Herd of Our Goats?

Whether hiking, walking, running, or just taking in the beauty of the San Francisco Bay, you have probably noticed tall grass and weeds constantly trying to take over these trails. Getting a lawn mower into these hard-to-access areas can be costly and challenging, yet the risk of overgrowth is constantly growing. Historically, we have used various methods that all utilize humans and tools. A recent trend has employed an unlikely ally, goats. Goats have been used around the Bay Area for the past decade as a more sustainable and effective weed remover. 

The recent non-profit City Grazing pioneered this initiative in the Bay Area, adopting over 100 goats, closing off parks and fields across San Francisco for days, and letting goats graze. Due to the heavy rain season earlier this year, summer has provided an abundance of weeds and tall grass, which will later become a fire hazard as it dries out. Mainly used for fire prevention, City Grazing also uses its goats for educational purposes and to fertilize the soil they graze on. 

This trend soon overtook the Bay Area, with dozens of herds being deployed and following suit with City Grazing. Many of these herds are used for cleaning up, killing weeds, and fertilizing; they also partner with local school districts to educate them about goats and plant systems. More than schools have heard about these nomadic goats; however, dozens of locals are setting up picnics with these goats as a delightful pairing to the view of the Bay. Our Burlingame herd herd of more than 400 male goats can be spotted on the Bay Trail near the Bayside restaurant, Kincaid’s until Thursday (9/7/23).