In various countries worldwide, there are a growing number of people who have been turning toward alternative lawncare services that include renting goats, sheep, or donkeys, to come and take care of your lawn maintenance needs.
For the business owner, their goats, sheep, and donekys, get to essentially eat for free and this helps to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars, depending on the scale of the operation. All they need when they show up is water.
For the clients, they are getting a fun and environmentally-friendly way of keeping up with their lawns; removing invasive and unwanted plants. The droppings are also considered to be all-natural fertilizer.
Unlike many conventional landscaping methods that are used today, this option comes without any chemicals, gas, or herbicides being used to get the job done.
They might not be the fastest option however, as one goat herder H. Lombard from Maine admits, the goats are able to cover roughly a quarter to one third of an acre in a week.
Even though it might not be the fastest option or most convenient for everyone, the goatscaping demand is growing.
You can find goats wandering around various parks, yards, and fields, not only in the US today but in other countries as well, carrying out their landscaping duties.
However, not everyone has been happy with their results. One one occasion, a city public works operations manager admitted that their goat operation went south after the goats ended-up consuming native plants and allegedly damaging hazelnut and maple trees in the area. It's also alleged that it had cost them a great deal more than it would if they had gone their usual route. After those results, they said that they wouldn't be opting for that method again and would resort back to their traditional method of either mowing or using inmate labor.
It's clear though that there are many who are happy with the services that the various goatscaping businesses out there today are providing. Whether it's doing maintenance at a golf course, airport, or solar farm, it's interesting to see how this trend is growing and capturing the interest of so many.
Pics:
pixabay