Final report for FNC24-1414
Project Information
Sylvester and Sabrina Friend, are the co-owners of Prairie Hills Farm established in 2021, we are first generation black farmers in Central Indiana. Prairie Hills Farm is about 9 acres in size, utilizing about 3 acres of pastured areas for raising livestock; goats, turkey, chicken, and bees, and about 1 acre for growing over 25 varieties of produce, including 3 hoop house structures. At the farm, we focus on producing high quality produce and pasture raised proteins using regenerative and sustainable methods, such as no till practices.
Over the course of the last 3 years Sabrina and I have studied and gained knowledge in every aspect of the farm. Our roles as farmers would be to load, haul and setup each job the goats go on. This will mean, loading, setting up temporary fencing, setting up temporary run in structure, setting up water and feed troughs, making sure the job site is secure and that the goats health during the job remains good. Over the years with the amount of learning and working with the goats, we feel we are both more than capable to carry out all job functions related to this project.
Problem Addressed:
The cost of ownership of goat has increased by about 60% since 2020, when the pandemic occurred and inflation increased significantly along with several years of drought putting additional pressures on hay demand and pricing. In this project, we will explore the feasibility of reducing the cost of goat livestock ownership, by introducing a goat brush clearing service to increase revenue to mitigate these increasing costs.
Small meat goat herders, with herd sizes around 80 - 120 goats, have been looking for a viable solution to add revenue generating services to supplement a farms meat goat operation. This project will research if adding a brush clearing service is a viable solution for small scale goat farms.
Project's Research and Education Approach:
We established a goat brush clearing business and assessed customer demand for goat brush clearing, kept track of expenses for operating this business (including feed cost savings), and assessed the rate of brush clearing. We shared with field days and presentations.
Research Conclusions:
Overall, there are many variables that can impact the question, Is Goat Brush Clearing a Viable Business for small herds? Based on our research, it can be a viable service for a goat herds person to add to their farm. Location of service area, demand in the area, price needed per job or acre, equipment needed to start are economic factors that impact viability. Vegetation type, terrain, and weather are some environmental factors that can impact scheduling and viability. During our project we were able to be viable in our second year, as we continued to learn lessons that we will apply in future years. Goat Brush clearing can be a viable business solution for small scale farmers.
Farmer Adoption:
In addition to our business, based on the research project and data we collected and shared with local goat ranchers, two ranchers are starting a target grazing business in our local area in 2026. One of the farmers, actively trained at a couple projects that were had in 2025, and was able to collect his own data to access how he will be able to make this service viable for his herd of goats.
Solution:
In our research we are wanting to see if goat brush clearing is a viable resource to increase revenue for the small farmer in Central Indiana.
Traditionally, brush clearing is performed using heavy equipment like tractors, skid steer, etc and rely on the use of carbon fueled vehicles. The solution we have would be to introduce goats to the area for a more sustainable, regenerative and efficient way of brush clearing. In order to reduce the use heavy equipment, nonrenewable resources, and hours of human labor needed for various jobs.
Materials / Equipment needed for the solution:
In addition to the goats that will perform the actual brush clearing there are other materials and resources needed. Some of these supporting materials or resources are a livestock trailer, a portable electric fence system, fencing material, hay, food and water containers, PPE such as gloves and closed toed shoes, and hand tools such as hammer, screw drivers, and portable power tools. Most of the materials and equipment needed are already acquired and in possession with the exception of a livestock trailer, to met the capacity of the herd that will need to be transported, and portable electric fencing. With these materials the brush clearing service will be able to be flexible and adjust to varying sized jobs.
Update for progress reporting:
Under materials and equipment we made the assumption that we would still need to feed both hay and grain. However, what we have learned is that while out on a job the objective is for the goats to to clear brush and in a more aggressive manner. So we cut hay and feed to get the grazing results our clients are looking for in a short time frame. With this we save on both hay and feed bringing our cost down, one of our goals going into targeted brush clearing.
