Why Madison is Using Goats to Clean Up Parks 🐐

Next time you’re at Olin Turville Park, say hello to new park staffers Donna, Nancy, Emma, Janelle, Midnight and Dorito. Don’t be mad if they don’t talk back, though. They’re goats. 

These goats are on assignment cleaning up brush and invasive species in many Madison parks. They belong to Greg Haak and Brooke Hushagen of HaakHagen Goat Grazing, who set the herd up inside a portable electric fence and let them graze. Goats are natural browsers, and the idea is that they’ll naturally eat their way through the park, cleaning up unwanted vegetation and reducing the need for herbicides. 

Producer Molly Stentz tracked down the goat wranglers to learn how it’s working.

Mentioned in the episode: 

🐐 Want to volunteer as a goat checker?

🎢 The Dane County Fair is this weekend

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