When a herd of 20 goats was commissioned last summer to clear a 15 acre woodland at Western Michigan University, a labour union filed a grievance.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees declared that goats were taking jobs from union workers. Moreover, several workers at the school had been laid off.
Garrett and Gina Fickle, owners of the goats, collectively known as “Munchers on Hooves” rent out their goats to homeowners, commercial property owners and other clients. The animals’ wide and varied appetite makes them perfect for this work and they leave behind a complementary but very effective fertilizer.
“Munchers on Hooves” does residential contracts for the most part, and WMU is the largest contract it has had yet. Because of the contract, the company’s work has increased exponentially.
University spokeswoman Cheryl Roland, in an interview with Kalamazoo Gazette, confirmed that the goat crew was on campus, but not to cut grass.
The goats are clearing undergrowth in a woodlot. Much of it is poison ivy and other vegetation that is a problem for humans to remove, but goats are unaffected by the toxic oil poison ivy produces.
Chemicals probably could have done the job but the university didn’t want to use them, so the goats seemed to be the answer. An analysis by the university showed the goats to be a sustainable and cost-effective way of removing the unwanted plants. And no workers have been displaced by the goat project.
- Shirley Byers