Joe visits Goats on the Go, a agriculture related business in Ames, Iowa. It is owned by Aaron Steele and Chad Steenhoek. They began the business to put their small acreages to use. They were too large to mow but too small to rent to farmers. They also wanted their sons to have some chores of their won. This has not turned into a large business with franchises all over Iowa.
They use Kiko goats which are bred for meat and milk. This is a heath breed that are good mothers. The able to live out of doors most of the year and are tolerant of stomach worms.
When they started, they just bought goats in the spring and sold them in the fall. In between they kept the field The midwest has a huge invasive species problem and many land owners need help controlling.
They did a free project as an experiment in a park in Ames. The local TV station covered it and they started getting calls immediately and have not stopped since.
Footage of the set up of the electric fence and energizers (Premier One), loading and unloading goats and the goats ravaging invasive non-native honeysuckle. This weed needs to be treated repeatedly to eliminate but the first goat visit eleinaties all foliage so sunlight reaches the forest floor, enabling grasses and native species to grow. The goats take care of noxious species without the use of chemicals.
Joe interviews Dawn Carlson who is considering a franchise. She would be allowed to lease the goats from March-October and return them for winter care. The goats are currently clearing her steep wood leading to a stream. This is a great way to prevent the use of chemical and their entry into the waterway.
Joe also interviews Roger Underwood a repeat customer who also uses the goats to control invasive honeysuckle in his oak savannah.
The pricing of this service started out as a per goat per day plan. This did not work and they soon had enough expertise to determine pricing by the acre. They now have a pricing structure for
less than 10 acres
more than 10 acres.
they are able to charge less for the large acreages because they use more goats and commercial haulers.
There is lots of footage of the goats at work and at leisure.
#weedcontrol #goatweeders #naturalweedcontrol #naturalweeders #sustainableagriculture #goatweeding
/www.goatsonthego.com