A Herd of Goats is Working at the Ashokan Reservoir

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County has gone to the goats, again. Today on their Facebook page they shared the news that the goats are back at the Ashokan.

Over the past few year different agencies has turned to goats to rid difficult to reach areas that are covered in growth. Goats love to eat everything in sight and are quite efficient at clearing weeds and overgrowth.

So once again the goats have returned this time to the Glenford Dike at the Ashokan Reservoir. Their sole job is to clear the weeds but they also add a unique experience to your walk. According to the Facebook post the goats are part of a DEP pilot program that uses rotational grazing for maintenance of grass and weeds. Using the goats at the reservoir will help also clear the area of poison ivy. Goats love poison ivy and can eat it with no problems.

There is no doubt that the goats are more appealing that mowers and machinery. While the goats are their you can feel free to visit but they do ask that you don't feed the goats, because they are there to eat the weeds. You shouldn't pet them either due to the fact that they are covered in poison ivy. You are invited to enjoy the goats and learn more about their environmentally friendly way of riding weeds from hard to get to places.

Using goats has become more and more popular for getting rid of unwanted vegetation. This program has put goats at other locations in the Hudson Valley. Even the Walkway Over the Hudson used goats one year to clear in hard to reach areas. Anyone who has ever owned a goat will tell you they love to eat.

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