Off the Urban Grid

Let the Goats Trim Your Lawn

There are many areas of cities that have overgrown brush. When this happens, the city has to pay workers to clean it up. Sometimes pesticides are used to prevent the brush from growing, while other times a tractor or weed wackers are used to cut it down when it gets too high. Obviously, the pesticides are not a healthy option for the environment, especially with the possibility of contaminated runoff. Cutting it down is a better alternative, but it costs the city money and requires gasoline. During these economic times, cutting back on certain expenses is ideal. When overgrown brush becomes a problem, there is a solution that is probably the best alternative.

Los Angeles, California has adopted a simple, unique way of dealing with overgrown brush. They decided to let the goats eat it. Although many people stopped to stare and wondered what these creatures were doing there, the job was accomplished. George Gonzales of Ranchito Tivo Boer Goats owns the herd of 100 goats, which was contracted by the city of Los Angeles to graze on a downtown hillside.

Goats have an incredible appetite, and their diet is usually made up of cracked or ground corn mixed with oats, hay and grass. They also eat grassy alfalfa, weeds and shrubs. There are more than 210 breeds of goats, and in 2001, there was an estimated 450 million goats in the world. With that many goats in the world, overgrown brush could be a nonexistent problem.

This natural solution to overgrown brush eliminates the need for pesticides, and it reduces the consumption of gasoline too. This alternative provides the goats with nutrients that they need to consume, so it keeps them happy and healthy. The goats have free reign over the hillsides and are able to stop for a feeding break in nearby pens that are setup. The environment as well as the goats’ interest is in mind.

If more cities and neighborhoods chose this natural alternative to overgrown brush, there would be less pollution and contamination in the world.

Tags: cutting the lawn, eco-friendly lawn trimming, goats eating lawn, overgrown brush