Method of Sustainable Practice:
The handler of the goats will measure the size of the lot and create a brush clearing layout plan. The portable fencing will be setup prior to introducing goats into the area that needs to be cleared. While the goats are performing the brush clearing assignment, they will be rotated through the areas sequentially to clear the brush in a systematic fashion. The size of the land needing to be clear will provide a reference for the size of the paddock created to promote high density grazing.
Objective:
- Identify if there is a demand or appetite for brush clearing using goats in residential, commercial, and municipal locations.
During our research, we seen there is a need and interest in utilizing goats/livestock for target grazing services. Over the two (2) seasons of researching the demand for targeted grazing, we received 32 inquiries for target grazing service. From the 32 total inquires for service, 2 were from corporate or commercial businesses, 8 were from residential location with under an acre inside of the city limits, and the remaining 22 inquiries were from properties over an acre outside of the city limits and 2 were outside of our affiliate network territory and passed along to the corresponding affiliate.
From the 32 total inquires, we were able to contract and service 18 customers for a success rate of 56%.
- To learn if goat clearing can bring in revenue for the small scale farmer to be able to off set the cost of livestock.
During the two (2) years of our research, we were able to complete and serve 18 customers earning $29,247.50 in revenue. The cost to serve these customers was $14,840.85. The direct profit from adding this service was $14,406.65 or 49.2%.
There is an additional cost saving from not having to buy feed for the herd while they are working. At our farm, the daily feed cost is about $23 daily (grain ~$13, hay ~$10), this estimate can vary slightly depending on the pasture health and feed price. The herd was off property for 132 day saving an additional $3,036.
In the first year we did not cover the cost to feed our herd for the year. During the second year of our research, we were able to cover the cost of livestock and have an additional $2,000 to return to the farm.
Things to consider on viability to offset livestock cost; herd size during winter, kidding season and kids planning (keep, sell), herd management goals. These factors will vary depending on operational goals and outside the scope of our research.
- Evaluate the rate of brush clearing by goats.
There are many variables that impact the rate in which a herd of goats can target graze or clear land. For consistency of our report and due to the average size of properties serviced, we will reference one (1) acre as the lot size.
The main variables to consider when thinking about the rate goat targeted graze or clear one acre of land are; density of the vegetation, type of vegetation, diversity of vegetation, topography or terrain, temperature, precipitation, fencing layout, herd size and herd age and gender. Our grazing herd consisted exclusively of female goats.
We observed a female herd of Kiko (breed) goats 9 months and older with herd size of 30 to 40 goats, will clear an acre of medium density in 5 to 8 days on average. During the peak heat of the summer we observed grazing efficiencies to decrease by 50% to 100%, primarily grazing from late evening to the mid-morning, resting during the heat of the day.
- Share our findings with other farmers and ag professionals via, social media, field days and other farm related workshops and events.
The findings for the research was shared with 34 people who attended on of the two field days that were hosted. There were 3 Ag professionals in attendance. The progress of the research was shared with 3 USDA professionals, 2 Purdue extension professionals, and 3 Indiana invasive or conservancy organization leaders. The findings of the research was shared with over 10 farmers with locations ranging from Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.
Research
Year 1:
We are researching if using goat to add a service of brush clearing is a viable service for small scale goat herd farmers. In the first year we were able to contract with 3 different jobs in our local area. We joined "Goats On The Go (R)" as affiliates in our local area and we had a specific service area that has about a 50 mile radius. There were benefits to joining an established organization when it comes to marketing and brand recognition. However, we saw for every job we secured, we had about six (6) inquires per contract that was secured. The conversion rate may have been higher, but with specific service areas, we passed along potential jobs to the appropriate service provider. The other learning was the choice to not service potential customers due to distance from our farm location, size of the potential job, and access to the customer site. Based on the variables of the inquiries, we saw that jobs over 50 to 60 miles and the density or size of the jobs available, it didn't make financial sense to service customers over 50 to 60 miles.
