The landscape of brush-clearing is changing.
The organic, more natural way of removing weeds and thorny vines is a healthier alternative to herbicides--so why send a brush hog to do a goat's job?
The Goat Girls, an Amherst, Massachusetts-based company, has a herd of 19 goats they rent out to clear brush, even if a property is overrun by a rash of poison ivy.
"The two white ones really like poison sumac," Chade Conrad, the assistant field manager for The Goat Girls, said.
The more goats on the job, the faster they'll eat away an overgrown area.
The Goat Girls have taken calls from prospective clients in Connecticut, but the business stays local because every time the herd crosses the state line the goats each need costly health certificates.
However, if you're interested in grooming a goat to mow your lawn, the business is offering a two-day course to teach others how to run a business of rent-a-goats of their own.
"Two landscapers from the Hartford area expressed an interest," Hope Crolius, founder of The Goat Girls, said.
An added bonus after the herd clears the way and moves on is the valuable manure left behind, which clients get to keep to fertilize the garden they really want.
Jobs start at $500 per week.