jillbilly’s Recent Comments

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Here in Chicago, a pilot program was started at the Paxton Landfill with just a handfull of goats, leased for the summer from an adventurous farmer south of the city. The goats were "trained" to eat specific plants by spraying the targeted species with garlic, especially the non-native and invasive Phragmites that threatens the wetlands which (unfortunately) surround our existing landfills. Chicago produces a lot of trash, and some of these landfills are capped at 100 feet or more in height - far too steep for conventional tractor mowers to maintain (with the same destructive problems that TrashTsar mentioned above), but no problem for a goat. That first season, the goats performed remarkably well, but were often attacked by wild dogs. Solution: two Great Pyranese shepherd dogs, who love nothing more than guarding their herd. Now the goats are so successful their use on other capped landfills is being seriously discussed. The lady that cares for the Paxton goats, however, faces another, unforseen problem: she takes the goats home for the winter, and the little herd of goats now numbers over 20! Apparently all that good forage and fresh air makes them prolific as well. PS - The winter barn manure gets composted and made available to organic gardeners, a true win-win situation.

  On Ask Umbra on mowing with goats posted 6 months, 1 week ago 8 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Oh, my! As soon as I recover from the laugh-cramp I just suffered, I'll ponder the long-term impact a new generation of urban foragers would have on our green city. The motto of Chicago, as I'm sure you know, is Urbus en Horto (city in a garden) and our current mayor-for-life is doing his darn-diggenest to make sure the whole world knows it. I'm trying to envision this new/old green sensibility being embraced by citizens who've known nothing but grocery blight for generations ("How To Grow Your Own Sliders", perhaps). It is true that there are plenty of rosy-cheeked upstarts turning abandoned lots into community gardens, but the idea that any of our already-squandered tax dollars would be earmarked for Park District maintenance, even of the toxic variety, can only be described as pessimistic naivety. So relax, dear Kjersten - the city that can't afford to replace dangerous outdated playground equipment will certainly skimp on the expensive chemical weedicides. But, just to be on the safe side, don't graze in Millennium Park, which is Hizzoner's front yard. Come on down to the South Side wilderness instead.

  On Ask Umbra on urban foraging posted 6 months, 1 week ago 4 Responses