It only took one summer season to know we needed more than weed eaters.
Our first summer season taught us that it only takes a little bit of atmospheric water and the Shasta County grasses show just how resilient they are. Besides fire risk, they grow so tall that they impede walking, harbor snakes, other rodents, and pests. We choose to manage the grasses so that we have access to this beautiful property.
However, we realized that with the abundance of volcanic rocks throughout our hillsides, mowing is out of the question. Lucero purchased a battery string "weed eater". She could have operated that 24/7 and still not complete the job. So, next step was to hire laborers to weed whack. What with the summer heat, we did not want to see anyone collapse on the job.
We knew that goats were used to manage parklands in the Oakland hills behind our home in San Leandro. There must be something similar in this rural neck of the state. It took some online searching to find Western Grazers, but we are eternally grateful for their service. The service was almost curtailed due to new California state agricultural labor laws which protect agricultural workers from overtime abuse. However, the grazing business is different, and with more informationthe CA legislature now exempts grazing business from OT regulation. The herders stay on our property 24/7 with the goats and move them around the acreage.
We now have them here on an annual basis. Some years we've had the moms and kids - who tend to be much more vocal and wake us earlier in the day. Other years we have the older billys who take the days with a grain of grass. Our appreciation for the deep knowledge of herding that the handlers bring. They do a temendous amount of work moving fencing, water troughs and food. But it is their herding that is so inspiring. They keep track of over four hundred goats, the guard dogs, and herding dog. When they get ready to move the goats to a new area, you will want to stay out of the way. Watch this video!
Land stewardship 