Goats Go to Work Under Walkway Over the Hudson

Nothing can clear out an area like a bunch of goats.

According to the Daily Freeman, the Bridge Authority has launched a program that will have about a dozen goats under walkway in Poughkeepsie. The goats job is to help with the effort to clear the land of poison ivy, weeds and other vegetation.

Bridge Authority executive director, Joseph Ruggiero, told the Freeman, “Goats have been used for vegetation control throughout history. We’re just trying a new application under the Walkway.” He also said that this effort will save money. “Bringing in the goats will cost about half what our seasonal summer help has cost in the past to do the same job, and we can better use that extra help in maintaining our other properties and bridges,” he said.

The about 12 goats are from Green Goats, located in Rhinebeck and will be eating away on the site for about 12 weeks.

The Bridge Authority told the Freeman, that Green Goats is owned by Ann and Larry Cihanek, who in February lost about 100 goats in a barn fire in Red Hook.