East Bay property owners rent goats for fire prevention

The gates to the Goats R Us ranch in Orinda, CA.

California is very, very dry these days. And with fire season around the corner, some property owners in the East Bay are turning to an unusual fire prevention technique: goats. Thousands of rented goats roam the hills about Berkeley and Oakland, working through the days and nights to prevent the spread of wildfires. Rachel Hiles has their story; click…

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In Oakland, mixed feelings about urban livestock

Some urban farmers in Oakland raise animals like chickens in their backyards.

As a growing number of Oakland residents embrace urban farming—including the raising of chickens, goats and pigs in their back yards—the city planning commission is investigating the trend’s potentially negative impacts on the surrounding community.

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