Utah company uses goats to clear urban lawns

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Duke Evans was beyond surprised when he spotted dozens of goats in his neighbor’s yard near 300 West and 600 South in Salt Lake City. He said out of nowhere they appeared, surrounded by an electric fence Tuesday morning.

“I thought, ‘What the heck is going on with the goats,’” Evans said. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen that.”

After doing some digging, he found out from neighbors that the 26 animals were there to help clean up the yard.

“When they said it was brought in to mow the grass down, I thought, ‘you’re kidding me,’” he said.

But it’s no joke. Tyler Talbott, with 4 Leaf Ranch out of Kamas, Utah, said these goats get the job done. He believes the unconventional method is better than using a lawn mower.

“Well they are quieter, easier to work with, it’s better for the environment and you get fertilizer out of it,” Talbott said. “These goats get a lot lower, they eat down to the root.”

The ranch employee said they are busy this time of year, from clearing out yards to helping with fire lines. He said although the goats are hard at work, they enjoy the free food they get in return.

“They don’t mind it, and we don’t have to starve them,” he said. “They just eat on their own when they’re hungry.”

To keep them in line, an electric fence is placed around the property.

“It keeps the goats in, and out of the road, and people and things that don’t belong, outside,” he said

Neighbors agree, even though you don’t see much of this going on in areas like theirs, the results are undeniable.

“The goats have done more in two hours than a crew of five guys could do in a day,” Evans said. “It really is a neat thing.”