OC Fair & Event Center using goats for grazing; reopening its farm and vets museum
By Orange County on November 2, 2020
The grazing goats are working hard – and eating extremely well.
A herd of 18 Angora goats are clearing weeds at the OC Fair & Event Center, especially around the berm near the Pacific Amphitheatre.
Angora goats graze on vegetation on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The 18 goats are also accompanied by two miniature donkeys that protect them against coyotes. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A miniature donkey, one of two, protects 18 Angora goats from coyotes as they eat the vegetation on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Juan Garcia Villaneda, of the OC Fair & Event Center maintenance department, is surrounded by Angora goats has he holds up a bucket of food he used to encourage the goats to start eating the vegetation on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre at the in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Angora goats graze on vegetation on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The 18 goats are protected against coyotes from two miniature donkeys. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Angora goats graze on vegetation on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The 18 goats are protected against coyotes from two miniature donkeys. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Angora goats graze on vegetation on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The 18 goats are protected against coyotes from two miniature donkeys. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
One of the 18 Angora goats grazes on vegetation on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Angora goats run downhill back to their pen after grazing on vegetation on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Angora goats graze on vegetation on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The 18 goats are protected against coyotes from two miniature donkeys. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Angora goats graze on vegetation at the top of the berm that overlooks the Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
An Angora goats takes a break from eating vegetation at the top of the berm that overlooks the Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Angora goats graze on vegetation on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The 18 goats are protected against coyotes from two miniature donkeys. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Juan Garcia Villaneda, of the OC Fair & Event Center maintenance department, pets one of the 18 Angora goats that have been brought into eat the vegetation on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre at the in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
An Angora goat is one of 18 goats that have been grazing vegetation on the berm around Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Monday, November 2, 2020. The OC Fair Landscaping department instituted the animal landscaping program to help reduce erosion, remove weeds and at the same time fertilize breaking up the soil and fertilizing it in preparation for planting new California native plants. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
And visitors to the fairground’s Centennial Farm, which reopens Tuesday, Nov. 3, may be able to spot them at work.
Along with reopening the 3-acre farm, the nearby Heroes Hall veterans museum will also welcome back the public for the first time since the spring – with restrictions in place because of the coronavirus.
Both are requiring masks be worn and reservations be made ahead of time. No walk ups will be permitted.
Before entering, guests will stop at a “wellness booth” for temperature checks. Hand-washing and sanitizing stations have been placed throughout the public areas for guests and cleaning will occur throughout the day.
The goats also need their own safety measures. They are being watched over by miniature donkey guards to keep any coyotes in the area at bay.
“The berm is a challenging area for our landscaping crew and the goats are the perfect solution, but we do have some coyotes around the property so the two miniature donkeys will help protect the herd,” Barbara Gregerson, OC Fair & Event Center’s landscape supervisor, said in a news release. “Not only will the goats and donkeys eat the vegetation, they will fertilize and break up the soil, preparing it for planting.”
There are plans to create a diverse habitat of California native plants that will invite birds, butterflies and other pollinators, fair officials said.
The animal landscaping program will also help reduce erosion, maximize water filtration and improve the resilience of the soil, Gregerson said.
The idea behind using goats to clear weeds isn’t a new concept and is often used to mitigate fire risks.
In addition to the weeds and grasses, the goats are given other food “to ensure they are getting a well-rounded diet,” officials said. They will also receive regular veterinary care just like the animals that reside year-round at the Centennial Farm.
The goats and miniature donkeys come from Eureka Mohair Farm in Tollhouse, which is a longtime competitor in the annual OC Fair’s livestock competitions.
They will be on the property through December and are expected to return in March and be on the job until the fair next July. Officials said the fairgrounds wants to continue that schedule for several years.
Hours of the newly reopened Centennial Farm and Heroes Hall are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Admission and parking are free. More information and reservations: ocfair.com.
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