Farmer offers goat herd to clear away your unwanted foliage for a price
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IDAHO FALLS — For the last six years, weed abatement hasn’t been a priority for Eddie Walsh, who lives on one-tenth of an acre on 12th Street in Idaho Falls.
As a result, the backyard is overrun with weeds and shrubbery that would’ve taken a lot of work with a weed whacker or lawn mower to clean it up.
The 33-year-old felt there was a better way and that led him to The Copeland’s Farm in Aberdeen, who provided 55 goats to come and clear the land by eating the foliage down to the roots.
“It’s a little more of a natural way to help clean up the property. Plus, it adds a little bit of excitement,” Farm owner Zakary Copeland tells EastIdahoNews.com.
Copeland was at the Idaho Falls property Wednesday overseeing more than half his herd as they went to town on Walsh’s yard. See the goats in action in the video above.
Copeland says there are scientific benefits for using goats as a means of improving the landscape over machinery or chemicals.
“Overgrown places like this where a lot of those noxious weeds have gone to seed — there are scientific studies that show goats kill 90-95% of that seed through the process of ruminating and chewing their cud. They eat the noxious weed and the chances of it germinating and spreading are very slim,” Copeland explains.
Copeland started experimenting with this idea about a year ago but just started offering it as a paid service last week. He just completed a project in Archer where his goats cleared half an acre of grass over the course of four days.
“They took 7-foot tall thistle and cleared it to the ground,” he says. “They do really good at clearing trees and shrubs. There’s not a whole lot they won’t clean up.”
How long it takes for the goats to clean it up depends on the size of the property and how many goats are used. Copeland estimated it would take about a day to clear the Idaho Falls property with 55 goats.
Walsh’s mom owns the property, but he’s lived there since 2018. He has a landscaping vision for the yard and was thrilled when he found Copeland on Facebook Marketplace.
“I prefer to do the work upfront to make sure I don’t repeat it over and over again,” says Walsh. “I’m so grateful Zak is doing this. It offers an alternative that reminds people where we come from. Two hundred years ago, (there were no lawns) and this (using animals to clear the foliage) was all too common. It’s only proper to pay homage to that.”
Copeland is aware of farms in Boise and other parts of the country that offer a similar service, but as far as he knows, he’s the only one offering this service in eastern Idaho. He’s hoping to see it grow and acquire more clients throughout the region.
“We’ve done a lot of property clearing with (the goats),” says Copeland. “We’re hoping to get in a little more of that and be able to provide somebody a service that they typically don’t see.”
To order Copeland’s service or learn more, visit the TikTok or Facebook page. You can also call Copeland directly at (208) 251-0857.