KANSAS CITY, Mo — A group of goats are helping revitalize a northeast park by eating invasive honeysuckle and other plants.
The program was brought to the northeast with help from Jerusalem Farm, the nonprofit acquired six goats, which have been grazing in Kessler Park since August.
"The more you get to know them, the more they have personality. Someone in the neighborhood was like: 'We need goats in the park to eat the invasive species.' And we just put two and two together and designed this community-oriented grazing model of a small herd," said Mary O'Connell with Jerusalem Farm.
Jerusalem Farm says the idea sprung two years ago and the goats come from friends of the nonprofit. They say Kansas City, Missouri, Parks and Rec gave the program the green light in August and was funded through several grants using zero city dollars.
According to their latest job review, the herd has eaten two acres of honey suckle while drawing people from all over KC to the northeast.
"It's good for the environment, it's good for the park, it's good for the neighborhood," O'Connell said. "We were looking for a way to solve the problem of invasive species but incorporate the community with the solution."
O'Connell estimates it cost about $30,000 dollars to start the program, which included the necessary equipment, a trailer, and goats.
"I think it's a testimony to the creative problem solving that we have in the northeast and just appreciating our assets and using what we've got," O'Connell said.
The upkeep is about $15,000 a year. Jerusalem Farm is raising money to expand its herd through its GoFundMe page.
