The people collected the nuts the goats left littered underneath and ground them up to extract the oil. Initially, I lamented the modernization. Moroccan argan oil is made from the seed of the Argania Spinosa (Argan Tree), a native to the Souss-Massa-Drâa region of Morocco and Algeria. What Do The Moroccan Argan Tree And Moroccan Mountain Goat Have In Common? In some parts of Morocco, argan takes the place of the olive as a source of forage, oil, timber, and fuel in Berber society. The tree … If you keen to see the real argan tree goats take the road from Agadir to Essaouira. Goats on and around an argan tree near Taroudannt, Morocco. On another positive note, the goats are engaged in a self-marination process … What Lybbert found is that the economics of argan oil are very complicated, but that participating in the argan oil market tends to make a family richer and presents important opportunities for women and girls. What now? The inner kernel passes through their gut and is excreted, whereupon the Morocans pick it up and crush it for the oil. The inner kernel passes through their gut and is excreted, whereupon the Morocans pick it up and crush it for the oil. . The cooperative salespeople offered us a taste of the raw brown remains post-grinding. The tree reaches heights of 25-30 feet, and has a knobby, twisted trunk that allows for goat climbers. But these Moroccan trees still tend to … They will graze both beneath the tree and up in its aerial leaves. It has a bit of a gritty or maybe I should say chewy taste, earthy, gently sweet, and utterly delicious. While the traditional method allows the goats to processes the nuts first, as this softens the husk, some Berber … The goats have developed the ability to climb up into the argan trees in order to eat the fruit. In the Semi-arid desert regions of Southwest Morocco grow Argania or Argan trees, a very ancient species of trees that date back to the Tertiary period. “This way is harder but the quality is better,” one such worker, Aicha Amsquine, told the Global Post. The timing for the Festival of Roses varies according to the weather, but you’ll get about a month’s advance notice. Shortly after our goats-in-tree sighting, we stopped at a women’s cooperative that employs survivors of abuse in the production of argan oil. Kew’s second Director, Sir Joseph Hooker, had a keen interest in argan trees. The goats eat the argan nuts for the nutritious qualities of the outer nut. Allow a little digression: The focus on tree-climbing goats tends to be on how cute they are (i.e., very), and how interesting it is that something so valuable -- argan has been called the world's most expensive edible oil -- pops out of their behind. "Microlevel evidence suggests that the [argan] boom is benefiting some locals," he writes in his paper, "but it has altered forest exploitation by increasing short-run fruit collection incentives rather than long-run concerns of forest sustainability.". Goats on the Argan tree were a tourist trap that many enjoyed taking its picture to create a sensation and help many media outlets spread fake news. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/tree-goats-of-morocco-argan-oil Nowadays they put the goats up in the trees for the tourists and use an industrial method to extract the oil from the nuts. But, you would think, better for the trees. On our trip to Essaouira, we also came across one tree full of goats and a goat herder collecting money to take pictures of his goats. I understand now why the west uses it in all sorts of cuisine. The goats perform more than a balancing act, though. The goats eat the argan nuts for the nutritious qualities of the outer nut. On the surface, one can see the goats climbing the Argania spinosa commonly known as the argan tree. These days, however, machinery often replaces goats in larger operations, especially those selling argan oil for food. You could easily find a dozen goats standing on the branches of a single tree. Find argan tree goat stock images in HD and millions of other royalty-free stock photos, illustrations and vectors in the Shutterstock collection. Image of eating, balance, tree - 8483961 I had no intention of buying anything when we first stopped, but something about the humanitarian aspect of the cooperative touched me. Some producers remove the flesh mechanically without drying the fruit. Yes, this surprised me, but I wasn’t  astonished. As mentioned, goats love the kernels of the argan trees and constitute a major part of their diet in the region. Tamri goats climbing argan tree with goat herders in the semi desert in Morocco. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. Find the perfect argan tree goats stock photo. Apparently the goats like to feast on the leaves of argan trees and are amazingly able to climb them quite easily. It can be more than entertaining–it can be positively revelatory! Apparently the goats climbed specific trees, Argan trees, mainly found in the southern part of Morocco. After the goats finish eating the fruit and nuts off the tree, they pass valuable clumps of seeds which are then pressed to create the sought-after Argan oil. No need to register, buy now! You've goat to see these billies and does. Required fields are marked *. Apparently the goats like to feast on the leaves of argan trees and are amazingly able to climb them quite easily. Let me be absolutely clear. Find the perfect argan tree goat stock photo. The goats then poop out undigestible seeds -- which are collected, processed and turned into very expensive cosmetics and food. Below, you can see the spout of the stone grinder with the valuable oil dripping into a pot. The Luxurious Poop From These Tree-Climbing Goats Produces Argan Oil. To extract the kernels, workers first dry argan fruit in the open air and then remove the fleshy pulp. Your Argan Tree Goats stock images are ready. The best part of a road trip is getting to know your traveling companions. The oil comes from the nuts of argan trees, and humans aren't the only ones interested in getting a piece of the action. Editor’s note: This is an updated version of a story originally posted on March 17, 2010. They are a thorny evergreen variety that grow in drought-ridden areas…they are hearty. One goat herder had seen the business side of this and turned into an attraction for tourists commuting between Marrakech and Essaouira. Argan oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. The tree is native to southern Morocco, where it grows in open forests up to an altitude of more than 5,000 feet. Argan accounts for between 47 percent and 84 percent of a tree goat's diet, depending on the season. The goats in Morocco's argan forest have an extraordinary skill. And get in touch at arin.greenwood@huffingtonpost.com if you have an animal story to share! Go to Travel Tips to download your copy. They are so eager to munch on argan fruit that, after eating the low-hanging fruit, the goats actually scramble up the spiny trees to reach the higher fruit. Berbers make up about 40% of the population of Morocco and their language constitutes one of three official state languages. The stories you will read here about people who have overcome physical and emotional challenges in order to continue to travel are all individual experiences. It shows the country's famous goats, who climb high into argan trees to eat fruit and leaves. Professor Travis Lybbert, from the University of California, Davis, looked at some of the nerdier aspects of argan oil. . . Fun fact: As much as 84 percent of the goats' diet can be fruit and leaves, according to a study in the journal Small Ruminant Research. Here's how UC Davis put it in a media release: "As households benefit economically, they often purchase more goats. But, if we’d taken the road a little further south toward the Anti-Atlas Mountains and into the lovely Souss Valley, we could have seen forests of argan trees. Goats climb argan trees in order to eat their black olive-like fruits. But the seeds of the argan trees that these goats graze on are about an inch long and a half-inch across — too big for a goat to pass. The cloven-hoofed goats in Morocco only climb one particular type of tree: the Argania spinosa, typically referred to as the argan tree. The Argan tree produces a bitter fruit that looks a bit like an olive, and the goats climb up to 30 feet off the ground to comb the branches to eat them. Photo about Black and white goats in Argan tree, Morocco. The cloven-hoofed goats in Morocco only climb one particular type of tree: the Argania spinosa, typically referred to as the argan tree. In fact, the owner placed the goats we saw in the argan tree on little stands for visitors to photograph, which I obligingly did. Goats on an Argan tree near Taroudannt (Morocco) Dromedar61 (CC BY-SA 3.0) (Jan '17) burkh4rt (Atlas Obscura User) Goats in Argan Nut treen, Morocco seen from the below Elgaard (CC BY-SA 4.0) The company pays the women directly, which allows them the dignity of earning money to provide for their own independence. : argan oil for food food in this region is scarce, the one seemed to the... You would think, better for the trees as their flesh takes on the leaves of argan.... 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