The Municipality of Central Huron is thinking outside of the barn to tackle the issue of invasive plants at the Water and Sewage Treatment Plant.
The lagoon, which helps treat wastewater and deal with overflow, has been overgrown with knotweed and other invasive species, to the point where crews couldn't even get at the outfall pipes.
Rather than opt for spraying pesticides, which could have an impact on the nearby Bayfield River, Water and Sewer Manager Ian Koetsier said they wanted to do things in a more environmentally friendly way.
The Municipality brought on Florentine Maathuis, who owns Big Crunch Grazing. Maathuis had been running targeted grazing in Saskatchewan for years by using others' livestock, but in 2023, she got a herd of her own and began operating in Ontario.
"It is more sustainable," she said. "The way I like to say it, you work with nature instead of against it... we take away everything that we want to get rid of, and then people can reseed with the plants and the grasses that they want. When you spray, it gets in the soil and nothing grows there for another three to six months. So you cannot reseed, you can't really enforce the plants that you want."
Maathuis grazing team includes sheep and goats, as the two will eat different vegetation, offering a better clearing than just having one.
The operation is a family affair, as even the baby goats get in the mix.
"We brought eight little ones," said Maathuis. "What I like with this set up, with moms and their babies is that the babies are practically born on the job and they will die on the job and they will learn from their mothers. So they're already contributing to the vegetation goals we have here."
She said this was the first time some of the younger goats encountered knotweed, but they quickly got a taste for it after watching the mother goats devour it.
The livestock will leave their manure behind as they work their way through, and while it acts as an excellent fertilizer, Maathuis says it also won't help the future growth of the invasive species.
"Goats are even better than cattle because of their rumen," she explained. "Even if they get seeds in (their manure), they aren't viable anymore when they're digested. So they don't spread it."
Maathuis also has three herding dogs with her: Gibbs, Darwin, and Jet. They help herd the livestock into a fenced in area, where they'll graze until the time they need to move onto a new section.
The Municipality has brought her on for up to 10 days. After just three, there's already a noticeable difference.
Maathuis said she has one of just a few targeted grazing companies running in Ontario. While her schedule for this year is already pretty full, those that want to learn more can visit the Big Crunch Grazing website.
As for the lagoon, Koetsier says once its cleared and machines can get down there, they'll dredge the bottom and conduct some repairs on the pipes.
