Clearing weeds can be a time-consuming hassle, but a farmer found a unique way to get the job done without exerting any real energy.
TikToker Crab Orchard Creek (@craborchardcreek) demonstrated how "goatscaping" helped take care of the issue in his field.
@craborchardcreek #goatscaping ♬ Summer - Instrumental - Devinney
The scoop
As the farmer explains in the video, the goats were used in target grazing, which he says is "the use of livestock to accomplish specific landscaping goals." In this case, the goats were enlisted to help eliminate ragweed, goldenrod, mares tails, honeysuckle, and blackberry in order to facilitate the restoration of native grass. The only real effort is setting up temporary staked fencing and bringing in the goats.
While livestock enjoy feasting on those things, some of them can be harmful to the environment. For example, common ragweed is an invasive species that the National Library of Medicine said "can produce large amounts of allergenic pollen becoming a threat to public health."
The farmer provides before-and-after footage of the area the goats helped take care of, showing a significant difference in the amount of messy weeds and clutter.
How it's helping
Goatscaping is becoming an increasingly popular practice because it's an environmentally friendly alternative to other lawn care options.
The Environmental Protection Agency states that gas lawnmowers account for 5% of air pollution in the United States. Such machines have the potential to emit toxins like volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter.
It's likely that the practice of goatscaping continues to grow in popularity because it reduces the reliance on harmful lawnmowers and the need for toxic herbicides, helps control weeds and invasive species, and can provide a natural fertilizer.
What everyone's saying
Many were impressed by what they saw in the video, calling it "cool" and saying, "The goats did a great job." There were some who even gained the motivation to try goatscaping themselves.
"Reminds me to see if there's rental goats in my area. Have several acres of underbrush to clear," one commenter wrote.
The farmer replied, "Honeysuckle and blackberries get thick and crazy and it's a [pain in the a--] to get in there and try and find rosebushes and the goats make that way easier."
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