When Karissa MacGregor tells people she hires out goats for a living, the reactions are pure gold. “I certainly love the stir we cause when people realise Goat Hire is a real thing!” she laughs.

But it’s not a gimmick. Hunter Valley Goat Hire is a purpose-driven, paddock-to-people business that’s saving animals’ lives, clearing land, and turning curious looks into loyal customers.

Karissa’s quirky-but-clever operation has been giving unwanted baby goats–or bucklings- a second shot at life. Based in the Hunter Valley, NSW, she and her crew of rescued goats are tackling weeds and overgrowth across the region, from backyard jungles to rural fire zones.

“We rescue, hand raise, and train baby goats to become vegetation munchers,” she explains. “We hire the goats out to eat down problem weeds where machines or poisons just aren’t the right solution.”

The business has become a hit with a diverse bunch of clients. Everyone, from farmers and councils to property owners and government agencies, has taken up the service. If it’s overgrown, Karissa’s goats are up for the job.

From fire risk to lightbulb moment

Like so many good ideas, the goat hire concept was born out of necessity (and maybe a cheeky glass of wine).

“I was looking for a solution to my own property issues. Our place was too steep for machines, and it was a massive fire risk,” Karissa says.

A bit of Googling revealed that goat hire is big business in the US. Yet here in Australia, there wasn’t much to go on. Around the same time, she and her family had rescued some unwanted baby cows from a dairy farm.

“They were boys and were going to be killed because they were of no use to the farmer.”

That got Karissa thinking: What happens to baby goats in the dairy industry?

The answer broke her heart.

“I had a bit of a brain wave over a beverage or two and wondered if I could create my own herd by saving some baby goats and letting them eat down our hills. And when they were done… maybe I could hire them out, like in the States.”

So she reached out to every local dairy goat farm she could find, offering to take in the unwanted bucklings.

“At first, only one producer trusted us. But now we have six local breeders who let us take their babies at birth. We’ve saved over 120 babies in the three years since we began.”

A woman with a mission

While the goat hire side of the business is booming, Karissa says the real heart of the operation is the rescue side.

“There was the obvious gap of no goat hire businesses in the area, but more importantly, the business gave us the opportunity to save the baby goats. That’s become our primary motivation.”

These days, Karissa is as much a goat mum as she is a land clearer. She raises every goat herself, teaching them how to eat well, behave politely, and do their job before sending them off to a new patch of paddock to work their magic.

Her goats aren’t just functional. They’re famous. Locals light up when they see them at community events, and the goats have become minor celebrities on social media.

“We go to as many events as possible while they’re still babies, to promote our work and raise awareness.”

From nurse unit manager to goat wrangler

Before she was knee-deep in cloven hooves and overgrown lantana, Karissa was an emergency department Nurse Unit Manager.

“I’ve been a registered nurse for over 20 years,” she says. But eventually, the goats won her over, and the bush called louder than the beeps of hospital monitors.

Now, she works full-time in the business, trading high-stress shifts for gumboots and goat cuddles.

“I love the work-life balance I have now. It’s completely changed my life.”

It’s even rubbed off on her kids. “Probably my proudest moment is seeing my two adult daughters go from city slickers to goat herders! One’s a police officer, the other’s an architect, but they come home all the time to help with hoof care, drenching and tagging. It’s the dirty work, but they love it.”

The highs, the hurdles  and the goat maths

Like any small business owner, Karissa faced her fair share of head-scratchers.

“Learning to quote for a job with so many variables and not many precedents was hard! I underquoted a lot in the early days, but I just kept learning from what the goats taught me.”

And then there’s the fun of tax.

“BAS, GST, depreciation. It was all daunting. I did heaps of research and asked friends for help.”

But despite the spreadsheets and the goat stink, she says it’s all been worth it.

“It’s nice to know I can make a living doing what I love. It’s also great to contribute to communities that know us and who love the goats.”

The goat effect

Hunter Valley Goat Hire has started a movement. Karissa’s been helping other goat hire businesses launch, sharing her lessons learned and offering support.

“We’ve also begun helping others get up and running by sharing our ways of working.”

She’s partnered with Central Coast Goats, run by fellow goat whisperer Denny.

“We started around the same time and have helped each other with lessons learned, social media shoutouts, goat gifting and customer referrals when it’s out of our ‘patch’.”

Another unique collaboration is with Red Frog for Families, an allied health business that supports young people.

“Our work together enables participants to spend time in nature with our animals. It promotes learning and confidence in a way that’s positive for both the person and the animals.”

When they’re not out munching weeds, most of Karissa’s goats live on the Red Frog farm. “We care for them in partnership when they’re not out working.”

The future of Hunter Valley Goat Hire

Karissa’s got her eyes on the bigger picture. She wants to train up more people to run goat hire businesses of their own.

“Raising and training little herds is something I’m uniquely good at and really enjoy,” she says.

With support from the DPI and Local Land Services, she’s ready to help others grow their own flocks, build sustainable businesses and make an impact just like she has.

And being named a finalist in Kochie’s Regional Heroes? That’s the icing on the cake.

“It feels like what we are doing, as small as it may look sometimes, is actually making an impact in the wider world.”

Her advice for other regional founders?

“Do your research, ask for help, be courageous, and make sure you’re doing something you love.”

Because if you’re going to get up every day to feed baby goats and chase them around the bush, you better be passionate about it. And Karissa? She’s all in.

Find out more about hunter valley goat hire on their website or follow them on Instagram and Facebook @huntervalleygoathire

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