Lmst

Herd for Hire: About 300 #Goats Employed to Help #CheyenneWY Clear Overgrown Vegetation

by Alex Hill, Jun 11, 2025

"For over a decade, the City of Cheyenne has employed goat herds to manage overgrown vegetation. This approach has proven both effective and cost-efficient.

"In 2025, the city awarded the vegetation management contract to Goats on the Go, Boulder, a division of Olson Outdoors based in Broomfield, Colorado.

"Lauren Patrie, owner and partner of Goats on the Go, Boulder, explained, 'So we're up here for 25 days. And basically what we do is we just move the goats around wherever there's a need.'

"The primary objective, like every year, is to clear #invasive species and overgrown vegetation obstructing two of Cheyenne’s floodways. These plants not only impede water flow but also disrupt local #ecosystems.

"Patrie further elaborated, 'The city of Cheyenne brought us out here to bring a big herd of about 300 goats to clean up overgrown vegetation and invasive weeds along the greenway.'

"The goats' grazing habits offer several #environmental benefits. Patrie noted, 'Goats are super agile and light on their feet, so less chance of erosion that you might have with heavy equipment.' Additionally, 'We're not using gas-powered or anything that has chemicals, toxic emissions. They're still and aerate the soil. Makes it easier for nutrients and water to absorb into the soil. Healthier for native grasses to regrow. And their digestive process renders the seeds of #InvasivePlants useless so they can no longer grow in the future.' [I did not know this!]

"Despite this decade-long practice, 2025 marked the first time the city hosted a public event to introduce the goats. The 'Meet and Bleat' event featured a petting zoo-style area, allowing citizens to interact closely with the herd. Both the city and Goats on the Go aimed to spotlight the hardworking goats and foster community engagement."

Source:
https://www.yourwyominglink.com/homepage/herd-for-hire-about-300-goats-employed-to-help-cheyenne-clear-overgrown-vegetation/article_273ceb88-c721-4501-b9a1-1e2efa5a11a8.html

#SolarPunkSunday #Wyoming #GoatGoals #YardGoats #LawnGoats #GoatsForHire #Goatscaping #MeetAndBleat #InvasiveSpecies #NoHerbicides

This article also discusses making home-made weed killer from vinegar and soap, but be careful when applying it... Don't apply to flowering plants, and apply at night after the bees have gone home.

#EcoFriendly and #EnvironmentallyFriendly #WeedKiller: Does It Exist?

By Stephanie Osmanski
Updated July 20 2020,

Excerpt:
"Another eco-friendly alternative to weed killer is enlisting the help of animal friends. Good for the environment and entirely non-toxic, goats can scarf down any unwanted weeds from #kudzu, #OrientalBittersweet, and #ailanthus to #MultifloraRosa, #JapaneseHoneysuckle, and mile-a-minute.

"In fact, some companies — such as #Ecogoats and #GoatsEatWeeds — even rent out goats to homeowners that want eco-friendly help controlling their unwanted noxious weeds. Because a goat’s least favorite food is grass, a goat will eat everything else first before munching on your lawn."

Read more:
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/eco-friendly-weed-killer

#SolarPunkSunday #Gardening #Weeds #GoatGoals #Goats #YardGoats #InvasiveWeeds #HireAGoat

@Pomegranatepirate I just found this!

HireGoats.com is a worldwide directory of companies using goats for vegetation management, often known as “targeted grazing,” “goat rental,” or “#goatscaping.” We help you connect with goat grazing pros who are ready to tackle invasive plants, prevent wildfire spread, and naturally manage nuisance vegetation.

https://www.hiregoats.com/

#Goats #LawnCare #InvasiveSpecies #SolarPunkSunday #GoatsForHire #GoatGoals #HireAGoat #LawnGoats #YardGoats