On a rainy Saturday in Platte City, Elizabeth and Ben Parker remove an electric fence to create a larger pasture for their goats.
The Parkers run the North Kansas City branch of Goats on the Go, a national organization that promotes sustainable agriculture using a method called targeted grazing.
Targeted pasture fencing keeps animals such as goats in a specific area so they can eat plants growing there. The goats remove invasive species and vegetation, maintain soil health and accessibility, and contribute to a healthy goat diet.
“We walk the fence every day. We make sure the goats get minerals and salt every day, unless it rains,” Elizebeth Parker said. “We make sure they’re all within the boundaries they need. Maybe we’ll open a new fence so they have more to eat, maybe not.”
Goats on the Go lists five locations in Missouri, serving the St. Joseph, Kansas City, Nevada and St. Louis areas. The goats clear about an acre each week, and locations like the Parkers charge per acre, regardless of how long the job takes.
There are also a few independent goat lawn care companies – Oscar Mike Goats in southwest Missouri, DeShon Target Grazing in central Missouri, and NE Critters Grazers in Springfield and Nixa.
Targeted grazing as a lawn care alternative
Farmers who graze livestock typically prioritize the animal’s overall weight and health. Targeted grazing is a land management tool that can achieve multiple goals, from removing poison ivy from school playgrounds to maintaining pastures where livestock can graze.
Margaret Chamas owns Storm Dancer Farm in Smithville. She is a partner network supporter for Goats on the Go and a livestock viability manager for Practical Farmers of Iowa.
“Not that we’re ignoring the benefits or the impacts on soil, vegetation or anything else, but the main reason (for cattle grazing) is, ‘Let’s have healthy, productive animals,'” Chamas said. “When we do targeted grazing, we ask ourselves, ‘What do we need to do to manage this landscape?’ And the animals are just the tool we use to manage it.”
The Parkers also own a flock of sheep, which they raise and sell for meat. This brings in income, but also means that the flock needs to be expanded.
By entering into targeted grazing with goats, they were able to make profits from their livestock without having to buy a new herd.
“It seemed to me to make much more sense if you put in the same amount of work but don’t have to raise a whole new herd,” said Ben Parker.
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Controlling the growth of invasive plants
In 2007, Glenda DeShon and her family noticed invasive plants overtaking parts of their farm in central Missouri. When they discovered that goats liked to eat some of these plants, such as honeysuckle and autumn olive, the DeShons purchased a herd and became partners with Goats on the Go, which serves the Columbia and Jefferson City areas.
After completing a project at McClung Park in Jefferson City last year, the DeShons split from Goats on the Go and started their own company: DeShon Target Grazing.
DeShon said fall is the ideal time of year for clients to target grazing animals to remove invasive species. Around this time, invasive plants begin sending nutrients from their leaves to the roots, giving the goats an opportunity to combat the spread of the plant.
“They rear up, pull down branches and then break them off,” she added. “Every time we send the goats through, we know they’re doing more damage to this invasive plant.”
In Platte City, the Parkers have struggled financially with their operation this year as seasonal increased rainfall has affected farms across the state. Wet soil conditions can cause foot rot in goats, which significantly slows the goats’ ability to graze.
Although the Parkers have chosen goats as livestock for their targeted grazing, they hope to add sheep to their business in the future. Sheep have shorter legs than goats and are less likely to climb on ground-level equipment such as solar panels. Elizebeth Parker said this would allow the company to expand by providing targeted grazing for solar farms.
Until then, the goats continue to be trained to reach areas inaccessible to humans and to maximize soil productivity by removing unwanted leaves.
“They are acrobats, ninjas, I prefer to call them land piranhas,” said Ben Parker. “Because they do their job very well and are fast for the area they are in.”
This story was originally published by Missouri Business Alerta member of the KC Media Collective.
