Conversations with SCOUT RASKIN

Today we’d like to introduce you to SCOUT RASKIN.

Hi SCOUT, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Scout Raskin is the owner of Party Goats LA. A child actor, turned TV Animation Producer and now grazier. Party Goats LA provides goats and sheep for community outreach, goat therapy, events, goat yoga, hikes, filming, and wildfire prevention. Scout founded the company 8 years ago to spread the joy of goats and give the public a greater appreciation for these amazing creatures. She sources her herd from the dairy and show industries, taking in unwanted baby boys, giving them long lives full of adventure! Party Goats LA is a woman/LGBTQIA+ owned and operated company.

It’s a partnership with the animals. Goats are nomadic creatures, who travel long distances with their herd, so by providing them the opportunity to see our big world, we cater to their natural instinct and provide them with a rich life with diverse experiences.

When her career in as a TV Animation Producer stalled out due to the changes in the entertainment industry, she pivoted, hard. She expanded the business into wildfire prevention and brush clearance. Scout received training in holistic land management and prescribed grazing from Grazing School of The West. Her herd now works on properties 2 acres or less in the Los Angeles area. Scout is a survivor of the 2017 La Tuna Fire which surrounded her home in the Verdugo Mountains, so she knows first hand that wildfire mitigation can save homes and lives.

There are many benefits to grazing for wildfire prevention:

It’s not just landscaping, it’s land management.

LAND IMPROVEMENT: Weedwackers spread invasive seeds throughout your property, making your fire danger worse year after year. Our herd eats the seeds, which reduces your fire fuel not just this year, but years to come. Their hooves stir up the topsoil, which allows rain to soak in, rather than running away.

NO DISPOSAL FEES: Our herd eats your vegetation to the soil level, so there is no raking or disposal fees. They leave the root structures intact so there is good soil retention.

BUILT IN FERTILIZER: As they work, they deposit their nitrogen-rich manure and their hooves grind it into the top soil, leaving you with improved soil ready for planting.

ECO-FRIENDLY: No fossil fuels, no noise pollution. Just the gentle sounds of munching and the occasional bleat.

BUILD COMMUNITY: They are your herd while they work your land. All of our goats and sheep are very social and friendly. We install a gate into our fencing, so you get to enjoy them up – close and personal. We’ve found that it helps build community as it gets the neighborhood talking and visiting!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The first 7 years of Party Goats went pretty smoothly. We even weathered COVID by doing educational talks about goats through zoom. The last few years have been a test of endurance and persistence.

Our post-COVID world and economic depression in Los Angeles is the greatest challenge so far. The pandemic changed how people get together. People stay at home more and are less likely to have big events. With more people working at home, corporate events are mostly a thing of the past. The slump in entertainment productions here in Los Angeles, rising cost of housing and goods, and unchecked inflation hit everyone’s wallet pretty hard. So people have less money to spend on the experiences we provide.

All of that aside, raising up 22 baby goats and sheep to build a herd for wildfire prevention is an huge challenge in itself. Twice daily bottle-feedings, training them to load safely in our vehicle, and getting them acclimated to the nature of the work, plus keeping them alive and healthy was a full-time job, 7 days a week. But seeing them successfully transform the land and protect it from wildfires makes all the struggle worth it!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Animal husbandry is the foundation of my life. For some reason, goats and sheep are my people. I have a special relationship with each one of my herd. I wear a bracelet that says: “Home Is Where The Herd Is” and it’s so true. No matter what is going on in life or the world, they force me to stay in the present and they meet me where I am. They help me experience every day and every moment fully. My life is so drastically different than I could have even predicted. I went from spending 40+ hours in front of the computer, in endless meetings about problems that didn’t really matter, to outside under the sky, communicating with animals, and allowing them to be good stewards of the land. It’s truly my life’s work and what I’m meant to be doing with my time here. It’s important that we all try to leave positivity in our wake and leave this planet better than we found it. My contribution will be small, but every little bit helps.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory is being alone in the woods, turning over rotted logs to see what critters hid underneath, and sitting by the creek. There’s a calmness that comes from just sitting, listening to nature. Most of us get so used to the noise of Los Angeles, that we block it out. So get out on the trail, silence the music, and we’ll bring the goats!

Pricing:

• $99/30min – Baby Goat Gram
• $199/hr – Goat Events
• $175/hr – Goat Hikes
• $575/2hr – Private Goat Yoga
• TV/Film & Brush Clearance – email us for a quote

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.partygoats.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/partygoatsla/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/partygoatsla
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/party-goats-la-sun-valley-2?osq=Party+Goats+LA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@partygoatsla