Event Lookback: Oroville Grazing Workshop
What a magical day we had at our 2nd Grazing Workshop, held at the freshly grazed Ishi Hills Middle School in Oroville.
What a magical day we had on Saturday, September 21st at our 2nd Grazing Workshop, held at the freshly grazed Ishi Hills Middle School in Oroville. We had a great turnout from our South County and Butte County community members.
Swede Hanski of Hanski Family Farms, Art Colyer from Paradise Scapegoats, and Sarah Keiser from Sonoma County's Wild Oat Hollow gave presentations on herd maintenance and answered many questions from our participants about the benefits of grazing in our fire-adapted ecosystems.
The Benefits of Grazing
The Butte County Fire Safe Council utilizes grazing as one of many fuel reduction tools to help our landscape with vegetation management and mitigate the threats of wildfires. Grazing provides numerous benefits:
- Reduces fuel loads on the ground
- Lifts the understory of trees
- Increases habitat diversity
- Produces fertilizer deposits for healthier soil, thanks to the goats' byproducts
In the absence of grazing, ecosystems are vulnerable to invasive species and unhealthy overgrowth. In a residential setting, goats and sheep can create fuel breaks, in conjunction with human work crews and prescribed burns, in a proactive effort to minimize future wildfires.
Grazing Cooperatives
The BCFSC, with the help of Sarah Keiser, is also in the beginning stages of introducing grazing cooperatives into new and existing Firewise USA Communities. Keiser shared stories of the many successful grazing co-op communities in Sonoma County that she helped initiate and continues to support.
These cooperatives help neighbors enjoy the collective benefits of the herd, including wildfire fuels reduction, dairy and meat production, and natural landscaping. We hope that through workshops such as this, community members feel empowered to begin their own grazing cooperatives with neighbors and build the foundations of a supportive and fire-safe community.