A goat’s appetite is no joke, as Natalie Feisthauer discovered last week when she enlisted a group of 50 goats to feast on two acres of invasive buckthorn shrubs on her rural Hamilton property. The goats’ efficiency in clearing the buckthorn in just two days far surpassed what Feisthauer and her husband could achieve manually in weeks or even months.
Describing the goats as not only efficient but also delightful and friendly, Feisthauer emphasized their effectiveness in tackling invasive plant species. In recent years, goats have gained popularity in southern Ontario for their ability to eradicate invasive species like buckthorn, phragmites, Manitoba maple, dog strangling vine, vetch, and Canada thistle.
For over ten years, Feisthauer and her husband have been combating the relentless spread of buckthorn on their 10-acre property. Seeking a herbicide-free solution, they partnered with the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) to target areas heavily infested with buckthorn and brought in the eco-herd specialists.
Goats in the City, a goat-rental company from King City, Ont., made their Hamilton debut on Feisthauer’s property, much to the enjoyment of Ian Matthews, the company’s founder. Matthews, a self-proclaimed goat lover, highlighted the goats’ natural instinct to target buckthorn while safeguarding native plants like milkweed.
In addition to their voracious appetite for buckthorn, goats offer a unique advantage in preventing the spread of the invasive plant. Unlike birds and animals that disperse buckthorn seeds through consumption, goats’ digestive systems render the seeds incapable of germination upon excretion, serving as a natural remedy for controlling invasive species.
Drawing on his childhood experiences raising goats in Jamaica, Matthews shared his journey from aspiring mortgage broker to goat advocate. Launched in 2021, Goats in the City has harnessed the goats’ innate friendliness and diverse personalities to address environmental challenges effectively.
Through his passion for goats and commitment to leveraging nature’s solutions, Matthews exemplifies the transformative power of eco-herds in ecological restoration efforts.
