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Livestock landscaping: Vermont ski areas employ goats and sheep to clear the slopes
Jay Peak ski area is testing sheep and goats to clear 25 acres of vegetation, aiming to reduce reliance on gas-powered mowers across 300 acres, officials say.
- Months before the first snow, Jay Peak ski area, Vermont, deployed dozens of sheep and goats to mow overgrown vegetation as an experiment to reduce reliance on gas-powered mechanical mowers.
- Goatscaping reduces the carbon footprint of vegetation control, reducing erosion and increasing water retention, supported by the Agritech Institute for Small Farms.
- About 150 goats and sheep are grazing Jay Peak slopes, expected to clear 25 acres over a five-week stint while wearing collars that monitor location and health.
- Officials at Jay Peak deem the trial successful and hope to scale it to other ski resorts, noting the cost per acre matches mechanical mowing though animals work more slowly.
- Across the country, cities and institutions including New York City and the Nashville Chew Crew have employed livestock for landscaping, with historical precedents like a utility using 1,000 sheep years ago.
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Associated Press News+22 Reposted by 22 other sources
Livestock landscaping: Vermont ski areas employ goats and sheep to clear the slopes
Domestic goats are reaching new heights on Vermont's ski slopes. Magic Mountain in southern Vermont used goats to clear its slopes of vegetation last year, and Jay Peak, near the Canadian border, is using goats and sheep this fall.
·United States
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Total News Sources25
Leaning Left9Leaning Right2Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Left, 45% Center
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Left, 45% of the sources are Center
45% Center
L 45%
C 45%
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