From a benefit standpoint, we saw with a herd size of 35 goats, there was an average of $23 explicit cost saving from feed daily, when the goats were on a job. The daily cost savings came from hay, $10 , and feed $13. There is a variable increase cost in fuel, depending on the distance to the customer location, that needs to be considered and tracked. One thing to note is feed and fuel cost are "commodities" so the price can fluctuate depending on uncontrollable economic factors.
Year 2:
Going into year 2 all of what we learned in year one still applies. However, with year 2 and more jobs under our belt I want to focus on the methods we used to further make set up, loading, unloading and take downs easier and more efficient. Going with electric netting fencing is the way to go, however, they do get snagged when working in wooded areas. What we learned is, on consultation days it is important to jump in the woods to walk and map out the path in which you plan to set up fencing. This helps cut down on time on set up days. Even though fencing will still snag you're not guessing where your going next and have already planned for the best pathway. Which also allows you to estimate how long it should take you to setup. This helps so that on extremely hot days your livestock are not in the trailer longer than needed. Speaking of setup, one thing we learned as we had more jobs under our belt was the need to extra materials for set up and take downs. You want to have extra just in case you need to make a "run" to and from the area in which the goats will be clearing. Or in case there is a damaged fence that you did not set aside or had gotten damaged during setup. When hauling livestock off farm for a job such as Targeted brush clearing in unfamiliar areas you want to know your herd and for your herd to know you. Meaning before going out on a job working with the goats to load and unload without a problem. This also mean taking out and leaving on farm any unruly animals. For us we found that our goats respond to a bag off feed as long as we had a bag in our hands hey follow as we lead. So we always kept one on hand for loading from the farm and loading from the job. Now that our goats are used to the program as soon as they see the trailer they're ready to load with no problem and yours will be as well. Goats are very smart and pick up on routine quickly. Then there's take down, which in all of it is the easiest after the goats have gone in and eaten the brush that you were getting caught on during set up. Once we had the perfect materials and our method down to a science after that each job seemed more mainstream and straight forward.
- Identify if there is a demand or appetite for brush clearing using goats in residential, commercial, and municipal locations.
During our research we saw there is a need and interest in utilizing goats/livestock for target grazing services. Over the two (2) seasons of researching the demand for targeted grazing, we received 32 inquiries for target grazing service. From the 32 total inquires for service, 2 were from corporate or commercial businesses, 8 were from residential location with under an acre inside of the city limits, and the remaining 22 inquiries were from properties over an acre outside of the city limits and 2 were outside of our affiliate network territory and passed along to the corresponding affiliate.
From the 32 total inquires, we were able to contract and service 18 customers for a success rate of 56%.
- To learn if goat clearing can bring in revenue for the small scale farmer to be able to offset the cost of livestock.
During the two (2) years of our research, we were able to complete and serve 18 customers earning $29,247.50 in revenue. The cost to serve these customers was $14,840.85. The direct profit from adding this service was $14,406.65 or 49.2%.
There is an additional cost saving from not having to buy feed for the herd while they are working. At our farm, the daily feed cost is about $23 daily (grain ~$13, hay ~$10), this estimate can vary slightly depending on the pasture health and feed price. The herd was off property for 132 day saving an additional $3,036.
In the first year we did not cover the cost to feed our herd for the year. During the second year of our research, we were able to cover the cost of livestock and have an additional $2,000 to return to the farm.
Things to consider on viability to offset livestock cost; herd size during winter, kidding season and kids planning (keep, sell), herd management goals. These factors will vary depending on operational goals and outside the scope of our research.
- Evaluate the rate of brush clearing by goats.
There are many variables that impact the rate in which a herd of goats can target graze or clear land. For consistency of our report and due to the average size of properties serviced, we will reference one (1) acre as the lot size.
The main variables to consider when thinking about the rate goat targeted graze or clear one acre of land are; density of the vegetation, type of vegetation, diversity of vegetation, topography or terrain, temperature, precipitation, fencing layout, herd size and herd age and gender. Our grazing herd consisted exclusively of female goats.
We observed a female herd of Kiko (breed) goats 9 months and older with herd size of 30 to 40 goats, will clear an acre of medium density in 5 to 8 days on average. During the peak heat of the summer we observed grazing efficiencies to decrease by 50% to 100%, primarily grazing from late evening to the mid-morning, resting during the heat of the day.
