Hungry goats back on the job mowing down weeds

NEWS — Kamloops’ famous weed-eating goats will be back in action today (Thursday). The City has brought back Rocky Ridge Vegetation Control to control weeds as part of the invasive plant management program.

The results from the second year of the program and the significant reduction of plumeless thistle at the Tournament Capital Ranch has proven the success of using goats for controlling noxious weeks, say City officials.

Goats are especially effective where it’s hard to manage weeds by other methods such as hand-pulling, mowing and herbicide treatment due to topography, size and proximity to water.

Once the weed seeds pass through the digestive system of the goats, they can’t grow new plants. Wildlife doesn’t eat the weeds so no natural forage is being lost.

Conrad and Donna Lindblom will have their herd of 300 goats at the Dallas-Barnhartvale Nature Park today, Thursday. They’ll then move to Kenna Cartwright Park to the 45 hectares that were previously treated, and will also tackle City-owned portions of wetlands in Pineview Valley.

While the goats are at the Dallas-Barnhartvale nature Park they’ll be based just off Eliza Road and the public is welcome to watch them at work. A goat will be available for petting and educational purposes but dogs must be kept on a leash.