A herd of goats has been working hard this week in Cherry Creek to tackle unwanted vegetation.
Goats on the Hoof Vegetation Management, based in Parksville, gained permission to operate in the city of Port Alberni through a “goat vegetation management” bylaw back in June.
Although the piece of land is technically located on Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District territory, this is the first time the team has been to the Alberni Valley for a job.
“We operate from Campbell River to Duncan on a license,” said owner and goat wrangler Beverly Ness. “We get calls from all over.”
Seven goats have spent the past couple days munching away on young scotch broom and long, dense swamp grass on Cypress Boulevard.
When it comes to weeds, they will eat almost everything, said Ness, from invasive scotch broom and knotweed to thorny blackberry bushes.
“There aren’t many things we’ve tried that they refuse to eat,” said Ness. “We have different goats from different places. Because it’s a diverse herd, they show the other goats that stuff is good to eat.”
Ness added that she always looks over a site to make sure nothing will harm the goats before setting them on the property. A temporary fence is kept up around the edible area, and the goats are monitored by Ness, who stays on-site in a trailer.
There are many benefits to hiring a team of goats for vegetation management—they are eco-friendly and chemical-free, leaving behind only fertilizer when they leave.
“The digestive system breaks down 95 to 99 percent of seeds that they ingest,” said Ness. “Some animals, like cattle or horses, will pass seeds that are viable, but goats will not.”
The goats might not be as fast as a machine, but they are very efficient, she added.
“They have naps, but they don’t break down,” said Ness. “Plus they’re quiet and cute.”
Earlier this year, the herd worked on clearing a piece of military property in Comox, which Ness said is the farthest north they have gone.
“We’ve been operating since 2013,” said Ness. “This is by far the busiest year we’ve had.”
She attributes this to word of mouth—word of their business has gotten around through happy and satisfied customers.
Despite the rush of activity, Ness and her partner Allan Iwanyshyn have not considered expanding the herd, which sits at 11 goats.
“We don’t really have the capacity,” she said. “This is about the right number for us.”
They’ve had calls from interested customers as far as Vancouver, but as Ness puts it, “We’re Island goats.”
elena.rardon@albernivalleynews.com
