Petaluma’s Grazing Program

Grazing on our hills and grasslands brings numerous benefits.

• Reduces wildfire risk: Goats chomp on grasses that otherwise are highly flammable. Traditional mowing leaves cuttings behind, which can catch fire easily. Goats keep the grass low and leave behind only manure, which enriches the soil and removes fuel for wildfires. In this way, grazing helps our open spaces become barriers to wildfire instead of hazards.
• Supports native plant species: Goats graze on grasses and invasive species alike, and when fast-growing invasive species are kept at bay, native plants have more opportunity to thrive.
• Keeps carbon out of the atmosphere: The alternative to natural grazing is human-powered mowing - which puts high levels of CO2 into the environment. Native grasses, when allowed to thrive, also hold carbon in their roots and in the soil better than invasive species, preventing that carbon from being released into the atmosphere.