Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 

Sacramento County Ditches Lawn Mowers For Goats

  •  Annie Chernich 
Wednesday, August 13, 2014 | Sacramento, CA
Annie Chernich / Capital Public Radio
 

Annie Chernich / Capital Public Radio

Living in an urban setting you wouldn’t expect to see a herd of goats grazing a couple lots over. But, as summer progresses, municipalities like Sacramento County are ditching lawn mowers and hiring goat herders to clear county-owned basins with overgrown brush.

A few dozen goats moved into a vacant lot on American River Drive called the Wilhaggin basin.  They’re there to eat the vegetation, but some neighbors have become fascinated with them. The herd of goats quickly became a community attraction.

Elizabeth Springett even named a few of them during her morning walks.

“That one right over there is Bailey and there’s a little tiny one, a brown one, with these white kind of speckles on it called Poki,” said Springett.

Dale Fletter, who lives next door to the basin, said he's familiar with the goats' daily routine.

“They sleep by the water at this end of the field," said Fletter. " And then, as it gets hot they all go out and start grazing.  But then as it gets hot again, they come back midday and then they have a siesta and then they go back out again and then as the sun sets, they all come back.”

Goats may seem like an unlikely candidate for clearing out a 10-acre basin, but Associate Engineer at the Sacramento County Department of Water Resources, Kevin Siu, said this is part of a pilot program started this summer to explore alternatives for removing brush. 

“We kind of took a look at what other jurisdictions had been doing and time and again we found that goats have been used on a more and more frequent basis," said Siu. "Therefore, we figured ‘why don’t we test out goats for our needs and see if they work for us as well.'"

The goats are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way of managing land, especially during the drought.  Dry, excessive brush poses a serious fire threat and lawnmowers could cause a spark. 

Olympias said that using goats ensures there won’t be any fires here.

 “This way it’s more like going in and removing the grasses and brush instead of mowing it and leaving a bunch of fuel lying on the ground," said Olympias.

They also help maintain the ecosystem and manage insect populations.

“It’s what the goats are really all about," said Olympias. "They help everything return to the way it should be it does also help with vector control.”

In fact, Olympias started raising goats almost by accident.

“We basically got a few goats years ago just to get rid of the blackberries because we had cattle," said Olympias ."And the goats just kind of, everybody was like ‘Oh I want some of those goats. Can you bring those goats over here?’ So then we started doing just target little spots for local ranchers to help with berry bushes and the noxious weeds that are in the pastures."

Now, goat grazing is almost a full-time job that requires long-term planning and breeding. 

“To keep the goats healthy all year, it’s a lot," said Olympias. "Our breeding program is to raise goats for brush control.  We’re breeding for a really hearty nanny, one that produces good size kids, milk’s good, has good feet, and has good maternal qualities.”

After only three weeks, passersby have grown accustomed to seeing the herd dozing on the hillside.

“They bring a smile that radiates all the way through here,” said one neighbor.

The Wilhaggin Basin is one of several properties where Olympias grazed her goats.  As the summer comes to an end, breeding will start sooner in the fall so that there will be a larger population of grown goats ready to start once more in the spring.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

    Related Stories

  • Sacramento County Turns To Goats To Clear Overgrown Brush

    Monday, July 13, 2015
    For the second summer in a row, Sacramento County is using herds of goats to clear overgrown brush. Officials say that's because goats are environmentally friendly and are a cost-effective alternative to power mowers.
  • Truckee To Use Goats For Christmas Tree Disposal

    Friday, December 26, 2014
    (AP) -- The "Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful" organization has come up with a unique way to dispose of old Christmas trees - let goats eat them.
  • Goats: The Best Kind Of Lawn Mowers

    Wednesday, August 13, 2014
    In an urban setting you don’t expect to see a herd of goats grazing a couple lots over. As summer progresses, municipalities like Sacramento County are ditching lawn mowers and hiring goat herders to clear county-owned basins of overgrown brush.

 goat

Annie Chernich

Insight Associate Producer, Intern

Annie started as an associate producer with Insight in the summer of 2013 and rejoined Beth Ruyak and the rest of the team in 2014. She attends Boston University, and will spend her third year studying International Relations in Paris, France.  Read Full Bio 

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More Stories

AP Photo/File

Citing a Mental Health Crisis Among Young People, California Lawmakers Target Social Media

August 2, 2022

Princeton University Press

'How Fast Did T. rex Run?' and other questions about dinosaurs examined in new book

August 3, 2022

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

New variants, wastewater data, long COVID: What Sacramento region experts are watching

August 5, 2022

Most Viewed

A California man’s ‘painful and terrifying’ road to a monkeypox diagnosis

North Sacramento residents push back on affordable housing, say city ‘dumping’ homelessness solutions in neighborhood

California coronavirus updates: Flushed with cash from COVID-19 treatments, Pfizer buys another drug maker

Northern California wildfires: Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

A California man’s ‘painful and terrifying’ road to a monkeypox diagnosis

North Sacramento residents push back on affordable housing, say city ‘dumping’ homelessness solutions in neighborhood

California coronavirus updates: Flushed with cash from COVID-19 treatments, Pfizer buys another drug maker

Northern California wildfires: Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.