Goats may become exception to Mankato's livestock ban
Jun. 12—Property owners struggling with buckthorn and other invasive species could soon have an alternative eradication method to chemical herbicides and backbreaking labor.
The city of Mankato is exploring an exception to its ban on livestock within city limits to allow goat-grazing in certain circumstances.
"We're almost at the end of our experiment at Land of Memories Park," said Public Works Director Jeff Johnson, who was surprised by the work ethic, or at least the appetites, of the rental goats attacking the infestation of buckthorn on the mound-area of the park. "It was impressive to watch. The animals were really getting after it."
For the cost of $4,200, the buckthorn in seven acres of the park has been chewed down to the bare branches and trunks by goats supplied by Goettl Grove, a poultry and goat farm in rural St. Peter.
Mankato had tackled buckthorn in Sibley Park several years ago with humans, both seasonal labor and Sentence to Serve crews. It was a very difficult job, Johnson said: "A lot of effort and a lot of people went into that."
The Land of Memories demonstration project came about because the city wanted to tackle the buckthorn without disturbing potential archeological sites in the area, something that was important to the Dakota people who see the land as sacred. Dakota leaders agreed to the approach, which they saw as a more natural solution to the problem.
The goats not only tread lightly on the landscape, their manure doesn't bring the odor of other types of livestock.
The animals will be brought back in the fall to attack any new foliage springing up from the now-barren buckthorn trunks. That is expected to be enough to deplete the plants' reserves and kill them.
City staff are now considering the possibility of allowing private property owners the opportunity to contract with goat farms for targeted grazing, something that might be particularly attractive on ravine properties, Johnson said. Those steep slopes not only are difficult or impossible to reach with machinery, they're a bad place to spray chemicals because of the increased likelihood of runoff.
Residents have inquired about the possibility of targeted grazing, but ordinances generally prohibit livestock within city limits. The changes under consideration would not allow permanent goat ownership in Mankato, instead requiring residents to go through a goat dealer for short-term grazing of no more than 30 consecutive days and no more than twice a year.
Strict fencing standards would be required to avoid goat escapes, and signs would be mandated — explaining that the goats were working animals rather than pets and providing 24/7 contact information for the goat owner in case of problems. Provisions are also included to ensure the health and well-being of the goats and requiring liability insurance.
The draft policy is still being finalized and will need to go before the Planning Commission. But, first, staff asked the City Council in a work session if members were open to the possibility.
"We've had a couple of neighborhoods ask about doing this ...," City Manager Susan Arntz said, who like Johnson was impressed by the goats' performance at Land of Memories. "They are phenomenal at removing buckthorn."
Council members Karen Foreman, Jenn Melby-Kelley and Mark Frost each said they've heard from constituents who are interested in grazing goats on their property. Others on the council said they, too, were willing to discuss a grazing ordinance at a future work session. A wide range of other topics are already in the queue for upcoming work session meetings, though, so the goats would have to butt into the line to avoid waiting until fall or winter for their turn.
