Jump to content
Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment.
- Sign In or Create Account -

Town launches ‘Goat Fund Me’ to prevent fires


Michelle

Recommended Posts

No raking needed...:lol:

The threat of catastrophic wildfires has driven a California town to launch a “Goat Fund Me” campaign to bring herds of goats to city-owned land to help clear brush.

Nevada City in the Sierra Nevada began the online crowdsourcing campaign last month with the goal of raising $30,000 for the project.

The campaign’s website explains that because it takes time to secure grant funding, the town needs money now to hire goat ranchers because they’re only available this winter.

The ranchers have rented out their herds to other municipalities in California the rest of the year and were expanding their herds to meet demand, city officials said.

“Why not do something — and as soon as we can?” Vice Mayor Reinette Senum told the Los Angeles Times . “If we’re not proactive, if we don’t help ourselves, no one else is going to step up.”

cont...

https://www.apnews.com/0158b942701a4eb8bf4a2512fffa733d

  • Like 5
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

They have to watch goats though. They will poison themselves. I lost a pet goat to a false sheeps' laurel bush after it escaped my pasture.  

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Piney said:

They have to watch goats though. They will poison themselves. I lost a pet goat to a false sheeps' laurel bush after it escaped my pasture.  

We had goats when I was growing up. They clean up kudzu like crazy. Living in the city limits, on the side of the mountain, I would love to be able to bring some in for a few weeks every year. There are no "rent a goats" in my area. I'm not sure how they would keep them contained either. It's pretty rugged terrain at about a 45 degree angle.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Michelle said:

We had goats when I was growing up. They clean up kudzu like crazy. Living in the city limits, on the side of the mountain, I would love to be able to bring some in for a few weeks every year. There are no "rent a goats" in my area. I'm not sure how they would keep them contained either. It's pretty rugged terrain at about a 45 degree angle.

Kudzu was revenge for the internment camps. ^_^

My stepmother auctioned off her herd of beef cattle several years ago and increased her goat herd due to a high demand for goat dairy products. Which worked out for her because she hates beef cattle and really hates dairy cows.....then again, I do too. That's why I only chased horses.

.........and sheep...don't get me started on sheep...nor the goofballs that herd them....:whistle:

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While laudable, goats don't eat dead wood but they do eat forage that would normally be consumed by wild herbivores. Deer, antelope, elk, rabbits and a whole host of others are going to suffer as the goats do what goats do best. Eat everything. The only effective way is to manually remove the overburden. Seeing as the costs of these fire are staggering, maybe its time to invent and develop a mechanical means of doing this urgent job. Sure would put a lot of people to work and bring some cash flow to the local economies. In B.C where I live, my city is actively engaged in overburden removal. It's helped enormously and is still ongoing right now with  preventative debris fires being lit daily. Choose wisely.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Piney said:

due to a high demand for goat dairy products

I know it sounds funny, but goat dairy products taste like goats smell to me. That smell is so ingrained in my mind. One billy we had loved to pee on his beard. He always smelled and would rub his head on me.

I don't touch goat dairy! :lol:

  • Like 3
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Hankenhunter said:

While laudable, goats don't eat dead wood but they do eat forage that would normally be consumed by wild herbivores. Deer, antelope, elk, rabbits and a whole host of others are going to suffer as the goats do what goats do best

I doubt, like in my area, they have those present. If they did undergrowth wouldn't be a problem.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Michelle said:

I know it sounds funny, but goat dairy products taste like goats smell to me. That smell is so ingrained in my mind. One billy we had loved to pee on his beard. He always smelled and would rub his head on me.

I don't touch goat dairy! :lol:

Goat is definitely an acquired smell.:wacko: 

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Hankenhunter said:

While laudable, goats don't eat dead wood but they do eat forage that would normally be consumed by wild herbivores. Deer, antelope, elk, rabbits and a whole host of others are going to suffer as the goats do what goats do best. Eat everything. The only effective way is to manually remove the overburden. Seeing as the costs of these fire are staggering, maybe its time to invent and develop a mechanical means of doing this urgent job. Sure would put a lot of people to work and bring some cash flow to the local economies. In B.C where I live, my city is actively engaged in overburden removal. It's helped enormously and is still ongoing right now with  preventative debris fires being lit daily. Choose wisely.

