ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern is using goats to control the kudzu growth at Inman Yard in Atlanta.
According to Norfolk Southern, kudzu is an invasive plant and can grow up to a foot each day. Typically, vegetation management includes chemical and manual methods. However, these methods can prove costly and are not sustainable, long-term solutions. Norfolk Southern has been using goats to control the growth as a “low-cost, eco-friendly alternative.” The goats target the roots, allowing for a more effective method of vegetation management. For safety, the goats are monitored and provided “water, shade, and a salt block.” They are also kept at least 200 yards away from the nearest track.
Norfolk Southern states the idea for this method came from a joke. Environmental Manager Nathan Williams stated, “Someone said, ‘Let’s get some goats out there,’ and it stuck.” As a result, the Class I conducted research into the idea and hired a local goatscaping company called Glitzy Goats.
Over the course of three to four weeks, 24 goats and 1 sheep covered 5-7 acres of growth and saved NS $25,000 and 7 days of manual labor. This idea that started as a joke is now “could expand to other Norfolk Southern yards in Georgia, making goats a regular part of our green toolbox,” according to NS…