'Great source of nutrients': Local farmers using donated Christmas trees to feed goats

KITCHENER -

As the needles begin to fall off peoples natural Christmas trees, some are asking for the plants to be donated to help feed or protect animals.

The Rodrigues Farm is asking people to drop off their leftover Christmas trees at their Ayr property so they can be used as food for their goats.

“It’s a really great source of nutrients for them, particularly in winter when there's not as much green stuff for them to eat outside," said Sarah Rodrigues, co-owner of Rodrigues Farm. "It's also a natural dewormer, so it saves on sort of medications and stuff."

According to Rodrigues, the goats eat almost every piece of the tree.

“Including the bark, most of the branches down to the stump," she said. "Then what we do is we mulch the stumps for bedding for the chicken coop and the goat shed."

Growing Hope Farms in Cambridge is also accepting Christmas trees. They also have goats that eat them, but other animals enjoy snacking on them as well.

“Pigs will nibble on them a little bit, the sheep will, the other ones will eat them a little bit,” said Sarah Martin-Mills, owner of Growing Hope Farm.

Matin-Mills said that, over the years, nurseries have even dropped off some of their extra plants.

“We’ll kind of only give a few to the goats at a time," she said. "We’ll shove a few over the fence, they'll demolish them, and then we kind of space it out over the winter.”

Both farmers say the trees can be dropped at the front of their properties at any time. They will ensure the animals get them.

According to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, those that can't recycle or drop off their tree can leave it in the backyard.

“What you're doing is offering another option, another habitat option for birds that might be overwintering in your neighbourhood,” said Jensen Edwards, spokesperson for the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

According to Edwards, by spring, the needles should be gone, smaller branches can be placed in the garden, and holes can be drilled in the trunk while it continues to decompose.

“Allows more critters in there, allows more air in there and more water to help that decomposition process,” he said.​