Gruff Stuff: Piedmont Won't Get Its Goats

Goats may be prized for their cheese, but there’s another reason to keep them around – clearing weeds.

Goats are voracious weed eaters. They are more environmentally friendly than chemical weed killers, quieter than machinery and able to scramble into places where humans would stumble. Those are all reasons why the Piedmont Park Commission looked to goats as part of the city's weed abatement strategy in open spaces, as other some other Bay Area cities have done.

But Public Works Supervisor Dave Frankel on Wednesday told commission members that weed-eating goats would cost too much.

“Goats may not be a good fit for Piedmont at this time,” Frankel said during the commission’s monthly meeting at Piedmont City Hall. “We were really hoping to bring them in.”

He said the Public Works Department received bids from three companies —Living Systems, Eco Systems and Goat Central—that ranged from $4,700 to $7,000 to have goats clear the weeds from a two-acre site.

“We were a little disappointed that the bids were so high,” said Frankel.

The main issue is fencing, he said. Companies that rent out goats want the animals contained by electric fencing, but most wildland areas in Piedmont are unfenced. Putting up fencing bumps up costs significantly.

“That’s where we lose leverage to get this done with goats,” said Frankel.

Frankel and his team put mechanical weeders to the test to see what the savings would be, if any. They chose a segment of Blair Park and mechanically raked out all the weeds. The process cost $600.

“Had we gone and fenced that area [for goats], it would have cost $4,000,” said Frankel. “That’s a huge cost differential.”

Frankel said his department would have to stick with mechanical weeders for now.

Commissioner Jukke Valkonen said residents who live on properties with ample weeds should consider purchasing their own goat or two.

“We have to think of fire abatement,” he said. “When foliage gets to a point, it provides real fuel [for fire].”

Valkonen said it is often difficult for humans to get into areas heavy with poison oak and other weeds, but goats may thrive in those spots.

“Animals will trample in there, stand on their hind legs, and eat for 24 hours,” Valkonen said.

Having goats around means you could also have a steady supply of homemade cheese or fresh goat's milk

“We’re all foodies here,” joked Valkonen.