Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and when I think of Thanksgiving, I think of eating. Which got me thinking about goats—not that I want to eat a goat or anything—but goats love to eat. I remember cartoons of goats eating old shoes, car tires, tin cans, even people’s pants. Although those toons were obviously exaggerating, they did have one thing right, goats will eat just about anything (that’s a plant) standing in their way. For this reason, goats are now being used as a green way to clear unruly, overgrown landscapes.

We’ve talked about Google doing this, but now “rent-a-goat” businesses are starting to pop up all around the US. Once such place is called “Goat Patrol” their motto is “The greener weed eater.” According to their website, goats are a better solution for clearing overgrown areas for several reasons:

• Goats love to eat, and they do so 8-12 hours a day.
• Goats are browsers by nature and prefer to nibble on a wide variety of plants.
• Goats are quiet and won't disturb your neighbors.
• Goats don't burn fossil fuels, and their only emissions are natural fertilizers.
• Goats are non-toxic and pose no threat to the water supply
• Watching goats eat is an excellent form of meditation

The process of renting a goat herd seems simple enough. You contact the Goat Patrol, they come survey the site (for pricing and to make sure it doesn’t contain any plants that are harmful to goats like rhododendron… they will happily eat it even though it makes them sick), then they set up a portable electric fence to make sure the goats don’t eat your prize rose bushes, and then come the GOATS!

Prices range from $225 for a small area (about 1000 square feet) to much more for larger areas.

Sounds like a lot of fun, and it’s much better than using poisonous chemicals or gas hungry landscaping equipment.

What do you think? Would you hire goats to clear an overgrown area on your property? Tell us about it in the comments section below.