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With the holidays coming to an end, many people are looking to get rid of their Christmas Trees. Typically this means leaving it on the curb for trash pickup, but there is a chance to change that death march with the help of goats and farms.
According to “People Magazine,” there are actually sanctuaries and farms for goats that would love to get their hands on those Christmas trees. Which means that instead of sending them to landfills, these trees can be used to feed hungry goats, as long as the tree is still green and untreated. Of course, it also needs to have no decorations on it (which means no leftover tinsel hanging from the branches).
Wondering why farms want these Christmas Trees for their goats? The answer is relatively simple. According to an educator for the Crowley Museum and Nature Center in Sarasota, Florida, Cathy Rosebrock, “They have natural Vitamin C in them and they also work as a natural de-wormer, so we do give it to them in controlled amounts.”
Basically these Christmas Trees have some great health properties that are beneficial to the goats. However, it is not just what is being fed to the goats that is important. Places like the Nature Center in Sarasota will typically use all parts of the trees they receive. This means that whatever the goats do not eat will be used as firewood for the farm, making this an environmentally friendly way to dispose of those unwanted Christmas Trees that are left behind after the holidays have come to a close.
While not every farm and goat rescue might be accepting Christmas Trees, there are plenty that do and will want to take that tree for their animals. Among the places that are definitely willing to take trees that are still green and have not been treated are Shay’s Flock of Fun Farm in Massachusetts and Smiling Hill Farms in Maine, as well as the Crowley Museum and Nature Center in Florida (of course).
That being said, if Florida, Maine, and Massachusetts are a bit too far away for getting rid of those trees, it is entirely likely that there could be something closer. Check local listings of farms and rescues to see if they are interested in those unwanted Christmas Trees. After all, not only is this a chance to get rid of the Christmas Tree that is no longer sparking joy, but it will go to a good cause as well.
Feeding goats might not be the thing anyone expected to do with their Christmas Trees this year, but it definitely seems like something to consider going forward.
Written by Kimberley Spinney
Sources:
People Magazine – Getting Rid of Your Christmas Tree? Give it to Hungry Goats Instead of Throwing it Out
Image Credit – Eric Frierson’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License