Goats at Manchester farm snack on Christmas trees

MANCHESTER, CT (WFSB) - Many people are taking down their Christmas trees.

Instead of just getting rid of it, you can donate it to a good cause!

“We saw them toss it in, and the goats all came running, 20 of them eating it and it was gone in five minutes,” said Sheila Martin.

It’s Sheila’s second year going to Aussakita Acres Farm in Manchester to drop off her tree.

“I always just leave my tree in my yard and the town picks it up and recycles it and when I read this, I thought it was great that the goats could use it for food,” Sheila said.

A feast for these goats and other animals too!

Tracy Longoria, owner of the farm, said they’ve been doing this for several years now.

“First and foremost it provides a ton of Vitamin C. It’s actually a natural dewormer for them, so it’s funny it’s not often we get to eat something that’s good for us too. So they do they absolutely love it they strip all the needles off of it, they strip the bark from it, they’ll eat the sap from it,” said Tracy.

There are a couple rules.

“We only take whole trees, no cut up trees, no branches, no wreaths so we just want whole healthy trees,” Tracy said. “It also has to be ornament, hook and tinsel free for the safety of the animals.”

“They get to bring it here so not only are they recycling it for a great cause, they also get to walk the farm, see the animals, that within itself is a joy,” said Tracy.

You can drop the trees off anytime Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. until the end of January.

For more information, click here.

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