Oakmont to host 2nd annual gourd drive for goats

Oakmont is preparing for its second annual gourd drive, a collection that will help settle a debt to some hard workers from earlier in the year.

Over the summer, the borough partnered with Butler-based Capricious LLC, a goat rental company that specializes in clearing out or managing overgrown land. Eight goats helped to maintain the overgrown vegetation along the bank of the Allegheny River. According to the co-owner of Capricious LLC, Monica Shields, the riverbank is home to some of the goats’ favorite snacks, such as knotweed, vining plants and poison ivy.

She said that when the agreement started in 2022, the knotweed by the river bank was 15 feet high. At the beginning of the job, Shields and her husband relocated the goats to the riverbank and fenced them in with the overgrown vegetation. Every seven to 10 days, the goats’ fence was shifted to a new spot until the overgrowth was taken care of.

The goats attracted quite the crowd of Oakmont residents.

Phyllis Anderson, the borough’s assistant manager, said the only surprise that she encountered from bringing the goats in is that they turned the neighborhoods near the Allegheny riverbank into tourist spots. She said some people visited the goats up to three times a day.

“Each year, they (the goats) go (to the riverbank) on Memorial Day weekend, and, this year, they moved out at the end of July,” Shields said. “They moved through the vegetation about 40 days faster than they did last year. Each year that they’re there, they weaken the plants and make it easier to get through.”

As a tip for their outstanding services, Anderson had the idea last year to provide the goats with a fall treat: tasty gourds. This is the second year that the “munch bunch” will put residents’ old Halloween decorations to good use. Shields said last year’s collection provided the farm with more than 8 tons of pumpkins for its 72 goats.

“Because the residents of Oakmont have an overwhelming enthusiasm for the goats, I try to keep them updated on how the goats are doing after they leave,” Anderson said.

Letting folks know the gourds will be going to the goats serves as a great motivator in filling the designated recepticals, she said. The system also works well for the environment, she added.

“Rather than throwing them in the landfill, they’re a healthy treat for the goats,” Shields said. “After Halloween and through Thanksgiving, we see a lot of people pitching that type of decor. Pumpkins are a natural dewormer for goats, and this keeps the pumpkins out of a landfill.”

The tradition is unique to Oakmont, she said, despite the company working all over the Greater Pittsburgh area. According to the borough’s news release, “a gourd is any fruit or seed that grows inside of a shell or peel, whether it be the pumpkin, squash, watermelon or in the cucumber family.”

Gourds are a great source of nutrition for goats. They’re high in vitamins A and C, fiber, potassium and contain antioxidants that help prevent cancer. Gourds also help improve the goats’ blood circulation, boost their immune system, aid with digestion, improve eyesight and serve as a buffer to stomach acidity.

The borough asks that donated gourds be cleaned before they’re added to the collection bin. Painted pumpkins will not be accepted because they are not safe for the goats to ingest.

Receptacles will be placed at 3 Ann St. in Oakmont on Nov. 6 and will remain there until Dec. 1.