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Goats Munch Their Way to Invasive Plant Removal Success
10 Nov
Summary
- Goats clear 2 acres of invasive buckthorn in 2 days
- Goats are more efficient than manual removal by landowners
- Goats preserve native plants like milkweed while eating buckthorn
As of November 10, 2025, rural Hamilton property owner Natalie Feisthauer has found a unique solution to her ongoing battle with invasive buckthorn shrubs - a team of 50 goats. Last week, Feisthauer hired the goats from the Goats in the City company to clear 2 acres of dense buckthorn on her 10-acre property, a task that would have taken her and her husband weeks or even months to accomplish manually.
The goats proved highly efficient, clearing the 2-acre area in just 2 days. "They're so much more efficient than we could ever be," Feisthauer remarked, adding that the goats were "a joy" to watch as they munched through the buckthorn. Across southern Ontario, property owners, conservation authorities, and municipalities have increasingly turned to these "eco-herds" to tackle a variety of invasive plant species, including phragmites, Manitoba maple, dog strangling vine, and Canada thistle.
Goats in the City founder Ian Matthews, who is also writing a book about his experiences, explained that buckthorn is like "candy" for the goats, who seek it out while carefully avoiding important native plants like milkweed. Additionally, the goats' digestive process damages the seeds of the buckthorn, preventing them from spreading further. "Our idea is to use nature to cure nature," Matthews said.
