Western Quebec goats get old Christmas trees as tasty holiday treat

Jennifer Madore and Pierre Faucher have come up with a unique way to repurpose discarded Christmas trees in Luskville, Quebec: by feeding them to hungry goats at a farm in Wakefield. What started as a small initiative in 2019 has now grown into an annual tradition for the couple.

Madore initially got the idea to feed Christmas trees to goats after realizing that the animals could consume conifers. Since then, she and Faucher have been collecting trees from their neighbors and delivering them to the Apple Road goat farm in Wakefield. This year, they plan to collect 80 trees, meticulously planning their route based on a color-coded notebook filled with names and addresses.

The goats at the farm eagerly devour the evergreens, with Madore describing their feeding frenzy as akin to piranhas attacking their prey. In a video filmed at the farm last year, Nubian goats could be seen eagerly nibbling on the saplings, leaving behind bare skeletons stripped of needles, bark, and smaller branches.

Madore and Faucher undertake the tree collection and delivery on their own time, finding joy in witnessing the goats’ enthusiasm for the unique treat. The goats’ owner has even gifted Madore goat milk soap as a token of appreciation for providing the animals with fresh food during the winter months.

Neighbors like Stan Cain and Bonnie Corriveau are happy to participate in the initiative, seeing it as a perfect example of localism and recycling. Cain appreciates the circular economy aspect of the project, where the trees are locally sourced, fed to the goats, and then their droppings enrich the soil.

Corriveau, on the other hand, finds joy in giving her Christmas tree a happy ending by feeding it to the goats instead of disposing of it curbside. She believes that this practice enhances the overall experience of having a Christmas tree and looks forward to participating again next year.

Overall, the Christmas tree feeding initiative not only benefits the goats at the farm but also promotes community engagement, sustainability, and a sense of environmental responsibility among the residents of western Quebec. It’s a heartwarming way to end the year and start the new one on a positive note.