MONTICELLO - When Kim Hunter of Browntown lost her horse of 23 years, she decided the best way to be able to purchase a new one would be to stop traveling around the country and instead move in with her parents, who had at the time in the early 2000s just purchased 6.5 acres of land in Kenosha County.
"They had a lot of weeds," Hunter said. "I was out there cutting them by hand, and I thought 'ugh, this is not working well.'"
Then the idea came to her: goats. Having traveled to a variety of farm events and met people from other states, such as Arkansas, Hunter knew some people in western states used goats to clear tough brambles and woody weeds as well as grass.
After some research, she looked to acquire Spanish goats but couldn't find any. So in her initial year, she took in three pygmy goats and eventually found a Spanish goat as well, learning to breed and graze goats after taking on another 15 goats. Beginning by offering services to neighbors, she later founded Green Goats in 2007.
Recently, her services were hired by Mike Rufener, owner of Valley View Farm, a conservation farm on Burr Oak Lane in rural Monticello. Rufener said when he learned about Green Goats, he contacted Hunter in order to clean up acres and acres of pasture that was no longer home to the dairy cattle he milked for 40 years or the beef cattle and horses he raised. Because his well is at the bottom of sloping land, chemicals are not a good option. Rufener said he felt people should know there are other options than the conventional poisons used to kill overgrowth.
"You try to leave your land better than you found it," Rufener said. "I firmly believe you don't own the land in the first place, because when you die, you can't bury it with you. So you pass it on. Hopefully you pass it on in better shape than when you got it."
The goats - a total of 60 grazed at Valley View last week - can cover up to 300 square feet per day, depending on what they can reach, Hunter said. She said the animals will primarily hunt out thistles or buckthorn first, which amused Rufener as he watched the animals work.
"It's kind of interesting to see when they go in there," Rufener said. "The first thing they do is try to get the high stuff instead of getting the grass. It's funny that way, that they want the high stuff first."
In areas where the goats had already feasted, woody vines only remained high up on the silo and in groups of trees. Hunter said they would likely take two weeks to graze all of the area. The primary function of using goats to rid the area of unwanted plants is to avoid safety concerns and to eliminate invasive species.
"It's miserable to clear," Hunter said. "It takes a lot longer if you do this with people."
The goat grazer takes great pride in her herd, which she said have similar personalities to dogs. Each animal has a name, from black-and-white dotted Domino to his sister Checkers. A cream-colored goat who likes to rear up on her hind legs and reach for the highest buckthorn goes by Tiny Dancer and can usually be found with her son Elton John. The first black-and-white goat born - and the 42nd overall - was named Jackie Robinson. Some of the goats would prefer to spend time in the house with her, Hunter said. One can even open the back door and is regularly found lounging in front of the television.
Hunter highlighted the importance of multispecies grazing in pasture areas. She said the best method would be to allow goats to graze in the same area as cows, allowing for both animals to clear vegetation naturally. Especially in areas where cattle are kept because they will ignore some plants, which then take over the pasture. Rufener stressed the importance of allowing animals to spend time in the field, which he believes leads to healthier cows overall.
"Goats are very good for creating grasslands," Hunter said. "Nature will take care of a lot of things if you just work with her instead of against her."
"They had a lot of weeds," Hunter said. "I was out there cutting them by hand, and I thought 'ugh, this is not working well.'"
Then the idea came to her: goats. Having traveled to a variety of farm events and met people from other states, such as Arkansas, Hunter knew some people in western states used goats to clear tough brambles and woody weeds as well as grass.
After some research, she looked to acquire Spanish goats but couldn't find any. So in her initial year, she took in three pygmy goats and eventually found a Spanish goat as well, learning to breed and graze goats after taking on another 15 goats. Beginning by offering services to neighbors, she later founded Green Goats in 2007.
Recently, her services were hired by Mike Rufener, owner of Valley View Farm, a conservation farm on Burr Oak Lane in rural Monticello. Rufener said when he learned about Green Goats, he contacted Hunter in order to clean up acres and acres of pasture that was no longer home to the dairy cattle he milked for 40 years or the beef cattle and horses he raised. Because his well is at the bottom of sloping land, chemicals are not a good option. Rufener said he felt people should know there are other options than the conventional poisons used to kill overgrowth.
"You try to leave your land better than you found it," Rufener said. "I firmly believe you don't own the land in the first place, because when you die, you can't bury it with you. So you pass it on. Hopefully you pass it on in better shape than when you got it."
The goats - a total of 60 grazed at Valley View last week - can cover up to 300 square feet per day, depending on what they can reach, Hunter said. She said the animals will primarily hunt out thistles or buckthorn first, which amused Rufener as he watched the animals work.
"It's kind of interesting to see when they go in there," Rufener said. "The first thing they do is try to get the high stuff instead of getting the grass. It's funny that way, that they want the high stuff first."
In areas where the goats had already feasted, woody vines only remained high up on the silo and in groups of trees. Hunter said they would likely take two weeks to graze all of the area. The primary function of using goats to rid the area of unwanted plants is to avoid safety concerns and to eliminate invasive species.
"It's miserable to clear," Hunter said. "It takes a lot longer if you do this with people."
The goat grazer takes great pride in her herd, which she said have similar personalities to dogs. Each animal has a name, from black-and-white dotted Domino to his sister Checkers. A cream-colored goat who likes to rear up on her hind legs and reach for the highest buckthorn goes by Tiny Dancer and can usually be found with her son Elton John. The first black-and-white goat born - and the 42nd overall - was named Jackie Robinson. Some of the goats would prefer to spend time in the house with her, Hunter said. One can even open the back door and is regularly found lounging in front of the television.
Hunter highlighted the importance of multispecies grazing in pasture areas. She said the best method would be to allow goats to graze in the same area as cows, allowing for both animals to clear vegetation naturally. Especially in areas where cattle are kept because they will ignore some plants, which then take over the pasture. Rufener stressed the importance of allowing animals to spend time in the field, which he believes leads to healthier cows overall.
"Goats are very good for creating grasslands," Hunter said. "Nature will take care of a lot of things if you just work with her instead of against her."