JAY, Vt. (AP) — Months before the first snow beckons skiers, sheep and goats are hitting the slopes in Vermont.
At Jay Peak, situated near the Canadian boundary, numerous animals have been tasked with trimming the excessive growth of vegetation. The plan involves clearing 25 acres (10 hectares) in a span of five weeks, as an experimental approach on the 300 acres (120 hectares) needing maintenance. Officials hope to gradually diminish the dependence on gas-operated mechanical mowers.
“This year has shown that it can be achieved and with success,” stated Andy Stenger, the director of mountain and base area operations. “The animals are terrific workers. They do take frequent lunch breaks, but that’s essentially the point.”
The animals are equipped with special collars that produce a noise if they approach too near an invisible fence, and administer a mild shock if they cross the boundary. These collars also provide data to the herd’s owner, Adam Ricci of Cloud Brook Grazing.
“I can determine where they are spending most of their time. I also receive alerts if any animal seems unwell, as decreased activity triggers a notification,” Ricci explained.
The concept of using livestock for certain landscaping tasks isn’t novel. Over 25 years ago, a New Hampshire electric company utilized 1,000 sheep to manage vegetation under power lines. In 2010, goats were deployed by the University of Georgia to tackle invasive plants on campus grounds. The Nashville Chew Crew, a team of sheep, has been aiding the city’s parks department since 2017. Additionally, New York City has employed goats for park maintenance.
Ricci mentioned that his goats and sheep were busy throughout the summer, transforming backyards, reclaiming neglected farmland, feasting on poison ivy, and removing invasive plant species from a retirement community’s surroundings.
“Ideally, we can scale this up to the point where it’s working well and then hopefully develop a model that can be used at other ski resorts as well,” he said. “But there’s still a lot to learn here.”
Further south, Magic Mountain ski area used a herd from Slippery Slope Goats last year to do its mowing. In both cases, the collaboration was facilitated by the Agritech Institute for Small Farms, an organization working to increase access to advanced technology that can help small farms stay in business while mitigating climate change.
Goatscaping reduces the carbon footprint of vegetation control, reduces erosion and increases a site’s capacity to hold water, Ricci said. The cost per acre is similar to mechanical mowing, though he acknowledges the animals are slow.
“Conventional methods, they’re covering this whole entire site in about 10 days,” he said. “So these guys work significantly slower than weed whackers do.”
But employees and visitors at Jay Peak have enjoyed the friendly herd, Stenger said.
“It’s a lot of fun to have them on the mountain,” he said.
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Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire.
