Farmed out: Animals become part of businesses’ ‘green’ plans

By Tara Ramsey Sometimes it takes a goat to do a man’s job. At least that’s what agricultural entrepreneur Ron Searcy is hoping. Searcy and his wife, Cheryl, care for 300 goats at Wells Farms in Horse Shoe, N.C., about 15 miles from Asheville. After clearing out overgrowth and brush on 25 acres of his property, as well as land for two friends, Searcy realized there was an untapped business opportunity by harnessing the goats’ appetite for brush. He began his weed-abatement venture in August 2007. Now his goats are featured in YouTube videos and he is scheduling jobs into 2011. Searcy’s goats have also been put to work in the Charlotte area.

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