On the morning of Tuesday, July 8, Wells Farm delivered another crew of goats to the 2-acre Town of Tryon lot near IGA. Their goal? To battle Kudzu (and other non-native and invasive plants) growing on the property.
In 2013, the Pacolet Area Conservancy, in partnership with the Town of Tryon and the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, received a grant from the Polk County Community Foundation through their Kudzu Eradication Initiative. This grant is being used to fund the use of goats to eradicate Kudzu from this site. These goats will be working on the site twice a year, for three consecutive years. This is their second year on the job.
There are 20 Kiko goats on the 2-acre site. Kiko goats originated from New Zealand by crossing feral goats with dairy goats in the 1980s. They were developed for fast growth, hardiness and survivability with little input from the producer.
The goats are joined by Zeke, an Anatolian Shepherd, who is at the site to protect the goats.
For more information about this project or PAC, please contact by phone at 828-859-5060, e-mail landprotection@pacolet.org, or visit www.pacolet.org/kudzu-eradication/.

– article submitted
by Pam Torlina