Result:
Overall, there are many variables that can impact the question, Is Goat Brush Clearing a Viable Business for small herds? Based on our research, it can be a viable service for a goat herds person to add to their farm. Location of service area, demand in the area, price needed per job or acre, equipment needed to start are economic factors that impact viability. Vegetation type, terrain, and weather are some environmental factors that can impact scheduling and viability. During our project we were able to be viable in our second year, as we continued to learn lessons that we will apply in future years. Goat Brush clearing can be a viable business solution for small scale farmers.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation summary:
Year 1:
Outreach and community event was cancelled due to location or property owner had situation were the land was no longer available for use. Will reschedule at another location during the 2nd year of the research project.
Year 2:
We were able to host two separate field days. One field day on farm where we had a group of young fellows out from The Patachou Foundation in July 2025. During their time here on farm for their field day we talked about and educated the fellows on small scale livestock farming. During our talk we shared with the group about our SARE research grant and how we've added the service of targeted brush clearing to see if it is a viable option for small scale farmers in Indiana. That day they also got a chance to see grazing in action as we had allowed brush to grow up on our land for rotational grazing on farm. We did share some numbers associated with raising livestock and our hopes with targeted grazing was to alleviate some of that cost and then see if it can bring extra revenue in beyond feed cost.
Our second field day event was held in November 2025. For this event we made a public flyer and posted on social media and sent it out to as many agricultural agencies as we could. We hosted a live demonstration for the public to come out and learn exactly what targeted grazing is and to witness first hand, areas where the goats had previously grazed, where they were grazing at the moment and sections that had not yet been touched. It was a great turn out and really got the community excited about targeted brush clearing using goats and possibly other livestock. We put together a power point sharing what we've learned, experienced and the financial breakdown of year to year cost of targeted grazing and the positive impact it has had so far for our farm and livestock.
Learning Outcomes
Year 1:
Initially we planned to use Social Media as the primary way to market brush clearing to our community and realized that there were barriers to finding our target customers. Upon doing additional research, we were able to identify companies that had brand recognition and made the decision to join "Goats On The Go (R)" and became affiliates. The cost of to become an affiliate seemed reasonable to obtain brand recognition, an affiliate network, and share of best practices to support our brush clearing business objectives. Once we were trained as affiliates with this team, we realized we were under resourced in several important areas, very specifically fencing to meet the needs of potential customers.
Year 2:
Having more jobs helped us to get a good sample size on lessons learned. Having clear goals for what viability means on your farm is important. Our goal was to evaluate if our herd was able to essential pay for themselves by having a targeted grazing business. Our second year of research proved to there is enough demand, in our region, to cover the livestock cost for the year. This research and service has help to improve our focus on "what is working" on our farm to be viable. We joined an affiliate group that provided brand recognition, steady inquiry leads, and a network of individuals sharing best practices. This help remove barriers we experienced with marketing and reaching our target market.
The breed of goats you have will make a difference with the level of success you may have with starting a grazing business that looking to be viable. Our herd consists of Kiko and Kiko crosses. This breed is known for being a full sized meat goat with great parasite resistance, slower hoof grow, and a healthy appetite. Other goat breeds may not respond as well with the changing environments while maintain their health. In some areas there is a shortage of veterinarian that treat goats. All these factors can and will impact factors of the viability of having a targeted grazing heard.
Project Outcomes
Based on the research project and data we collected and shared with local goat ranchers, two ranchers are starting a target grazing business in our local area in 2026. One of the farmers, actively trained at a couple projects that were had in 2025, and was able to collect his own data to access how he will be able to make this service viable for his herd of goats. Along with his hands on training, he was able to engage with the customers at the end of their service, and hear from their feedback directly on how they enjoyed the job that was completed. There was a theme from the customers on keeping the ecosystem intact while tackling invasive species and unruly brush, maintaining a clean "working" environment, and fertilizing the ground improving soil health.