Yet another reason goats are great - they happily eat many of the plants that plague us, from poison ivy to a number of invasive species like Japanese barberry that are speeding the spread of Lyme disease and wreaking havoc in our woods, roadsides and meadows.
A number of goat grazing businesses are springing up across the country, including right here in the Hudson Valley. While most serve corporations, estates and parks, some cater to homeowners.
It's a pretty simple concept, they bring a trailer full of goats to your property, fence them in and let them do their thing, nibbling poison ivy, multiflora rose, barberry and even Japanese stiltgrass into oblivion, leaving nothing behind but good fertilizer (see photo above :)
It's literally the stuff of my dreams...
You can read more about it in my new piece for Upstate House.
You might also like:
- Japanese Barberry & Lyme Disease Go Hand-In-Hand
- Goat Ragout with Figs & Rosemary Over Pappardelle
- How To Cook Goat Meat & Where To Find It In the Hudson Valley
For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.
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