Controlled burning, which they stopped all over the country because God forbid some yuppy's house would be smokey and sooty.  

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Michelle said:

I doubt, like in my area, they have those present. If they did undergrowth wouldn't be a problem.

Its the dead undergrowth thats the problem. It builds up year after year. If the debris isnt laying on the ground, it takes much longer to rot to the point it's fire resistant. I was a certified fire boss in B.C when fire season would kick us out of the woods. The problem starts and ends with forestries "kill em all" approach to fire management. If they'd  let the fires that threaten no one burn there wouldnt be this problem. Unfortunately we had a huge pine beetle infestation that killed multiple millions of trees. This was the cause of B.C's worst fire season. The powers that be got greedy and didn't want to destroy all the dead standing. Huge tracts of forest sitting there like a leaky hydrogen bomb waiting to go off. Just add lightning and BOOM. Burnt to the rock underneath. It will take a century to recover to the point that trees can flourish. Great mushroom picking though.

Sorry about the rant Michelle, it's  a touchy subject with me.

Hank

Edited by Hankenhunter
  • Like 6
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No problem, Hank. I have many of the same concerns you do. Our property borders hundreds of acres of national park property. I think that is why the recent wildfire in Gatlinurg effected me the way it did. Besides the fact that my nephew was in the middle of it. He couldn't get back to his house and slept for a few hours in the lobby of a hotel.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

My wife and I saw some lawns nearby that had been mowed by goats the year before. Wow, talk about some lush lawns. At one place we stopped to admire, the owner came out and chatted with us. He said the secret was to spread the poop as fast as it dropped for even coverage. He also stated that he wouldnt do it again because the goats kept head butting his guard dogs, turning them into nervous wrecks. Now that he mentioned it, his dogs did have a furtive look about them. Jumpy even. I think I'll stick with my eco friendly cordless lawn mower. B)

Edited by Hankenhunter
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You know, fire prevention aside, they are a great way to clear weeds and other crap from an area.  Ironically, farmers and such around here do burns to clear up the bramble.  With the goats it's pretty thorough.  That being said, I can see a city using them for their parks, not a whole state though.  Not that many goats.

(One of the guys from work was going to make a goat farm for the milk, yard service, meat, and novelty.  So I got a small earful a while back about goats.)

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Gromdor said:

You know, fire prevention aside, they are a great way to clear weeds and other crap from an area.  Ironically, farmers and such around here do burns to clear up the bramble.  With the goats it's pretty thorough.  That being said, I can see a city using them for their parks, not a whole state though.  Not that many goats.

(One of the guys from work was going to make a goat farm for the milk, yard service, meat, and novelty.  So I got a small earful a while back about goats.)

So, how soon before we see you out in the yard, in pajamas and a house coat, sweeping goat droppings around? I want pictures! And maybe some cheese. Lol

Edited by Hankenhunter
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Hankenhunter said:

So, how soon before we see you out in the yard, in pajamas and a house coat, sweeping goat droppings around? I want pictures! And maybe some cheese. Lol

He's one of those dreamers whose dream changes on a weekly basis.  It went to him starting a mini junkyard and auto repair center, then to becoming a low income housing slum lord.  Needless to say, nothing ever really worked out and he is the first one to volunteer for overtime.  Goats became too trendy and saturated the niche market around here.  Real farmers were already/better suited for it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have seen the goats in the parks here in the summer. Yes it would definitely take quite an army of goats to scour the forest.

Edited by Nnicolette
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like a business opportunity.   Rent-a-Goat.    It could actually be lucrative.  

The dead wood is still an issue.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/12/2019 at 10:53 PM, Michelle said:

I know it sounds funny, but goat dairy products taste like goats smell to me. That smell is so ingrained in my mind. One billy we had loved to pee on his beard. He always smelled and would rub his head on me.

I don't touch goat dairy! :lol:

Unfortunately I'm allergic to the protein in cows milk so I do powdered goats milk and I like the cheese. Gotta get that calcium! Maybe it helps that I've never had a personal relationship with a goat...lol 

  • Haha 2
  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, skliss said:

t I've never had a personal relationship with a goat...lol 

At least you didn't mention the cliff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.