Goats Clear Grass From BART Land In Fremont

FREMONT, CA — It’s difficult and dangerous to mow steep hillsides on BART property near the tracks. The perfect solution — a herd of hungry goats.

The 700 Spanish-Boer cross goats are described as curious, intelligent and voracious. That last bit makes them perfect for the job.

"This is the smartest way for us to deal with the vegetation in these areas," said Josh Soltero, an irrigation/grounds worker for BART who was keeping an eye on the goats grazing near Fremont Station on a recent June day.

The goats cut firebreaks, reducing reliance on fossil-fuel-powered equipment, and increasing safety for workers.

"Mowers can spark fires on this kind of brush that we see in a drought," Soltero said. "The goats can get into places we can't. They save a lot of shoulders and backs."

The goats can clear over an acre of land a day. The contractor that BART uses is a Coalinga-based family business owned and operated by Michael and Jan Canady.

"We put the goats in a small area and do what we call a mob graze," Jan Canady said. "With a power weed eater, you're just cutting it down, but you have to worry about erosion, because the root is still there. The goats, they're constantly eating wherever they're needed, everything, until you move them somewhere else."

The goats graze about 35 acres out of more than 100 total acres of BART right-of-way property each year.

Watch for them now between Lafayette and Walnut Creek.