Monday, September 29, 2008

Almost done



Well, the goats are winding down. It's actually looking more brown than green in their area now--a huge change. They seem to be turning up their noses at the stickweed, which is about the only green, leafy thing left in there; we've decided that they're just not going to eat that, but we can easily take it down with a machete, sickle or scythe. Jace thinks the goats will be moving on within a day or two.



We're really happy with this whole goat experiment. It's been really nice to clear our land this way instead of with machines. (Of course, Jace and Scott did use some gas-powered tools to clear the fenceline, but they were two guys on foot--much easier on the soil than a large heavy machine like a bulldozer.)



Having goats in there for 10 or 11 days meant that we went back there to hang out and watch them, which in turn means we got to know our spot better. We've identified more trees (including a young persimmon--woo hoo!) and observed more about our soil and wildlife. The process was quiet and gradual instead of loud and sudden. With Jace and Scott coming over to feed the dogs, we got lots of chances to chat with them, which was really nice. All in all, it felt like we were changing our land in a low-impact way.

- Erika