Goats tidy yards

NATURALLY FUELED: Drake Patten and her husband, Wright Deter, of Hurricane Hill, use goats to help clear land. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
NATURALLY FUELED: Drake Patten and her husband, Wright Deter, of Hurricane Hill, use goats to help clear land. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

The latest power tool in the landscaper’s shed has four legs and an insatiable appetite.

Goats have become an increasingly popular choice for clearing ivy, vines and underbrush on farms, in parks and in residential areas, making them a versatile solution for landscape management.

A new business in Cranston, Hurricane Hill, has a herd of seven Nigerian Dwarf goats that will be rented out, by the project or day, for clearing tasks. Their first job: clearing brush from the soon-to-open Providence dog park on Waterman Street.

Drake Patten and Wright Deter purchased the 48-acre Hurricane Hill farm this year, and recently acquired the goats from a rescue. Patten said she is still deciding on a fee structure. Patten already has experience in animal husbandry, and also owns Cluck!, an urban farm store in Providence.

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The goats can clear land efficiently, she said. “Poison ivy, brambles, bushes; they’re pretty relentless eaters,” she said. •

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