Greedy Goats of NWA
Owner: Connie Rieper-Estes
Location: Fayetteville, Ark.
History: “When I was a kid, we never had goats as pets; we had horses. My husband Jason (Estes) and I moved to a 5-acre farm in Fayetteville, Ark. We bought a few goats to clean up the place, especially a 2-acre pasture in the back overrun with honeysuckle and blackberry brambles. I bought three goats to begin with, two Boer meat goats and one that was half Nubian.
“One day while watching TV I saw a short spoof commercial based on a real business. Bored Boers are not a good thing so I spent time researching the business. I learned about containing the goats with net electric fencing, poisonous plants they should avoid and who would be interested in hiring goats. The business opened in April 2015. My first official client saw a flyer at Westwood Gardens in Fayetteville, Ark. I also volunteered the goats for two weeks in June at Wilson Park for the cities Adopt-a-Park program. The press release interested local TV, newspapers and radio. When the Associated Press and National Public Radio picked up the story, it went worldwide.
Products and Services: “Our customer base tends to be people who are interested in a more eco-friendly solution to taming their wild yards or people who just love goats. Pricing is according to the size of land needing clearing and the density of the vegetation. Our goats typically consume 500 square feet per day, and vegetation from 6 feet to 3 inches, that is from above their heads to below their knees. At the moment we are limited to properties within 20 minute radius of our farm. We can only haul about nine goats in our renovated minivan meaning half of the herd has to stay behind, a problem we soon hope to rectify by purchasing the trailer.”
