Goats for weed management in Montana• Brush removal •Pasture recovery • Rangeland management
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WINNING THE WAR ON WEEDS
Using goats for weed and brush control in Montana
WEEDS are having devastating consequences on our landscape.
But it's time to fight back in the war on noxious weeds by using goats for weed and brush control in Montana.
Safe weed management
GOATS are a natural way to reduce your noxious and invasive weeds, as well as reduce fire hazard by removing underbrush.
By using goats you can create a safe, longterm solution to controlling weeds — without herbicides. Goats thrive on Montana's most abundant invasive weeds such as spotted knapweed. By reducing weeds you give native plants a chance to compete and regain their stronghold on the landscape.
Managing noxious weeds on your property with goats can be part of a comprehensive effort to create sustainable, healthy pastures and crop land. Whether in your back yard or on your ranch, goats are a perfect solution to organic farming and ranching, where herbicides are prohibited.
Goats help you manage invasive and noxious weeds, most of which are forbs, which the goats prefer over grass. So, while healthy native grasses can flourish, the encroaching weeds are controlled by using a natural resource — goats.
Whether your longterm goals for your land are pasture management, crop soil improvement or control of invasive weeds, Montana Goat Company works with you to create a solution to your land-management problems.
Montana Goat Company can help you create a grazing plan, from two to 200 acres.
Just fill out the information request form below, and we'll get back in touch with you.
Goat eating spotted knapweed
Canada Thistle
Goats on a weed project in Bigfork, Montana.
Underbrush removal
Goats are natural browsers, and they love to browse from the ground, up to about six feet. They clear away needles and small branches, helping reduce "ladder fuels" that transfer fire from the ground into the overstory.
Used correctly and without overgrazing, the goats will take out the brush and wood debris, leaving your acreage nicely parked-out.
The Montana Weed Law
Why worry about weeds?
It’s the law in Montana.
Montana’s first weed law was enacted in 1895, and the Montana Weed Control Act was signed into law in 1948.
The Montana weed law states that “it is unlawful for any person to permit any noxious weed to propagate or go to seed on the person’s land, except that any person who adheres to the noxious weed management program of the person’s weed management district, or who has entered into and is in compliance with a noxious weed management agreement is considered to be in compliance with this section.”
Montana Code Annotated, MCA 7-22-2116.
How to go about grazing your property
Management Goals — The first step to successfully managing weeds on your property is to define what your land goals are.
If you graze too many animals on your land, or disturb the land and soil, you will likely have weeds.
Some common land-use goals involve livestock grazing, crop development, or improving native plant communities to increase pollinator and wildlife habitat.
Create a weed inventory map
It’s important for Montana landowners who want to improve their land to create a weed inventory.
Draw a map of your property and note where weeds are located, as well as areas of bare or disturbed soil. That’s where weeds will soon appear. Weeds are highly competitive and thrive where soils have been depleted or disturbed.
Recognizing the lifecycle and growth stage of your weeds is essential to good weed management.
This map is an essential first step to help you better understand where weed infestations are occurring or will occur.
A helpful tool for weed inventory mapping can be found at www. eddmaps.org
Benefits of Maintaining a Healthy Land Ecosystem
Provide better forage and food for livestock
Protect native plants
Protect water and soil resources
Enhance property values and improve aesthetics
Save money and time on weed reduction
Improve wildlife habitat
Be a good neighbor
LET'S TALK GOATS AND YOUR GOALS
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