City Grazing’s goat herd lives on Cargo Way, near Heron’s Head Park in San Francisco.
Landscaping by goat is becoming increasingly popular in urban areas across the nation. Besides being amazing and engaging creatures, goats are much more sustainable and environmentally friendly than a gas-powered lawn mower. The animals also provide organic fertilizer, which can help to restore degraded earth and natural soil organisms. Goat grazing is also much safer to our water supply than the use of toxic herbicides and chemicals. Even corporations like Google are now using goats to control their weeds at their headquarters in Mountain View, California.
In San Francisco, City Grazing is leading the way for the burgeoning goat landscaping business. They have a growing herd of lively goats, which they rent out for sustainable maintenance projects around the Bay Area. “We’re proud to offer this sustainable, natural weed control solution,” says Carla Brauer, Communications Director for City Grazing. “Our goats are not only great at their jobs; they’re also the cutest and friendliest weed eaters I’ve ever seen.”
Here is some information from City Grazing’s website that helps to explain the many ways in which goat landscaping is beneficial for our environment:
How do goats help restore natural areas?
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Using goats is based on a natural process, like bison grazing the prairie.
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They break plants down into digestible pieces by their saliva.
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Their hoof action also tramples plants into smaller pieces.
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Plants slowly decompose releasing nutrients into the soil.
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Goats also work desired seeds into soil with their hooves.
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Goats can restore large areas in a shorter time period than people.
Why is using goats environmentally healthy?
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Grazing is an alternative to mowing and herbicides.
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Goats eat plants, eliminating debris and recycling nutrient elements.
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They maintain beneficial soil organisms.
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Goats exclude the use of heavy equipment minimizing soil disturbance and compaction.
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Goats trample dried brush, create a natural mulch and add organic matter to the soil.
Goats are best used:
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In sensitive areas near waterways, rivers and lakes where chemicals are prohibited.
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On steep embankments difficult for people.
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On ditches, canals, rocky and wooded areas where mowing or spraying are difficult or inadvisable.
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In large areas where manpower is unavailable and costly.
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On very degraded land where human efforts would take years.
Goats:
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Do not bring weed seeds to the surface.
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Do not disturb the soil organisms.
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Do not extract soil nutrients.
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Are not a potential risk to ground water.
Hand weeding:
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Disturbs soil bringing more weed seeds to the surface.
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Creates plant debris that goes to landfills.
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Extracts nutrients from the soil.
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Disturbs soil organisms.
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Is labor intensive.
Mowing:
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Uses heavy equipment that compacts soil.
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Creates air pollution.
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Leaves stubble, does not eliminate plant.
Herbicides:
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May contaminate ground water.
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May kill or disturb soil organisms.
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Do not allow seeding at same time.
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May damage desired vegetation.
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May have risk to personnel.
In my very limited experience of goats, they have sophisticated taste – they start by eating the rarest and most expensive plants in range and work their way down to the grass!
I’d also not assume that they present a zero risk to personnel.
Having said all that they’re great critters!
Your program is a wonderful thing; the obvious way to deal with a pest is to find a predator. One with a positive environmental impact. I recently acquired a beautiful City Grazing tee shirt as a gift. Friends, fellow Petanquers Iren and Stephan are interested in acquiring one large and one extra large shirt as a way to celebrate their interest in raising goats as well as a passion for surface design (printing on fabric).
Please send particulars about ordering, etc., and I’ll pass the information along. Thanks, Mike
Hello thanks for the last cool entry.