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Goats on weed control still crunching away in Mesa

 
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GTG
Was lost but now am found




Joined: 30 Dec 2002
Posts: 2387
Location: Peoria, Arizona, originally from Rocket City, USA

PostPosted: 5/4/2009, 12:08 pm    Post subject: Goats on weed control still crunching away in Mesa Reply to topic Reply with quote

From today's AZ Republic
http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2009/05/04/20090504mr-goats0502.html
Quote:

With only a month left in their contract with the city, it's crunch time for 70 employees. Literally.

But the four-legged workers are up to the task.

For the past five months, more than 70 goats have been on vegetation control surrounding a Mesa water reclamation plant.
The 30-acre field, with three retention ponds, on the Northwest Water Reclamation Plant property must be weed-free by June, but city officials say the goats will stay until the job is done. Are they going to be done by June? Will it cost more if they are not done by June and stay on longer?

So far, they've made a pretty substantial dent.

"We've gotten on the route where you're saving the environment and money at the same time," said Ian Satter, spokesman for the city. "It's a win-win situation."

In January, the Water Resources Department approved a six-month contract with Arizona Herdsman Eco Goats. The city expects to save $10,000 by not having to hire contractors to remove the heavy brush. If all goes well, the city will consider other places the goats can be used.

"The city has numerous properties and it could be something they could look into as well," Satter said.

Besides being cost effective, it reduces the use of fossil fuels, toxic chemicals and pesticides. It's a pollution-free way of ridding the three retention ponds of compromising vegetation, Satter said.

Goats' bodies break down plants in such a way that they won't grow back when it becomes waste, making the job more permanent than what a machine can do.

Plus, unlike sheep or cows, they'll eat anything. "If they see it, they'll eat it," he said.

Although the eco-goat trend is rather new to Arizona, its popularity is rapidly growing in places like California and Colorado. Satter said he hopes Mesa, and the rest of the Valley, will jump on the bandwagon.


GTG
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Shawn
I'll sell you map to Lost Dutchman mine!




Joined: 03 Jan 2003
Posts: 2592
Location: Ahwatukee, AZ

PostPosted: 7/11/2010, 5:03 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Here's another one:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128411947&ps=cprs
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azbackpackr
Hi Tech Wizardess




Joined: 31 Dec 2005
Posts: 3639
Location: Needles CA

PostPosted: 7/12/2010, 4:34 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Some of the comments on the azcentral link are kind of funny! Goat
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