GOAT FEST PGH IS 7.27- ALLEGHENY GOATSCAPE KEEPS GOING!

Saturday is currently forecast to be a glorious example of summer, all the better to get out and enjoy one of the greatest events this fair city has to offer- Goat Fest PGH.

This annual bash in South Side Park celebrates its seasonal residents, Team Hobo. This herd of hungry ungulates are temporary custodians of the park each summer, clearing unwanted growth with dedication and efficiency. Their presence not only improves the park’s appearance in cost-efficient, environmentally friendly fashion, but brings joy to its visitors.

Team Hobo are a part of Allegheny Goatscape, a non-profit organization led by Gavin Deming. Founded in 2017, their mission is to “reduce invasive and unwanted vegetation in public spaces and vacant lots, utilizing goats for browsing.”

When you consider the topography of Pittsburgh, nothing could make more sense. Grazing animals are such a perfect fit for this region’s terrain that it’s hard to believe they haven’t always been on the job; practically every neighborhood in this city includes parcels of land that in are inaccessible to equipment, inhospitable for humans, impractical when weighing expense against outcome, but easy as pie (and just as delicious) for our caprine friends.

The employment of goats, despite their being the logical choice, is relatively new (in modern times, anyway; it’s likely that they were used at some point by populations who didn’t document their practices). Deming can recall a jokey conversation with friends about using goats to tackle overgrowth in the North Side back in the mid 2000. At the time the suggestion was pure fancy; leading the herd with a shepherd’s crook was envisioned.

Goat landscaping became a reality in Pittsburgh when Tree Pittsburgh, having seen it successfully utilized in other parts of the country, brought in a herd from Maryland for a Polish Hill cleanup. This generated a good bit of interest in livestock as an easy, green alternative to standard practices, and Arlington Acres, an urban farm breeding and selling goats, was frequently approached about their ruminants’ landscaping capabilities.

Their existing goats produced dairy and were out of the running due to restrictive diets, so they acquired a small herd and briefly formed Steel City Grazers to venture into yard work. When the decision was made to discontinue this effort, they approached Deming, who had been volunteering with them.

“I was just smitten with the idea,” Deming says. “So I took them on.” Hailing from rural Michigan, farm animals weren’t unfamiliar to him, but he’d never worked with them directly. With a background in nonprofit management and a loan from some family members, he jumped right in, asking questions, doing research, and learning as he went.

Allegheny Goatscape has expanded its human roster to now include full and part time staff as well as volunteers. At its inception there was one small herd, at present there are four active teams- Hobo, Sunshine, Diamond, and Balthazar. Additionally, another team composed of older animals is in development. “Some of our goats are aging,” Deming says. “They can’t keep up as fast, are moving slower, and need a little more attention.” These are being united as the Golden Goats, under the supervision of Pete, a donkey chaperone.

The goats are on the job April through November, grazing their way through parks, trails, and fields throughout Allegheny County and beyond- a full calendar of their schedule can be seen here. On occasion they take a side quest with a private gig, but they’re predominantly dedicated to projects in the public sphere. “As long as there’s green things to eat, they’re happy,” says Deming. In late fall, they go on sabbatical to various parcels of privately-owned land, including Deming’s own. When spring comes back around, so do they.

Their schedules and assignments may change, but South Side Park is consistently landscaped by Team Hobo, who’ve been improving this small but significant oasis of woods in the midst of the city for close to a decade. And the difference that they’ve made is remarkable.

“One great thing about South Side Park specifically is seeing such a great transformation,” Deming says. “It used to be really difficult to move around within it, it was overgrown right up to the trails as if they didn’t exist. You see the goats come through it, see what they accomplish, and they just blow me away. That’s why I love doing this.”