No, this is not a typo – we indeed said goats. You’ve heard of landscaping and possibly even manscaping, but today, we’re talking about goatscaping. It’s for people who have made a serious commitment to making changes in their lives to save the environment with activities like low-carbon gardening. You might be surprised to learn there are places in practically every state where you can actually hire a goat. Simply click on your state to see the options you have. More common is hiring a herd of goats, depending on the size of the property or job in question.
Goatscaping is the portmanteau coined for this intriguing and environmentally friendly idea. Using goats to control invasive species, weeds, and certain types of vegetation is one of the most efficient and effective methods out there. Goatscaping makes sense for a wide variety of projects, from small one-acre plots to commercial growing sites to municipal projects, general clean-ups, and everything in between. People are taking notice, and once you learn about this slightly eclectic alternative, it’s easy to understand why it’s getting attention.
The benefits of using goats
Using goats to control certain types of vegetation has multiple benefits both for the environment as well as for you. For example, during a goat’s natural digestive process, any seeds or reproductive plant materials from invasive plants they eat are sterilized and rendered inert once they inevitably come back out. Speaking of which, goat droppings don’t smell, and they make fabulous fertilizer that contains very little methane. There is no machinery, and the carbon footprint of goats is extremely low.
Additionally, this method means using chemicals will not be necessary, as goats break the cycle of re-growth for invasive plants and other aggressive or problematic species. It’s entertaining and responsible at the same time! Another benefit of using goats is that they politely eat around any birds’ nests or butterfly cocoons they may encounter while munching away. Natural wildlife and their habitats are kept intact when you choose to use goats for vegetation control. If you’ve ever had an invasive plant try to take over your landscape that’s especially persistent, or have a lot of poison ivy and weeds to control, there’s likely a goat rental near you.
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Invasive species (and more) control measure
Invasive species are no joke. In order for a plant to be designated as an invasive species, it has to meet very specific criteria. It must be a non-native plant that causes harm to the environment, the economy, plant, animal, or human health, or all of the above. There are many invasive plant species you should stop from taking over your lawn and garden, and goats can help. Goatscaping is a method similar to using nematodes or introducing a predator for natural species control measures. Goats can actually help restore the balance of our natural ecosystem.
They are being used all over the country to help control invasive species like buckthorn, bittersweet, and multiflora rose. Additionally, they get rid of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Invasive honeysuckle is another goat favorite. Even some of the toughest invasive species, like Chinese lanterns, are no match for a few goats. Set the standards higher by example, and be the first to try goatscaping in your neck of the woods.
