'Let's Goat Buffalo' seeking Christmas tree donations for goats
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SPRINGVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) -- A local farm is giving Western New Yorkers the opportunity to donate and feed their Christmas trees to goats.
Let's Goat Buffalo is a unique grazing-based landscaping company and farm located in Springville. There are several different animals on the property, including 30 goats.
Jennifer Zeitler, owner of Let's Goat Buffalo, says eating the green on the trees offers numerous health benefits for the animals.
"As far as nutrients and vitamins, it's huge for us right now because they are used to grazing all summer but right now everything is snow covered," said Zeitler. "Getting that vitamin A, getting the vitamin E that's in the branches, that's really good for them. It's also a worming preventative."
The goats eat several trees every day, with some being consumed in less than 20 minutes. One of the most important aspects of the process is making sure the trees are safe for the goats to eat.
"We want to have trees that are not sprayed with any kind of paint or fake snow," said Zeitler. "You don't want any tinsel or hooks or ornaments left on the tree. So we want a nice, clear tree that's going to keep everybody safe."
Let's Goat Buffalo doesn't stop there. Every single piece of the tree is used in some aspect on the farm.
"As we know, lumber and wood is really expensive," said Zeitler. "But once the goats trim the trees, we're able to use the trunks to build things like fences, we use it for indoor siding, we use it for our ceilings."
On top of it being beneficial for the goats and the environment, Zeitler says it's also a great way to get people out of the winter blues. It's something she looks forward to every year.
"It's a way to see others in the community and kind of think about the planet a little bit," said Zeitler. "Stretch our minds and see how we can take something that we typically think might be garbage and see what can be done with that."
You can drop off your Christmas trees any day of the week at 7512 Genesee Rd., Springville, N.Y., near the mailbox in the front.
Let's Goat Buffalo is also offering free open house dates where you can drop off your trees and meet some of the farm animals. Those will take place on Jan. 5 and Jan. 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here.