A goat’s hunger is no joke, as Natalie Feisthauer discovered when she enlisted a team of 50 goats to devour two acres of invasive buckthorn shrubs on her rural Hamilton property. The goats efficiently cleared the buckthorn in just two days, a task that would have taken Feisthauer and her husband weeks, if not months, to complete manually.
Describing the goats as more effective than human labor, Feisthauer expressed delight in observing these friendly and adorable creatures at work. Across southern Ontario, goats are increasingly being utilized to combat invasive plant species such as buckthorn, phragmites, Manitoba maple, and others.
For over a decade, Feisthauer and her husband have been battling the relentless spread of buckthorn on their 10-acre property. Seeking a herbicide-free solution, they sought assistance from the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) to address the dense thickets of buckthorn. Goats in the City, a goat-rental company, arrived with a trailer of goats and eagerly tackled the task.
Ian Matthews, the founder of Goats in the City, emphasized the goats’ preference for buckthorn, likening it to candy for them. Not only do the goats selectively target invasive plants, but their digestive process also prevents the spread of buckthorn seeds by rendering them non-viable upon excretion.
Matthews, who owns a total of 126 goats, advocates for utilizing nature to combat invasive species. His passion for goats stems from his childhood in Jamaica, where he cared for goats before pursuing a different career path in Canada. Eventually, his love for goats resurfaced, leading him to establish Goats in the City in 2021.
Each goat, bred to be friendly, possesses a unique personality, making the goat-rental experience both challenging and fascinating for Matthews. The goats not only efficiently clear invasive vegetation but also contribute to preserving native plants, showcasing the ecological benefits of employing these natural landscapers.