Lawn care alternatives
Finally, a scientific study that confirms what I’ve long believed. If you must keep a lawn that is attractive to the neighbours, forget the chemical pollution and the noisy lawnmower. Instead, welcome a few of man’s other best friend onto your hobby farm: keep goats.
Now, I’ve not had the occasion to actually do this myself. Instead, we sign deals with the devil (our local lawn care company that touts their environmental treatments from the back of a spray truck) and I continue to repair things like severed pool filter power cords. In other words, I am not one that practices what I preach. But, as some long term friends will attest, I’ve been suggesting trading in the John Deere on a Jack Billygoat for years now.
After all, goats have neat eyes: The pupil in a goat’s eye is rectangular in shape instead of being round like those of other animals. It is believed that goats have excellent night vision and will often browse at night. The actual color of the goat’s eyes is varied with the most common color being yellow or brown. Blue coloration is a bit rarer and often a characteristic many breeders will try to achieve.
Every goat I’ve ever encountered (while visiting Orwell Corner) seemed to be more intelligent than sheep or rabbits (other lawn care possibilities). The animal can climb, and run, and frolic and do all sorts of other cool animal stuff. I wonder if the average goat can be trained to do tricks?
While we are starting to look forward to trading in the current town model of a lawn (small, cluttered with a chemical pond, a mailbox and a doggy run) on something a little more rural and fieldish, it’s time to plan ahead. I don’t see myself as a tractor pilot, so I’m already on the lookout for some friendly kids, ready and willing to tackle the grass without complaint. There are lots of sites on the net with goat care suggestions, so education won’t be an issue. Rather, it will be deciding what to do with the bounty of byproducts.
Yogurt, cheese, sweaters. Should I opt for Cashmere or Angora? What about ornamental carvings from the surplus horn? I don’t carve, yet, but there’s a future to look into. And then the other “gifts”. I could package up the droppings to sell at the Farmer’s Market. I can see it now; my own stall on Saturdays. Right next to the great coffee place we discovered while on vacation. And if my goats become prolific (well-fed goats might do that), there’s the possibility of sit down meals involving couscous…
