Need to get rid of your Christmas tree? Giving it to goats is one option in Centre County
With the holidays over, many are now left to figure out how to discard their Christmas trees. One Centre County farm has a unique solution — feed them to the goats.
For the past four years, Whitetail Lane Farm in State College has been taking donations of old Christmas trees to feed its 14 goats.
“They enjoy eating them, it’s kind of like a treat for them,” said Nathan Cunningham, who runs the farm along with his wife Jamie.
The Cunninghams discovered the goats’ fondness for pine needles while using the animals to clear sections of forest for pasture. They started using the goats to recycle their own Christmas trees nine years ago, slowly accepting old trees from friends and then opening the offer up to the community.
They usually receive around 15 to 20 trees a year and have received close to 15 already. Although the goats love the dry pine trees, the offer doesn’t last forever.
The drier the trees get, the less interested the goats are, Cunningham said. He expects they’ll stop accepting trees next week.
The farm is full for pickup requests, but donations can still be made by dropping trees off at the farm. Private message the farm’s Facebook page for more details.
Other ways to recycle your tree
State College will pick up Christmas trees for residents Monday through Friday until Jan. 14, as long as trees are free of decorations and are placed with trunks to the curb.
After Jan. 14, residents must submit a request for pickup on SeeClickFix. Trees will not be picked up Monday, Jan. 17 due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day but will resume Jan. 24.
Recycling for residential customers in Benner, College, Ferguson, Harris and Patton townships will start on Jan. 18 and continue until Jan. 22. Trees must be on the curb by 7 a.m. on the township collection day, according to the Centre Region Council of Governments.
All decorations and lights must be removed and trees over 6 feet must be cut in half. Trees must also be free of ice and snow, so the COG recommends storing them in a covered location or under a tarp.
More than 18 tons of trees are usually recycled through the COG’s collection, anywhere from 12 to 15 truckloads, according to their website.
Recycled trees will be chipped into mulch for landscaping use, said Amy Schirf, education coordinator for Centre County Refuse and Recycling Authority.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 8:25 AM.