Q: What has 4 stomachs, teeth that continue to grow throughout their life, and poops gold?
A: The compost workers on Governors Island come in a variety of sizes, ages, genders, and….species.
Every summer Earth Matter imports 2 baby goats (kids) from Goodale Farms, a dairy farm in Riverhead Long Island. Our guest workers, Patches and Cream, will assist The Composting Chickens and other E.M. volunteers.
Our rambunctious ruminants are browsers by nature and eat weeds and woody shrubs while wandering about. They eat growth inhibiting suckers developing at the base of trees, daintily nibble food scraps, and are particularly fond of lettuces. They have four chambered stomachs where all sorts of disgusting things go on in order to break down their particular diet of plant fibers. Goats have a reputation of eating anything and everything, but just because they can, does not mean they should. Their diet is strictly monitored to keep their tummies unstressed.
Patches and Cream will “mouth” your shirt tails, jacket cords, pant cuffs, fingers, and anything they can reach, but they have no sharp, piercing incisors; instead they have a thick dental pad that helps them chew plant based food. Goats also have flat teeth that wear down but continuously regrow throughout their lives!
In addition to eating, goats love to climb: onto hay bales, trash cans, picnic tables, and even attempt trees if there are tasty leaves within reach. They also love to poop. Their nitrogen rich manure brings added value to our thermophilic (heated to temps above 131 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 or more consecutive days to eliminate pathogens) compost windrows.
All in all goats are the total package, charming, friendly, hardworking and ever pooping. Come out to the Island and see our krazy kids. They’d love to eat, meet you!