Allegheny GoatScape: An eco-friendly way to remove unwanted plants
No kidding - they will eat just about anything.
The hilly terrain of Allegheny County presents challenges in clearing unwanted and invasive vegetation. That's where Allegheny GoatScape comes in. Today was day 1 of a new project at Penn State Greater Allegheny in McKeesport where there is a buffet of grass, vines, weeds and invasive plants. Gavin Deming founded Allegheny GoatScape in the spring of 2017 as a sustainable and herbicide-free alternative to clear invasive and unwanted vegetation around Allegheny County."Goats are really great, especially in our region, because they are able to traverse up and down our hillsides and steep slopes in ways that (are) actually really hard for us humans," Deming said.There isn't a lot that the goats won't eat. They know to avoid toxic plants, like snake weed, that is found on the Penn State Greater Allegheny campus. Then their droppings can be an immediate fertilizer. So, from end to end, the goats are leaving their job site a better place.Hiring the goats also avoids things like intense manual labor, heavy machinery, and chemical that we want to avoid putting into our ecosystem.Many of the goats with Allegheny GoatScape were former dairy goats. They work well in a large group and are fast workers. They can clear about an acre of vegetation in two weeks.This is the goats' eighth year back at Penn State Greater Allegheny. The facilities team welcomes their goat helpers to lighten the load and keep up the campus' sustainability practices. But most importantly, the students and community love seeing them.If you can't make it any of the goats' jobsites, Allegheny GoatScape will hold a few Bleat and Greet events this fall.The hilly terrain of Allegheny County presents challenges in clearing unwanted and invasive vegetation. That's where Allegheny GoatScape comes in. Today was day 1 of a new project at Penn State Greater Allegheny in McKeesport where there is a buffet of grass, vines, weeds and invasive plants.
Gavin Deming founded Allegheny GoatScape in the spring of 2017 as a sustainable and herbicide-free alternative to clear invasive and unwanted vegetation around Allegheny County.
"Goats are really great, especially in our region, because they are able to traverse up and down our hillsides and steep slopes in ways that (are) actually really hard for us humans," Deming said.
There isn't a lot that the goats won't eat. They know to avoid toxic plants, like snake weed, that is found on the Penn State Greater Allegheny campus. Then their droppings can be an immediate fertilizer. So, from end to end, the goats are leaving their job site a better place.
Hiring the goats also avoids things like intense manual labor, heavy machinery, and chemical that we want to avoid putting into our ecosystem.
Many of the goats with Allegheny GoatScape were former dairy goats. They work well in a large group and are fast workers. They can clear about an acre of vegetation in two weeks.
This is the goats' eighth year back at Penn State Greater Allegheny. The facilities team welcomes their goat helpers to lighten the load and keep up the campus' sustainability practices. But most importantly, the students and community love seeing them.
If you can't make it any of the goats' jobsites, Allegheny GoatScape will hold a few Bleat and Greet events this fall.
