Google Rents Goats To Replace Lawnmowers (I’m Not Kidding)

[jlbyrd]

In what absolutely reads like an April Fools joke, Google has a post on its blog today explaining how it has rented a herd of goats to replace the lawnmowers that normally cut the grass in the fields around its headquarters. This is Google’s “low-carbon” approach to maintaining its property.

Google is renting the goats from a company called California Grazing. Apparently, every so often a herder will bring about 200 of them to the campus and they’ll roam around for a week eating the grass. Not only that, these goats will fertilize the land at the same time — yes, that way.

Google claims the goats will cost about the same as lawn mowers would. And a border collie named Jen will be brought onto Google’s payroll to help with the herding as well, apparently. No word on how the maintenance workers who previously had this job feel about losing work to goats.

We’ve contacted PETA about the news (the first person I talked to initially chuckled), and they’re going to get back to us with an official comment today.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/01/google-rents-goats-to-replace-lawnmowers-im-not-kidding

[Gail]

LOL Sweet!!!

[GreatLakesGramma]

Good for them! My husband remarked the other day that we should get some sheep. Our son is in charge of lawn mowing, and he hadn't done any yet. The grass was getting pretty long.

As it happens, I have a friend who has sheep. I wrote on her Facebook wall asking if maybe we could borrow a couple of her sheep. She said she thought we could work something out.

LOL! I was only joking, but who knows, maybe son would like to see some sheep out there. Lawnmowers are worse polluters than cars, because there are no emissions laws for them. I hate gas mowers. It makes me sick to be outside, or have windows open when son is mowing.

[carolaa]

It may not be totally altrusitic on Google's part. I think there is some kind of tax deduction corporations take for having livestock on the premises.

[carolaa]

I suppose a tax deduction might depend on whether they are renting the livestock to do a job or they are renting the land out to the livestock owners.

[Tallmark]

I like to lay out in the sun on Sabbath afternoon, and I'm always hearing lawn mowers and leaf blowers going. It drives my wife and I nuts.

[Cosmin M.]

Robert Riley-But the goats are making methane emissions!(Man who proposed the Fart Tax.)

http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20081230165231.aspx

[phkrause]

My neighbors probably hate it when I run my mower, chipper, chainsaw, etc. on sunday. hahaha I try not to do stuff to early! Like not before 7 am. hahahahaha

pk

[GreatLakesGramma]

Robert Riley-But the goats are making methane emissions!

I'm quite sure that no new goats have come into existence simply because someone is using them to cut their lawn. No, the goats were already in this world, but now they are saving the additional pollution of gasoline mower use.

[phkrause]

Close enough to hear a lawnmower, etc. But not that close. The neighbor on my right is about 100', and the neighbor on the left is probably about 500' away. But they can hear that with no problem.

pk

[Woody]

Most Sunday keepers don't keep Sunday ... from what I have observed.

My neighbors kids came over today and offered to mow our lawn for us or help in the yard. They do this frequently. The parents know not to help us on Sabbath. But the young ones forgot. I had to tell them to come tomorrow. But, afterwards .... I felt a little guilty for that since they will be going to church. Oh well.