Organic gardening is a notion much easier conceived than practiced. Often, snubbing our noses at chemical herbicides and pesticides means extra work and less than optimum results. But a new superstar has just joined the roster of the environmentally-conscious: the goat. Goats are self-contained, burn no fossil fuels and can clean up even the nastiest of overgrown landscapes.
Why goats? Aside from the obvious benefit of being environmentally-friendly, goats offer other advantages to our landscaping dilemmas. Remember the old song about the goat that ate two red shirts off the clothesline? Well, there is a lot of truth to the belief that goats will eat anything. Especially relevant as it applies to landscaping, is that goats will eat thorn-ridden brambles and gnarly chaparral that is very difficult to handle with a mower or hand tools. They can also fit into tight spaces and around natural barriers that make mowing or weed whacking difficult.
Residential applications – Before buying a goat and selling your riding mower, check your local ordinances for restrictions that may apply in your area. Not all municipalities welcome goats, as they are considered to be livestock and are prohibited from many residential areas. For those living in less urban environments though, goats can be a real benefit. In southern California where the Santa Ana winds bring the threat of deadly wildfires each fall, goats can be used to clear brush and chaparral to make a firebreak that helps protect homes and human life.
Corporate and government buy-in – Businesses are getting in on the act as well. Cricket Communications, an environmentally-conscious corporation headquartered in San Diego, has used goats to clear brush and brambles surrounding sensitive communications equipment at some of their remote sites. You can see them in action by watching this video. According to North Dakota State University’s sheep specialist Reid Redden, some local municipalities from western states have also begun using goats to remove noxious weeds from public areas.
Precautions – If you consider using goats for your project, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, if left to their own devices, goats will eat the things that taste best first. So if you have landscaping that you want to keep, your goats will need to be temporarily fenced inside the area you want cleared. It is also important to consider the safety of the goats, and not put them in areas where there is vegetation or external conditions that could compromise their safety.
Sources:
Nigel Duara, “Goats Get Work Clearing Land in Downtown Portland,” Yahoo News