City Grazing Goats Belle and Mirabelle, by Genevieve Church
- khwilson1546
- Oct 6
- 3 min read
Where do two little goats go when they’re born at a dairy farm, are too small to be dairy goats, and need to be adopted?
In the case of Belle and Mirabelle, the answer is City Grazing, where these incredibly lucky little girls found their way to a wonderful new home. And as a bonus, it came with a job whose only requirements were eating, frolicking, and posing for pictures for the rest of their lives ─ in other words pure goat heaven.
From Orphans to Goodwill Ambassadors
Belle and Mirabelle are LaMancha goats, which are a hardy American dairy breed known for their high-quality milk, docile and affectionate nature, and very short ears. They are generally small in stature, sturdy, and adaptable to various climates. When they came to us, Belle and Mirabelle were just about the tiniest goats we’d ever seen.
The dairy where they were born couldn’t keep them because of their size (or lack thereof), so they passed them on to Goatlandia, a wonderful farm animal sanctuary and one of our partners. They passed them on to us once Belle and Mirabelle reached 7 months and were ready for their forever home.
They were so cute, and also so incredibly friendly, they immediately became our goodwill ambassadors. Now almost 3 years old, they are like little magnets, living the good life and spreading joy wherever they go.
Off to Work
If you’re a goat and want to work at City Grazing, you only need to meet two basic requirements: Love of eating and being comfortable around people.
Our goats are environmentalists, although they probably don’t think of themselves in those terms. Not nervous in areas where people are walking by and traffic is traveling on nearby streets, they work in parks, on public lands, and in residential neighborhoods clearing weeds and other noxious plants from our urban landscape.
Luckily the most prevalent invasive species in the Bay Area are things that goats love to eat (blackberry, fennel, ivy, morning glory, and thistle are top favorites), so if you have an overgrown area that you want cleared away, goats are wonderful at that. They know how to avoid most toxic plants and when they don’t, we make sure to protect them from those.
About City Grazing
City Grazing is a San Francisco nonprofit dedicated to improving the Bay Area’s environment and enriching its communities by just letting goats do what they do best. It’s a win-win strategy that:
Uses goat grazing as a cost-effective and ecologically sound way to minimize fire hazard and invasive vegetation.
Promotes soil health and native plants.
Helps with carbon sequestration.
Gives back to the community while providing a good home for goats in need.
Our herd of 100+ adopted goats have worked with a wide range of Bay Area schools, community organizations, municipalities, residents, and businesses. Our overall mission has always been to provide creative solutions to environmental problems through sustainable land management and fire risk reduction, outreach, and education. We have around 100 rescued goats at any one time, and because of the climate in SF, they can happily report for work year-round.
How You Can Help
As a nonprofit, City Grazing relies on volunteers and donations to sustain and expand its impact. Our herd performs a public service every working day, and as executive director, I’ve seen firsthand how much joy these animals bring to the community and the staff that supports them. There’s something very grounding about watching goats work, eat, and socialize ─ each with its own unique personality and seemingly without a care in the world.
