Our favorite summer tradition is returning in July! The beloved vegetation-clearing goats will arrive in Issaquah Highlands on July 8 and stay for about 40 days. The goats will kick off their grazing at South Pond near Central Park.
The IHCA crews and our third-party landscaping vendors will manually service the open spaces not visited by the goats. Your patience is appreciated!
Olivia Raine, the fearless shepherd of Raine Grazing Services, t
ook over herding duties following the retirement of Craig Madsen from Healing Hooves. She reports that her predecessor is doing well and enjoying his summer at home.
While the goats are busy clearing vegetation this summer, Olivia and her herding dogs will stay on-site in a camper to ensure proper management of the herd.
“The herd has grown a bit with the addition of all the goat kids born this winter,” she said. “Our faithful guardian dog Bella is still working on her manners in public settings, and the herding dogs Penny and Buck continue to assist me in managing the herd.”
Why Use Goats?
Each summer for nearly two decades, a herd of goats has traveled to Issaquah Highlands to assist with weed control, vegetation removal and ecosystem management.
Agile goats can easily handle steep slopes, soft soils, dense thickets of thorns and rocky or uneven terrain. They like eating plants that irritate humans like poison ivy, poison oak and English ivy.
By utilizing goats, we reduce the use of herbicides and prevent seed production. These animals also cause less fuel use, noise and soil disturbance than mowers and other machinery.
Rules for Visiting
The goats are kept in the designated area by an electrified perimeter fence and are also watched by a guard dog named Bella. She works tirelessly to keep the goats safe from both people and predators. She and the goats have grown accustomed to each other and can be in the same pen. However, please leave your own dog at home when visiting the goats so as not to scare Bella or the goats.
Do not feed the goats. They are extremely particular about what they eat, and some food/plants can be toxic for goats.
We all love these annual guests and want to keep the tradition alive for years to come, so please come pay the goats a visit and be sure to take care of them so they can take care of us!
As published in the summer 2025 issue of Community Connect magazine >>>
