Archive for April, 2010
Introducing City Grazing and Rebar-The Goat
City Goats climb, chew and entertain.
Along Cargo Way in southeastern San Francisco, a herd of 80 goats lives on a 10-acre site ringed by the SF Bay Railroad and a cement recycling plant.
City Grazing, the local “rent-a-goat” service, introduces an alternative to weed control and land restoration. Currently, the goat herd is outgrowing its existing shelter, which consists of a series of shipping containers and feed structures.
To accommodate herd growth, improve living conditions for the animals, and to make caring for them easier for their human guardians, Rebar has developed an economical solution that simultaneously references the shelter’s industrial location and uses a variety of repurposed, prefabricated materials. This efficient, low-impact accommodation will serve this herd of urban goats for many generations to come.
Proposed Shelter design includes re-purposed shipping container, K-rail highway separators and W-rail highway guardrails.
On Earth Day weekend SFBR welcomed the new members into the herd and hosted a “Goat Naming” party. Few city goat representatives were sent to graze and entertain at Heron’s Head Park EcoCenter opening, where they got plenty of love from the visitors. All black with a white stripe, one goat in particular was destined to represent the Rebar studio across the great goat-trodden lands of San Francisco.
Young Rebar is looking foward to new shelter and an abundance of sites to graze, plus plenty of play time with his buddies: Madonna, Lady Gaga, Spike, Frisco, Fudge, Noodle, Poopsie , Marshmallow and Columbo. If you see him out and about in the city, be sure to say hi.
For more pictures go to our Flickr Set.
All black with a white stripe this baby goat was destined to be Rebar's new mascot.
David Gavrich talks about his herd.
Rebar is grazing at Heron's Head Park.
Young fans get the goats back home at the end of the day.
Wildflower Rampage: The final Chapter – Sunday, April 24
From Gregory, our man on the site at 45 Lansing:
The Urban Wildflower Meadow is almost complete! One last push this Sunday should do it. As you may have noticed, the wildflowering of this large vacant lot in downtown SF has not been a small undertaking, but we’ve made some fantastic progress this month. With your help we should be able to move the rest of the mulch, finish the irrigation and plant the remaining seeds this weekend. Come anytime between 10 and 5 and stay for as long as you want.
We will again have water, snacks and gloves on hand. Be sure to bring boots a hat and lunch (if you’re staying through midday).
If coming by car, parking is best done on Harrison in front of the lot (btwn 1st street and Essex street). Never mind feeding the meter as it will be Sunday.
Here is the location:
The entrance is off of the northwest side of Harrison.
The neighborhood won’t know what hit’em.
Gregory
Urban Wildflower Meadowing, Thursday, 4/15: Call for Volunteers!
We are putting a CA native wildflower meadow downtown. The idea is to re-purpose a fallow lot into a beautiful living habitat for humming birds, butterflies and other pollinators.
If you are interested in helping out while learning more about gardening, irrigation and how to attract pollinators, then come on out Thursday, April 15th anytime between 10am-5pm.
Some of what we will be doing includes:
- Finishing up the mounting 4’ pollinator plywood silhouettes (giant butterflies, hummingbirds, beetles etc.) on posts above the garden.
- Creating more planting circles filled with sheet mulch, compost and soil.
- Installing more drip irrigation.
- Seeding more CA native wildflowers.
The location:
Large lot on Harrison between 1st and Essex streets.
Time and Date:
Thursday April 15th 10 am-4:30pm
We promise to once again make this fun.
RSVP to Gregory if you think you can make it,..even if just for an hour or so.
And as always, feel free to call or email with any questions you may have:
Gregorykellett@gmail.com 415.260.242
