By Georgia Thelen
Staff Writer
The Polly Ann Trailway Management Council is currently fundraising to try a different approach to managing the trail’s weeds and overgrowths — with goats.
The Trailway Council is looking at “Goatscaping” — more formally know as conservation grazing — as an alternative to the pesticides normally used along the Polly Ann Trail.
Come spring, there will be a tribe of 30 goats meandering down the trail doing what they do best — eating everything in sight.
“Many people have done this before, it’s a kind of old, but new technique,” said Polly Ann Trail Manager Linda Moran. “I’m trying to get away from using as many chemicals as possible.”
Bringing goats to the trail will naturally get rid of invasive species such as buckthorn, bittersweet vine, garlic mustard and poison ivy.
Goats also have multi-chambered stomachs that break down any seeds they digest so they are not able to germinate once they reach the ground again.
“What’s better than a bunch of baby goats out there eating a bunch of weeds?” Moran asked.
City Girls Farm, located in Pontiac, will provide the tribe of goats to the Polly Ann Trail.
In summer 2016, City Girls Farm started their goatscaping after the birth of several male goats. Owner Amy McIntire says that while goatscaping may not be as timely as using pesticides, it’s quite possible that it’s more effective.
“The overgrowth is actually kept down. Their hooves pushing down on the root structure… It’s worked out really well,” said McIntire.
The cost for these conservation grazing techniques is $1,250 for seven days for 30 goats.
Through its planned fundraisers, the Trailway Council hopes to raise money for several weeks of the goatscaping.
The next fundraising event is at the Lake Orion location of Buffalo Wild Wings on Feb. 27, with 20 percent of the proceeds going to the trail to fund the goatscaping and also for proper trashcans on the trail.
There will also be open mic nights at Evergreen’s Coffee and Bake Shop in Oxford on March 10 and March 24 from 7-10 p.m. with all proceeds going towards the grazing conservation efforts of the PollyAnn Trail.
The goats first visit to the Polly Ann will be on April 8, National Opening of the Trails Day.
For more information on the Polly Ann Trail fundraising events, visit pollyanntrailway.org.