Environmental Land Management using Goats & Pigs (Invasive Plant Restoration)

Hello my name is Stacy. I am from north central WI. I am owner operator of Sustainable Stewards Farmstead & Goat Grazing. A Environmental restoration service where I specialize in combating invasive pland species such as Buckthorn. I have 100 head of goats and dozes of heritage hogs. I breed both goats and hogs. While I sell feeders pigs to people my first purpose is to use them along side with goat go fight invasives. Here in the Upper Mid west WI spasticly we have a problem. That is our Native Oak Savanahs are under attach by plans brought here from Europe and Asia. Our biggest threat is Buckthorn. Buckthorn is a hedge row plant. Every part of that plant from the roots, leaves, bark seeds is toxic to native trees and plants. Within 3 years of Buckthorn being established it begins to kill everything around it. Within 10 years a 150 year old oak or maple is dying of dead. I specialize in using Goats on land management projects where people opt pit of large equipment and poison. The process take a min of 4 targeted Mob Grazings to control.
1. Set up solar mobile fencing. (Spring)
2. Let the goats lose go strip all invasives 7 foot and down.
3. Chainsaw the Buckthorn at should hight allowing goats to eat off the rest of the leaves from top and seeds.
4 RUN goat again in fall.
5 RUN goats  again next spring
6 RUN goats again fall.
The key is to corrupt the plant. Take the energy out of the invasive.
Why do we not cut down to the root? Because 20 tree will grow out of that one as it's a hedge row.
Only after tree is corrupted and dead to you cut down all the way.
All bark all wood must be removed. Do not allow to rot in the woods, it's toxic all of it. Burn it!
Now what I have recently experimented with is first running goat through steps 12 and 3. Then sending in the pigs to dig up eat and expose the root system of Buckthorn. This with a cold winter has been very Successful.
I can't express how dangerous these types of invasives are. I have seen  once gorgeous oak orchards destroyed completely within 10 to 15 years. Property values tank and most important our environment and animals life suffers.
Please  what I have given you and use go to better manage your land goals.

Where I live we have what I believe is known as "Carolina buckthorn" all over the place. All the oak trees here are quite happy to live with this variety. Doesn't Europe have oak trees? I wonder why American oaks are killed by them. What an interesting problem, although very sad. Thank you for your work on this!

There are many plants called 'Buckthorn': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_plants_known_as_buckthorn

Maybe you two are seeing two different types of plant.

Frangula alnus = Rhamnus frangula = Alder Buckthorn / Glossy Buckthorn - USA range map: https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/FRAL4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frangula_alnus

Frangula caroliniana = Rhamnus caroliniana Carolina buckthorn - USA Range map: https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/FRCA13

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frangula_caroliniana

In Wendell, in Western Massachusetts, there are loads of Glossy Buckthorn plants. I haven't noticed it in nearby Colrain yet.