Community Corner
Goats Will Trim Shrubs and Grasses at Pine Bend Refinery
The goats will arrive at Pine Bend on Friday.
Update: A total of 120 goats were dropped off at the Pine Bend Refinery on Friday, Aug. 30.
“This grazing project is a natural way to get rid of unwanted buckthorn before winter without using power equipment and chemicals,” said Wiley Buck, restoration ecologist with Great River Greening, in a news release. “Goats are well-suited for this because they enjoy prickly brush and weeds, and their agility allows them to easily navigate the bluffs.”
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Original post, Aug. 29: Fifty goats will meander around Pine Bend Refinery starting Friday, Aug. 30.
The goats will help maintain the natural habitat around the refinery, owned by Flint Hills Resources. They will eat plants and grasses and keep them under control, and their hooves will "work native seeds into the ground as they walk," according to a news release.
"Flint Hills Resources is partnering with Friends of the Mississippi River and Great River Greening on the new goat-grazing program," according to the news release.
They will be in a pen at night, with a "friendly guard dog" watching them during the day. Someone will check on them every day.
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