When You Think You’re Done…

Just when we thought the grazing season was over — the animals were home, the pastures were settling in for fall, and I was ready to catch my breath — we got another call.

“One more job,” they said.

And honestly, it was supposed to be a quick one — maybe three to five days tops. But around here, quick jobs have a funny way of turning into something bigger.

The Grazing That Grew

We packed up the fencing and headed out to this new residential location to set things up. Before we even had the first line of fence staked in, the neighbors started showing up. One by one, they wandered over — curious, excited, and full of questions. Everyone wanted to know what we were doing and how they could get their own goats and sheep to clean up their properties.

By the time we finished setting up that first site, we had two more jobs booked from neighboring yards. The next morning, we loaded up the crew — goats, sheep, gear, and all — and took them out to start grazing.

And would you believe it? After just one day on the job, we already got another request from down the street.

That’s four jobs in the same neighborhood — four different properties all wanting eco-friendly, chemical-free land management, and a week or two of happy goats and sheep as their backdrop. That's a win-win in my book.

A Change of Plans (and Heart)

So while I thought I was winding down the season — preparing to bring everyone home for cozy fall nights and a well-earned winter break — the plans changed. And that’s perfectly fine by me.

The people have spoken. And they love what we do.

Wooly Green Grazers and I specialize in sustainable land management — tackling phragmites, willow, buckthorn, and just about anything else our crew can reach. Seeing communities get excited about natural grazing makes every bit of the hard work worth it.

The Hardest (and Best) Part of Hobby Farming

I’ll admit, it feels strange not having the goats and sheep home right now. The pastures seem a little too quiet without their bleats and baas echoing across the property.

Raising and caring for them isn’t easy — it’s early mornings, late nights, and constant worry, even when you’ve got solid livestock management practices in place. But they’re not just animals to us. They’re family.

They bring us laughter, chaos, and a whole lot of joy. And every time we share them with others — whether through grazing jobs, birthday parties, or just letting a neighbor stop by for a visit — I’m reminded how lucky we are to do what we do.

So, while the season may have stretched a little longer than planned, it’s ending on the perfect note — with goats in the sunshine, neighbors smiling, and another community embracing eco-friendly farming right in their own backyards.

And that’s the kind of “busy” I’ll take any day.