NOBLESVILLE — The calendar might say 2026 now, but for the herd of goats at Happy Goat Lucky Acres in Noblesville, it feels like Christmas on repeat.
"Their most favorite time of year is after Christmas, because they get all the Christmas trees," said Jordan Stevens.
Stevens owns the farm, which houses 18 goats.
The farm is currently asking the public to drop off their real Christmas trees and wreaths, as the goats find them delicious.
"They pretty much eat all of it," Stevens described. "They'll strip the bark and eat the pine needles off of it, basically all of it until it's bare."
Eating the trees is also good for the goats, as they are a natural dewormer.
Where did the idea come from to ask the public for their trees?
"I just saw it on Facebook one time, another goat farm asking for them," Stevens shared. "And I'm like, 'Why are we not doing that?'"
The farm is happy to take your real trees - as long as they didn't come from a big box store.
"They tend to be sprayed with a fire retardant or a pesticide," Stevens said. "That could be very harmful to them. So we only accept locally-grown trees."
If your tree fits the criteria, and you'd like to donate it, you can message the farm on the Happy Goat Lucky Yoga Facebook page.
What can you do if you don't live close enough to this Noblesville farm to drop off your tree?
"Reach out to any local livestock goat farms that are around," Stevens suggested. "They might even ask their local chatter group on social media or Nextdoor, and see if any farms are interested in taking the trees."
Many communities have programs that turn Christmas trees into mulch, which can help create habitat for wildlife.
One of these programs is the Holiday Tree Recycling Day in Carmel on Friday, January 9.
"This is a great opportunity for local sustainability within Carmel Parks," said Sean Sluyter with Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation. "We're able to be within our own community and bring these trees back and to use them within the Carmel Parks community."
The event will happen at Central Park West, in the Westermeier Commons area (by the playground) from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Cars can pull into the parking lot, and volunteers will help unload your tree.
The trees will be used to make mulch, which will be used in the parks and trails once the ground starts to thaw.
"It's also great for our little creature friends that live in and around our trees," Sluyter said. "Getting the amphibians and bugs a place to stay warm."
You can find more information about the program here.
Back in Noblesville, the Stevens and their herd of goats are happy for any amount of trees this January.
"They'll eat them fairly quickly, so we go through quite a few pretty quickly," Jordan Stevens laughed. "We're just grateful to get whatever we get, and if it ends up being a big turnout, we're really excited, but if we only get a few, we're just happy that they at least have a little bit of a treat this time of year."
