Goats Enlisted to Fight Invasive Plants

Rural areas are questioning what to do about invasive species; for Minnesota, the answer is goats.

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by Cari Jorgensen
PHOTO: Paul Esson/Flickr

Have you ever had a run-in with an invasive plant species? Their presence results in what can seem like an endless battle, especially if they are not pulled out when young. And I imagine many of us would prefer to use natural remedies rather than chemical ones. Jake and Amanda Langeslag are utilizing the most natural remedy there is: goats.

The couple’s company, Goat Dispatch, does just what it says in its name: They dispatch goats to various locations to remove invasive plants the best way goats now how, which, of course, is by eating them. The goats are currently at the River Bend Nature Center in Faribault, Minn., where they’re eating away at buckthorn, wild parsnip and Canada thistle.

“I think it’s just a win-win,” Langeslag told Fox9. “The goats are happy. People are happy watching them. We’re getting some work done and it’s a great concept to keep moving.”

Visitors are welcome to watch the goats “work” at the nature center. They’re stationed at the center’s canoe-in campsite area off Dairy Lane, according to the River Bend Nature Center website.

Do you use goats to handle invasive plant species? Would you?

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