Goats were one of the first animals to be domesticated by humans, about 9,000 years ago. They're used all over the world as a way to curb weeds and poison ivy.

Very interesting example of  creative cost cutting :using goats to munch on weeds at Washington's Congressional Cemetery is novel.

A herd of 100 goats has been hired to graze at the perimeter of the privately-owned national landmark that is home to the final resting place of the likes of FBI founding director J Edgat Hoover and Elbrige Gerry and has been the site of funerals for presidents John Quincy Adams, Zachary Taylor and William Henry Harrison. The 14 hectare property, founded in the 1800s, contains the remains of over 65,000 souls include 200 Members of Congress and their families.

The goats had been taken there for a mission. Over the next week, the goats are supposed to eat more than an acre?s worth of poison ivy and English ivy, which are imperiling the historic cemetery?s trees and endangering the gravestones.

But before the goats could step off their trailer and get to work, they had to face another form of invasive species that crops up in the nation?s capital on slow news days in August: reporters, armed with cameras, tripods and microphones, and dressed more appropriately for live stand-ups outside a courthouse than for live stand-ups with goats.

As the reporters cleared the way, the goats strode into the woods, biting their way through morning glory, honeysuckle, poison ivy and other vines. For the cemetery, the $4,400-a-week cost of employing the could solve an expensive problem.

The more ivy smothers the trees, the heavier the trees get and the more susceptible they are to crashing down, which could damage gravestones. The ivy?s leaves also can interfere with the trees? photosynthesis, killing them.

The Goat Gorgefest is the latest tactic in the cemetery?s effort to upgrade its image. Until at least the late 1980s, the cemetery was overrun with weeds, dead trees and drug users.

This is  trying to prevent invasive species from eating the trees and having them fall on the historic headstone.  Cemetry?s eco friendly pest control team doesn't want to utilize chemicals, due to its riverside location The goats will be munching on vines, poison ivy and dense vegetation. The hungry goats are a cheaper , less toxic way and green alternative to pesticides .

The herd who are capable of eating up to seven-foot high vines cost the cemetery around $4400 for six days work which is a eco-friendly bargain.

It seems  it's actually an ancient custom.

The cemetery isn't the first to use animals as a cheap and chemical free way to get rid of overgrowth or high grass. The city of Paris this year began using sheep this year to trim the grass outside their municipal archive building.

It's certainly an interesting idea