Goats on the Go uses targeted grazing to clear invasive species, including from a park in Green Bay

There aren’t many businesses that draw a crowd, but when a park on Green Bay’s southwest side is filled with the sound of bleating goats, that is exactly what happens.

Recently, cars lined the road near He-Nis-Ra Park as people heard the call of bleating goats and made their way down a hill to view a field filled with about 40 goats, several sheep, and one donkey. And while those watching the animals might have thought the herd was merely grazing on the tall grass, it was actually much more.

“It is targeted grazing,” said Stephanie Bowers, whose family owns Goats on the Go of Green Bay . “The biggest challenge is managing invasive species like buckthorn. It leafs out earlier than other plants and is killing our native species. Goats can go where people can’t safely go and they are a vegetation solution people can get excited about.”

The job at the park, for the city of Green Bay, had the purpose of getting rid of invasive species to allow for a prairie-like setting in the center of the park. That job required well-trained goats, and for Bowers, it was the culmination of time spent with the herd that made it possible.

More: Here's why ewe saw from the rides at Bay Beach that sheep were grazing on Renard Island

But, going back to the beginning, it all started with one goat. She had the experience of running a successful nonprofit business for nine years and was ready for a new challenge. At the same time, there were changes at the family’s farm.

She said, “My husband and his brother operated a dairy farm together for 34 years. When it was time for his brother to start to slow down, they sold their cows in June. They still have 400 acres of crops and will continue cropping for a few years, but I think the goats are taking over.”

The first goat was purchased in 2021 and it was love at first goat.

“We knew that the cows were going and our plan was to figure out a fun 4-H project for our sons, Ausin and Jake,” Bowers said.

One goat led to another, and then, when her family heard about an endangered species, the San Clemente Island goats , they decided they wanted to try to save that breed from extinction. They found a breeder that was close to her parents’ home in New York.

“We loaded up the minivan and drove to New York where we picked up three goats, put them in the back of the minivan and transported them back to Kaukauna in dog carriers,” she said. Then they went to Illinois and picked up another.

The herd began to grow with a combination of the San Clemente Island goats and a more traditional grazing breed. In December 2022, they joined Goats on the Go (gloriousgoatranch.com) as an affiliate. An affiliate is similar to a franchise, but different in that the business model allows for much greater flexibility in ownership.

Bowers said, “I heard about Goats on the Go and found a network of people who are just as crazy as me. With Goats on the Go, being an affiliate has marketing benefits and a network of more than 50 others in the country who are people I can call with questions and who provide a cohort of learning.”

The network is a huge benefit when questions arise regarding training or herd management. Bowers, who works full time as a regional dairy educator, holds a master’s degree in ruminant nutrition (that is like being a cow dietician), but goats provide a new challenge. Training takes a great deal of time and effort.

“They need to be fence trained and to have nutritional wisdom,” she noted. “They need to know what to eat and what not to eat and to be range-ready goats.”

In addition, Bowers and her sons, who do the transporting with a large trailer, need to be able to load them on and off.

“It’s much more difficult than you would think,” she added.

The goats are equipped with satellite tracking devices so if one ever gets away, it can be tracked. The collars have audible clues so they stay within the fencing that is erected for each job. At any time, Bowers is able to reset the collars from her phone and know within 10 feet where the goats are.

And none of this is inexpensive. There are costs for hauling, fencing and setup, feed on the farm, training, health checks, insurance, and winter housing and care.

She said, “We are doing everything by the book. Currently, we are working with cities and villages to get an ordinance that allows for grazing on a short-term basis. There are the laws that prohibit goats in the cities.”

As the family works on asking for amendments to those laws, they operate off of a “living business plan” that is constantly updated as things change. Bowers said that much of it is trial and error. The business model includes two main revenue sources — grazing goats and selling goat meat.

She pointed out goat meat is widely consumed outside of the United States.

“It is what other cultures are used to,” Bowers said.

There are currently about 400 goats, and with ethnic holidays coming up where goat meat is used, that number will be reduced. For the meat, she works with a local processor and says that she talks about honoring the goats in a humane way.

The goats are also part of 4-H education.

Bowers said, “I grew up in 4-H and it is a great way to grow up and gain self-confidence. We are currently part of a goat-less, goat 4-H club where a group can use our goats and show them at the fair. This year, there will be 21 humans bringing 29 of our animals to the fair.”

That means additional work, but it is something Bowers is used to.

“We’re farmers so we don’t know how to slow down. Farmers tend to be wired differently,” she said. “When you grow up on a farm, grit and tenacity is the thing.”

With the cows gone, the barns are being converted for the goat herd. Bowers said her goals include maintaining a nanny herd of about 300 goats, obtaining more wholesale contracts, and scaling the business up to increase income. She knows what it will take to get there.

She said, “My advice to a new business would be to work lean and be persistent. Cash is king and debt is not fun. There is a lot of risk in any business and you need to know what level you’re comfortable with.”

Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Goats on the Go uses targeted grazing to clear invasive species, including from a park in Green Bay