Last month in "April Fools' . . . Not: Weed-Whacking Goats Are for Real," we wrote about a decision by the Town of Hempstead, in Nassau County, New York, to buy five Nigerian Dwarf goats to help rid the Long Island town's 50-acre Norman J. Levy Park & Preserve preserve of mugwort, bulrushes, and other unwanted growth.

Using grazing goats for landscaping work will now likely have a much higher profile, as search-engine giant Google is using a hired herd of 200 goats to clear weeds and brush from its Mountain View, California, headquarters. Posting on the company's official blog, Dan Hoffman, director of real estate and workplace services, wrote, "This spring we decided to take a low-carbon approach: Instead of using noisy mowers that run on gasoline and pollute the air, we've rented some goats from California Grazing to do the job for us." (The photo shows some California Grazing goats.) The cost is about the same as using power equipment, according to Hoffman. Read more about Google's green efforts at its facilities.

If you're not yet ready to abandon your outdoor power equipment and tend to a herd of goats, check out our buyer's guides to mowers/tractors and string trimmers. And read our May 2009 report on mowers and tractors (report and ratings available to subscribers).—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter