Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Using Goats, Not Chemicals, to Kill Weeds
Bend Bulletin ^ | March 15. 2010 | Kimberly Bowker

Posted on 03/16/2010 12:53:59 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Hundreds of goats browse through a field, nibbling and foraging through the available fare. These aren't just any goats, though — they are the work force of Lariat Ranch Ecological Ser- vices.

The business, based in Powell Butte, owns nearly 400 head of Spanish Boer and San Clemente goats. The goats' job is to pursue their love of eating. Their tastes include noxious weeds found on the High Desert, such as medusahead, hemlock and Russian thistle.

Lariat Ranch is the only prescribed grazing company in Central Oregon. Prescribed grazing is a green way to clear fields without using chemical herbicides. A certain number of goats are placed in a fenced area and eat the noxious weeds that have overtaken the normal ecosystem.

Noxious weeds are non-native, invasive and sometimes toxic plants that easily seed and destroy the natural ecosystem. Nationally, it's estimated that invasive weeds are taking over 4,600 acres of land every day, or 1.5 million acres a year, according to research conducted by the University of Idaho.

“Noxious weeds are up there with global warming and depletion of water,” said Rachel Jones, 35, owner of the company. “This is actually a huge deal, but it's on the back burner because people don't understand that we are losing our native habitat.”

Lariat Ranch incorporated as a business last year after the Central Oregon Irrigation District approached Jones and her husband, Doug Muck, 44, to experiment with prescribed grazing on a small piece of land next to an irrigation canal.

“I like to experiment with all methods of noxious weed treatment,” said Larry Roofener, COID operations manager. “That includes chemical application, mowing and biological methods that I would consider the goat operation to be.”

(Excerpt) Read more at bendbulletin.com ...


TOPICS: Agriculture; Business/Economy; Gardening
KEYWORDS: chemicals; globalwarming; globalwarmingscare; goats; junkscience; methane; weeds
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-46 last
To: DuncanWaring

Goats are actually QUITE good at weed control. But I don’t entirely agree with the article. If I remember correctly, milkweed is toxic to goats, as is hemlock. But they’ll try ANYTHING once! We have at least two every spring that we have to treat for bloat because they ate too much of something “new” and green. :-)


41 posted on 03/16/2010 7:54:35 PM PDT by hiredhand (Understand the CRA and why we're facing economic collapse - see my about page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
Uh, seeds have a certain property.....

After passing through the disgetive tract, and when they "fall to the ground."...they germinate.

Presto! More weeds.

42 posted on 03/16/2010 8:01:09 PM PDT by stboz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JustaDumbBlonde

Now the more important question. How does kudzu-fed goat compare in taste with commerical after proper barbecuing? :)


43 posted on 03/17/2010 8:18:21 AM PDT by chesley (Lib arguments are neither factual, logical, rational, nor reasonable. They are, however, creative.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: JustaDumbBlonde

Actually, come to think of it, kudzu is edible by humans, and, I think, is eaten by them in Asia, from whence it came.


44 posted on 03/17/2010 12:49:48 PM PDT by chesley (Lib arguments are neither factual, logical, rational, nor reasonable. They are, however, creative.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: chesley

It is eaten deep fried every year at the Kudzu Festival in Waxhaw, NC.


45 posted on 03/17/2010 12:57:05 PM PDT by csmusaret (Sarah Palin thinks everyday in America is the 4th of July. Obama thinks it is April 15th.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: chesley
"Actually, come to think of it, kudzu is edible by humans, and, I think, is eaten by them in Asia, from whence it came."

The leaves are indeed edible, but not all that tasty and rather tough. Kudzu starch from the roots is highly coveted in Asian cooking and is pretty pricey when you can find it in a specialty store. Personally, I'll stick with arrowroot starch from Penzeys (far superior to corn starch).

No kidding though, goats love kudzu and are very good at controlling it. You would need to supplement their diet, however, to keep the critters in optimum health.

46 posted on 03/17/2010 1:37:33 PM PDT by JustaDumbBlonde (Don't wish doom on your enemies. Plan it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-46 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson