Western Iowa event combines food, hiking and goats

CRESCENT, Iowa -- Maybe you can't soar with the eagles, but you can hike with the goats.

Two groups of eight to 12 people recently did that in the Goat Trek and Treats event near sponsoring business Honey Creek Creamery just north of Crescent, across the Missouri River from north Omaha, Neb.

Creamery owner Sharon Oamek gave participants a pep talk before the hike, the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reported.

"Goats are really sociable, and they're going to want to be around you," said Sharon Oamek, owner of the creamery. "Something they might do is they'll put you in a goat sandwich.

"They will not run into you, so if you're worried about a goat stampede, just stand still," she said. "They won't hurt you."

The event was an opportunity to enjoy the goats and learn about native plants, Oamek said.

Among those who participated was Kimberly Burge of Bellevue, Nebraska, who had tried goat yoga and enjoyed it.

"They climb on you, and anything can happen," she said.

The covid-19 pandemic has put a damper on that activity this spring, Oamek said.

Another hiker was Sarah Foote, of Omaha.

"I'm on furlough at work, and I was looking for something different to do before I go back to work," she said. "It's a good day to be outside -- and I love goats, so I came for the entertainment."

Kim Nauman, of Ottumwa, was in the area with her wife, Katie, and their daughter, Elaina Larson, 10, to visit the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha. She heard about the event and decided to attend, she said.

The morning hikers weren't too fearful of the goats, but were clearly surprised by the size of the herd, which numbered about 50. However, as it turned out, the adult goats ran ahead to their favorite grazing ground, leaving the kids (the four-legged kind) behind to entertain the guests. The kids born this spring were approachable and gentle, and one named Molly, who always seemed to be at the tail end, soon became a favorite.

Molly was just born this spring, but wasn't the youngest of those on the hike, Oamek said.

"But she had some problems, so we bottle fed her –- so she's more attached to humans," she said.

The goats were accompanied, but not really herded, by several Great Pyrenees. The large, fluffy dogs are sometimes used to protect livestock.

The hike was on a parcel of about 100 acres of rolling hills near the creamery with trees, pasture and scenic views of the Missouri River valley. Avery Thomas, who shared tour guide duties with Oamek, called it a burr oak savannah. Some of the burr oak trees are 200 years old, even though prescribed burns have been done on the property, Thomas said.

"They have cork in them, so they don't burn," he said.

One of the goats' staples is side oats, one of the grasses common there. They also munch on red cedar shrubs, low tree branches and other weeds and grasses –- when they're not put out in a nearby alfalfa field to graze, Thomas said.

"They really chew the invasive plants," helping to reduce their prevalence, he said. Examples include cedar shrubs, ragweed, poison ivy and others.

Oamek's herd produces about 40 young every spring, which is the only season when they give birth, she said. She sells all the males at the Fremont County Fair.

Several native plants in the hills can be used for medicinal purposes, Thomas said. Red prairie clover leaves and blossoms are edible and contain Vitamin C and other nutrients, he said. Plantain, also known as white man's foot, is an astringent and can be used to slow bleeding or treat diarrhea.

"If I get a cut, I'll put plantain on it – or if a goat doesn't feel well, I'll give them some," he said.

Pokeweed or inkberry can be used to induce vomiting after someone eats something poisonous, Oamek said. And common mullein – a plant with soft, fuzzy leaves - can be used as toilet paper, she said.

Other plants pointed out during the hike included wild asparagus, ground cherries and ditch weed – descendants of a long-ago hemp crop, Thomas said.

Kim Nauman said afterward that the hike was "really, really relaxing."

"The little ones stayed around us, so that was fun," she said.

"It was really fun playing with Molly," Elaina said. "I love goats."

Teresa Nichols of Omaha, who grew up in Crescent, said it was a unique experience.

"The little ones stuck with us, so they got all the attention," she said. "It was very educational, too, because I learned a lot about plants."

Donna Porter, of Papillion, Nebraska, also enjoyed having the young kids around.

"I love trying to do something for the first time," she said.

After the hike, participants stopped at Stanley's Snack Shack for lunch. The eatery, with kitchen in a boxcar and a patio with dining area, offers pizzettes, appetizers, desserts, salads and a variety of sandwiches. Each category includes selections that feature goat cheese or gelato.