Over the past few years, California has been devastated by wildfires.
Our KNX Heroes of the Week saw a need for wildfire prevention, so they traded in their business attire for boots and are now raising goats to help create crucial fire-breaks.
An urge to help their community led Scott and Emily Morris out of the corporate world, and into the fields. They now manage hundreds of brush-eating, neighborhood saving, four-legged superheroes.
"805 Goats is a grazing-goat company," explains Scott, "where we get hired out by various entities, to come in and have our goats eat the vegetation down."
Scott says the idea was fostered by the Ventura County Fire Chief.
"He complained for years about the lack of supply of goats in the area," says Scott. "The fire department would get federal and state grants to bring in goats, to reduce the vegetation. [But], there was a tough time getting them in."
The goats create what's called a fire-break, which stops the forward progress of the flames. Officials often go to Northern California or even out of state to get the animals.
So, an idea sparked with the Morris', and despite having zero background in farming or raising animals, the family decided it was time to to head outdoors.
"Our smaller herd consists of about 150. Our larger herd is about 700."
That's 850 weed-chomping goats that get moved from job to job throughout Southern California.
Matt Marini knows the family well and makes it clear that they have sacrificed a lot to help the community around them.
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"Their own lives have changed so much, just because goats are a 24/7 job," says Matt. "The service they provide is saving homes, it's saving neighborhoods."
The goats even helped save the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
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Scott says work is gratifying and even his kids have a new perspective on what it means to help others.
"It changed our lives of the family, definitely for the better."
Raising goats to help lessen the risk of wildfires, Scott and Emily Morris are our KNX Heroes of the Week!
KNX Heroes is presented by California Resources Corporation, saluting our military veterans, and all of our heroes!
To nominate your own KNX hero, click https://knx1070.radio.com/nominate
