Who needs to go buy gas for a lawnmower when you’ve got a stash of goats waiting in the wings?
That’s seemingly the question 17-year-old Kyle Bonenfant thought. Now the young man spends his summer mowing his Carlisle neighbors lawns with a ragtag group of goats and even sheep.
Many homeowners prefer the natural way of removing pesky brambles and dangerous poison ivy. Keeping your lawn clear of harmful plants makes your backyard a more enjoyable location for guests and family, especially at this time of year. In fact, nearly 83% of homeowners believe that having a lawn is an important feature in buying a home and 90% of Americans want those lawns to be well-maintained.
Bonenfant may have found an eco-friendly way of doing it.
After purchasing about a half-dozen sheep once a local farmer moved to California, Bonenfant relied on friend and boss, Andrew Rodgers, to show him the ropes and bring his entrepreneurial vision to life. Having worked as a farmer for a number of years, Bonenfant was confident in his ability to raise a herd and begin the trek into the agricultural field.
Once he realized goats might do a better job than the sheep, Bonenfant acquired a herd of grazing male goats, known as wethers, to begin mowing lawns in his Boston neighborhood. Since then, Bonenfant charges $75 a day. He’s optimistic regarding his future as he looks at agricultural programs at colleges in his area.
“Farming means learning to adapt to constantly changing circumstances, an array of different tasks, all kinds of weather, and things never going quite as planned. I’ve never envisioned myself as the type of person to sit at a desk all day,” Bonenfant said in an interview with The Boston Globe.
For homeowners that don’t have a herd of hungry wethers next door, there are ways to take care of your lawn. In the fiery summer temperatures so far, it can seem impossible to properly water and maintain your lawn.
Try to avoid lawn fertilizers with excessive nitrogen content. In conjunction with the scorching temperatures, this can cause brown spots and dead areas on your lawn.
Additionally, poor drainage can also damage a lawn. Despite the lack of rain in summer, it’s important to water your lawns at the correct time and prevent pools of water from forming; this means your lawn is saturated, potentially damaging the grass.
Start watering your lawn when the sun comes up. Keep it running until around 9 a.m. before the day gets too hot. If you water at when the sun is at its peak, it’ll simply burn your lawn.
Follow these tips and tricks for maintaining a beautiful lawn this summer. That, or you can always purchase a herd of wethers to get the job done for you.
