Goats As Land Managers

If you happened to visit The Reserve On The Saluda this week, you may notice some very unusual lot clearing going on. Not mowers and trimmers - GOATS. Contrary to popular belief, goats won't eat absolutely everything. They don't like trash or paper especially. They DO eat unwanted vegetation, overbearing brush and invasive plants. Goats are great land managers that can clear out your homesite without the loud, gas-guzzling machinery or harmful herbicides. Here's why GOATs make great land managers:

Leave The Job To Them

If you’ve run a bush hog under the heat of the summer sun, you’ll appreciate that goats are a less labor intensive land clearing method than operating machinery. Goats don’t require fuel, spare parts or repairs, making them considerably less expensive than heavy equipment. The residue from herbicides used to clear land can be toxic to humans, animals and pollinators. If you want to clear land for future food crops or reclaim pasture, consider goats as a sustainable solution.

But Why Goats?

Goats are superior land managers to other ruminants and pigs because they are natural browsers. They have special gut enzymes that enable them to digest plants that are toxic to other animals, and prefer a mouthful of kudzu to grass. Goats are perfect for the job of clearing homesites in The Reserve On The Saluda because they can go places machinery can’t, such as between the mature oak trees and vine-filled areas, over hills, hollows and creek banks.