"Using goats to clear roadsides and public lands of brush and weeds is hardly new, but usually they tend to work far from a downtown. In Southern California, where wildfires are a constant threat, municipal governments have increasingly moved to hiring goats rather than relying on weed whackers to clear dry land, saying it saves money and is better for the environment.
“This comes natural to them; they know it and love it,” said Johnny Gonzales, the herd manager for Environmental Land Management, the company hired to deploy the goats. “We are just using what nature gave them.”
Environmental Land Management charges an average of $1,250 an acre for its goat service.
By now, the fourth year that the goats have been used to clear the steep hillside known as Angel’s Knoll, they have become a summer tradition. The herd of mostly female South African Boer goats — roughly 60 adults and 60 kids — came from San Diego, and each day, the throngs of onlookers — bankers and lawyers, tourists and families — have gathered to gawk at the brown and white and spotted creatures. The goats seem unperturbed by the nearby tram, Angels Flight, that carries people up the hill, or the constant photo snapping and the eager hands that reach out to pet them.
These goats, Mr. Gonzales said, are adept at dealing with noise and people. (Don’t go looking for urban grass-fed goat meat or cheese from these animals; Mr. Gonzales said he had no plans to market their products for food. Besides, he added, the meat would probably not be tender anyway.)"
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“This comes natural to them; they know it and love it,” said Johnny Gonzales, the herd manager for Environmental Land Management, the company hired to deploy the goats. “We are just using what nature gave them.”
Environmental Land Management charges an average of $1,250 an acre for its goat service.
By now, the fourth year that the goats have been used to clear the steep hillside known as Angel’s Knoll, they have become a summer tradition. The herd of mostly female South African Boer goats — roughly 60 adults and 60 kids — came from San Diego, and each day, the throngs of onlookers — bankers and lawyers, tourists and families — have gathered to gawk at the brown and white and spotted creatures. The goats seem unperturbed by the nearby tram, Angels Flight, that carries people up the hill, or the constant photo snapping and the eager hands that reach out to pet them.
These goats, Mr. Gonzales said, are adept at dealing with noise and people. (Don’t go looking for urban grass-fed goat meat or cheese from these animals; Mr. Gonzales said he had no plans to market their products for food. Besides, he added, the meat would probably not be tender anyway.)"
- More Here
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