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Invasive buckthorn meets its match in Brainerd goat herd
About 60 goats are clearing invasive buckthorn, and officials say the herd should remain at the park until mid-October.
- About 60 goats are grazing at Rotary Riverside Park in Brainerd this summer to mitigate invasive buckthorn, with the herd expected to remain on-site until mid-October.
- Melissa Barrick, district manager for the Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District, said the project is part of the Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Grant Restoration with Great River Greening and the City of Brainerd.
- Joe Eitenmiller, co-owner of Brainerd Lakes Goats, uses a mix of meat and dairy goats to browse dense buckthorn mats; dairy goats reach higher vegetation while meat goats consume more volume.
- Eitenmiller plans to clear 9 acres of vegetation; after the goats finish, he will cut and treat remaining buckthorn with brush saws to ensure complete eradication.
- Goats digest buckthorn seeds in their four stomach compartments, rendering seeds non-viable and preventing germination for up to two years, extending the restoration benefit beyond the grazing season.
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14 Articles
14 Articles
Duluth News Tribune+12 Reposted by 12 other sources
Invasive buckthorn meets its match in Brainerd goat herd
Dozens of goats are working over the summer at Rotary Riverside Park to help reduce buckthorn.
·Cherokee County, United States
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Total News Sources14
Leaning Left1Leaning Right5Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
C 50%
R 42%
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