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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.
- Dozens of goats and sheep have been deployed to clear 25 acres of overgrown vegetation at Jay Peak ski slopes near the Canadian border this year.
- Officials launched this initiative to slowly decrease the use of gas-powered mowers by employing animals for environmentally friendly vegetation management.
- The herd, managed by Adam Ricci of Cloud Brook Grazing, wears special collars that emit sounds or mild shocks to keep them within boundaries while monitoring animal health.
- Ricci noted that goatscaping lowers the carbon footprint, reduces erosion, increases water retention, and costs per acre similar to mechanical mowing despite the animals' slower pace.
- Jay Peak director Andy Stenger affirmed this year has proven livestock mowing can be done successfully, suggesting potential to scale this model to other ski resorts.
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Associated Press News+21 Reposted by 21 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 Sources24
Leaning Left9Leaning Right1Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution48% Left, 47% Center
Bias Distribution
- 48% of the sources lean Left, 47% of the sources are Center
48% Left
L 48%
C 47%
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