GOATSCAPING
A PESTICIDE-FREE WEED-REMOVAL TREND
Folks who live in Connecticut have probably seen a goat a time or two when visiting a petting zoo, farmer’s market or goat yoga class, but have they ever utilized the social critters for their landscaping needs?
Goatscaping is exactly what it sounds like: a landscaping method where a handful of goats are released on a property to eat unwanted vegetation — like poison ivy and weeds — while providing a bit of natural fertilization as they go.
Those who rent or borrow goats for this purpose have the added benefit of getting rid of unwanted weeds without having to utilize harsh chemicals.
Mason Enterprises in Granby offers goatscaping services where they lend out a team of goats for a week at a time after assessing the area. According to their website, “Goats will eat everything they can reach up to ¾ inch diameter sticks and twigs with greenery...While chemicals will eliminate it quickly, there is an added risk with spraying chemicals into the environment, especially for pets and children. Our goat droppings are all natural and very high in nitrogen, essentially fertilizing the area in which they clear.”
While the goats will happily munch away at unwanted foliage and fertilize your property, they’re not exactly going to be mowing your lawn for you.
Aussakita Acres Farm doesn’t currently offer goatscaping services, but has had people reach out to them about it. Tracy Longoria of Aussakita Acres Farm explained that the goats are “browsers, not grazers.”
“Everyone thinks, ‘oh, I’m going to get some goats and [they’re] going to mow my lawn for me,’ and that’s not really the case. They prefer brush and weeds and poison ivy. It’s easier for larger corporations and municipalities to actually utilize the goats. It’s a huge cost savings and they don’t have to use any harsh chemicals to kill invasive species such as poison ivy, sumac and things like that,” she said.