EPHRATA – The Port of Ephrata heard a presentation from local goat herder Lindsay Strong regarding the possibility of using goats to maintain the 160 acres the port has in its charge.

“Weeds in weird places are our specialty,” Strong said during a presentation to the port commission Monday afternoon. “So, those awkward places that are eighter along canals, and are heavy in equipment and really labor-intensive for somebody to get in there, that are super overgrown – that's where the goats will thrive.”  

While no decision was made on whether to fully convert to using goats, the port commission unanimously agreed to allow Strong to use her goats to treat an acre of land and see what the result is. Strong said the cost is about $1,200 per acre, though that is a base rate and adjustments would need to be made if the ground is easier or harder to access than the rate considers. The process of using the goats involves deploying a portable, battery-powered electric fence to keep the goats in the area. That fence may require some weed-whacking to prevent fire hazards and then the goats are loaded into the area. Over a few days, the goats then clear the area of most vegetation and leave behind only plants they can’t eat and droppings which are good for the soil.  

Port Executive Director David Lanman expressed concern about the additional cost in comparison to what the port is paying now. A tenant at the port now sprays the port’s land using a chemical weed controller, costing the port about $5,000 annually. 

If the goats treat the full 160 acres of port property, the cost would come out at roughly $192,000.  

Port of Ephrata Board of Commissioners President Nicholas Moore said the goats may be useful in small portions of the property that are difficult to access. Using them selectively may be something that frees up staff to work on other projects that are more important than managing weeds.  

“We're just trying to make sure that we're being as efficient as we can with public money, and if there are alternative solutions, absolutely, that will make it easier on our maintenance (staff) and solve our problem of weeds. We're just trying to make sure we run through those different options,” Moore said.  

Port Operations & Maintenance Supervisor Kurt Oxos said the port has a $35,000 weeding budget. Much of that budget is used to keep the airfield – including runways – and bare ground free of weeds.  

“Our target weed is Myrtle Spurge, and it should be done in the spring,” Oxos said.  

The cost differential was Lanman’s chief concern with aerial spray costing only $5,000 and the goats costing well over $100,000 if used for the whole property. 

“So, that’s what the discrepancy is, as far as cost is concerned,” Lanman said.