird & Barn at 416 South Street, Suite 2, in Plainville, or www.futzyfarm.com/. 

Store hours are Tuesday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Some of the many items you’ll find at Futzy Farm Bird & Barn are:

– Bird houses and bird baths

– Candles, American-made

– Goat milk soaps and lotions

– Handbags and satchels crafted from recycled military tents 

– Home decor

– Honey, local

– Humorous signs and apparel

– Jewelry, nature-themed (florals, animals, etc.)

– Pet supplies, food, treats 

– Stationery, greeting cards, etc.

– Windchimes 

– Wooden furniture, wishing wells, chicken coops 

– Bird seed, high-quality, reasonably priced

– Grains for chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, turkeys, etc.

– Live chicks (minimum of 6 birds if starting out, 3 if you have an existing flock)

– And much, much more…