I have some thick forest edge areas on my newly purchased
land that is adjacent to pasture here in 7B Central VA. The invasive Japanese honeysuckle, muscadine, greenbrier, and poison ivy vines have gotten so thick at theses edges (due to neglect over the years would be my guess) that the
trees are just being overwhelmed with vines and getting choked out. I have started trying to clean up some parts of my forest edge, but it is backbreaking work and I have gotten bad poison ivy outbreaks a couple of times. Clearing 25 feet in a day is good progress, but I have several hundreds yards of edge on my property so it seems that I'm fighting a losing battle. Also, locals tell me that winter time is really the only season that you
should do this kind of work because lush growth, chiggers and copperheads can be a problem during the growing season.
In trying to come up with a
permaculture solution to this battle, I have started thinking about goats. Some friends of ours that raise goats have offered to lend us a couple of "old ladies" to help clear out the thick forest edge, however I am hesitant because I'm concerned that they will destroy much of the
native flora such as coralberry and other shrubs, small trees, or even girdling large trees like tulip poplar.
Does anyone in the Permies community have
experience with this problem? Should I let a couple old goats rotationally graze the forest edge in order to help clear it out, or is this a bad idea? If this is a bad idea, does anyone have any alternative ideas or thoughts?
Sincerely, a frustrated farmer....