[APWG] Goat grazing at a significant scale?

[Lynn Wagner]

As I have done before on this listserve when the topic of goats comes up, I
must always add my two cents (which is perhaps the actual value of my
comments). Speaking from the perspective of a homeowner with eight acres,
as opposed to a land manager with hundreds or thousands, I can say with
confidence that there is a place even for free range goats. When we moved
to our home in WV, the front pasture (roughly 6 acres, about half of which
is in cedar) was overgrown with honeysuckle vines and shrubs, ailanthus,
multiflora rose, etc. Within three years, it became literally unwalkable.
The honeysuckle vines alone were knee- to thigh-deep. We purchased eight
goats, full sized, from a friend. That was four years ago and the
transformation has been astonishing. I did not track what they ate first
and last, and certainly anything of value would have been consumed along
with the invasives. But for an average person on a large piece of infested
land, as far as I'm concerned, goats rock. We sprayed nothing, mowed
nothing. And goats are entertaining. Furthermore, from the standpoint of
human and animal relationships, this is perfect symbiosis. The only job we
gave them was one that came naturally--eat, roam, eat some more. The
dilemma remains, of course, how to plan the future of this land--still an
open question for us. But the alternative to free range goats would have
been enormous amounts of herbicide and more hours that would have been
feasible of pulling, cutting, clearing, etc. Or, continue to let the
invasion go. 

Lynn 


> [Original Message]
> From: Michael Francis <ironraven at zoomshare.com>
> To: Craig Dremann <craig at ecoseeds.com>; <apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>
> Date: 11/30/2005 11:26:38 AM
> Subject: Re: [APWG] Goat grazing at a significant scale?
>
>
> Greetings all and thanks for the interesting commentary on goats.  From
what I have read through your responses, it seems, as I would have guessed,
that there are all of the cautions that one would expect, but perhaps not
the most thorough understanding of the benefits to be derived from goat
grazing and how to manage it to deal with the potential down sides.
>
> First, let me say this...'free range' goats is in no way a responsible
use of grazing for presciptive results.  Herded goats or penned goats is
the only feasible way to ensure the work is done properly, other wise the
goats can be too selective in what they consume and could choose to ignore
the target species.
>
> Second, I would like to describe my own specific results and some of the
literature search results I have found:
>
> We have applied approximately 500 head of goats in a herded situation
specifically to target leafy spurge as well as Russian and spotted
knapweeds in a riparian restoration/mitigation project in SW Colorado.  The
project area is about 1,100 acres along the La Plata River.
>
> The treatment is showing amazing promise, so much so that I have formed a
personal business to facilitate grazing on a much larger scale.  We have
seen spurge removed from the detectable herbaceous canopy layer in
prescription areas, 100% of forming knapweed seedheads removed and leaves
stripped to nothing, leaving only rosettes that are perfect for fall
herbicide applications.
>
> Our data crunching is still not complete but the potential benefits for
large-scale application is obvious.  The research out there supports what I
have found.
>
> When I suggest a large-scale effort, I am talking about getting to the
point of around 100 herds operating independently across the west, each
under specific herding so that overgrazing is prevented.  And the real
kicker is that this can be a no-cost service and treat many hundreds of
thousands of acres each year.  Perhaps millions of acres.
>
> Now, to talk about is it inherently wrong to use grazing where over
grazing was the problem that started it all.  I'm sure all of you
understand that our native ecosystems developed under grazing pressure. 
Our invasive species often come from places where their native grazers help
to balance their pplace in the landscape.  It does make common sense that
putting grazers that are capable of controlling our target weeds in place
to help us restore ecosystem 'balance'.
>
> I in no way advocate goats as a silver bullet to eradicate weeds, but as
part of a landscape-wide toll in an integrated approach, with herbicides,
cultural changes, and other tools, it could make an enormouos difference. 
Imagine if you will the economic engine behind the beef industry supporting
weed control.  The goat market has a very similar economic potential and is
a vastly more sustainable enterprise due to thier managebility and the
polasticity in their diet.
>
> The mere fact that goat grazing, done at scale, can pay for itself should
catch yourt interest.  The way to do it will be the topic of much
discussion I am certain, but with carefully controlled HERDED and not
free-range applications, we could make enormous inroads, particularly in
knapweed and spurge control.  Imagine the reduction of knapweed and spurge
seed production reduced to effectively 0 across many thousands of infested
acres and repeating the process for 5 years.  
>
> Food for thought.  If you would like to talk more about it, I'm all ears.
>
> Thanks, 
>
> Michael Francis
> Program Manager
> "Get Your Goat!" (TM) Program.
>
> _______________________________________________
> APWG mailing list
> APWG at lists.plantconservation.org
>
http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconserva
tion.org
>
> Disclaimer                                                                
> Any requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the
opinion of the individual posting the message.