With the holiday season at an end, those looking to recycle their natural Christmas trees can do so by feeding them to goats.
For the third year, Urban Growers Collective, a woman and Black-owned and led farm, will collect Christmas trees to feed to their nine Nigerian pygmy goats at its South Chicago farm, 9001 S. Mackinaw Ave.
“This is a good way for the community to get rid of their Christmas trees, help the goats and also help us grow our food,” said Brandon Gutierrez of Urban Growers Collective.
The farm grows an array of fruits, vegetables, herbs and other plants at eight farms across the city.
But at its South Chicago location, the goats are “essential” to their growing process.
The urban farm brought the animals on-site in 2017 to help with the composting process. The goats’ manure is used as fertilizer to grow the produce.
Goats will often feed on leftover produce and weeds in the warmer months, but in the winter, their main nutrition comes from hay.
Christmas trees offer the goats a special treat for after the holiday season.
The goats feed off of the pine needles, bark and branches that are loaded with vitamins A and C.
“Pine needles are healthy for them, for their gut health and also they’re beneficial for their skin and hair around this time of year,” Gutierrez said.
Tees also keep the goats physically active, as they use the branches to scratch their coats and push the trunks around with their horns.
The tree donation program was created to offer an eco-friendly way to dispose of Christmas trees.
“So many Christmas trees end up in the garbage or in landfills,” Gutierrez said. “Here we make sure to use all parts of the tree.”
What the goats don’t eat will be used as firewood or mulch for compost piles, Gutierrez said.
More than 65 trees have been dropped off at the farm so far, but the organization hopes to collect enough to feed the goats through the winter.
“They eat about three a day, and I think we might have enough to last until next month,” Gutierrez said.
Residents who drop off their trees will also have an opportunity to step into the farm and pet the goats, he said.
Trees will be collected through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.