Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) – Using goats to tackle invasive plants is drawing attention in South Knoxville, where dozens of animals are hard at work clearing vegetation in an overgrown lot.
Knox Goats, operated by Luttrell-based owner Jake Ramsey, has been grazing animals at a former parking lot site, targeting thick patches of weeds, brush and invasive species — including kudzu, a fast-spreading vine known for choking out native plants.
“They’re busy eating right now,” Ramsey said, describing the herd steadily working through dense vegetation.
Ramsey said kudzu, which originated in Asia, poses a significant challenge across East Tennessee because it can quickly overtake trees and shrubs. While goats can remove the visible growth, he emphasized that long-term eradication requires removing the plant at its source.
“You have to dig the crowns up,” Ramsey said. “If you’re not digging the crowns up… you’ll never really kill it.”
The South Knoxville project, in partnership with Baxter Properties, has been underway for just over a week and is already nearing completion. Ramsey said the goats have stripped much of the greenery from the site, leaving behind visibly dying plant material.
“Right now, they’re almost to the end of this project,” Ramsey said. “You’ve seen where they’ve picked all of the sticks clean and this is all starting to die out.”
Running a herd of working goats comes with challenges. Ramsey said constant monitoring is required to ensure the animals remain safe and accounted for.
“It’s usually what it consists of — just making sure everyone’s here and everyone’s alive,” he said.
Ramsey started Knox Goats about six years ago after what began as a small family project quickly grew into a full-time business.
“My daughter wanted a goat, so we got one goat which turned into about five goats,” he said. “Now, we’re here. We do this full time.”
Today, Knox Goats handles hundreds of jobs each year across East Tennessee, with upcoming work planned in Sevier County.
While grazing goats offers an eco-friendly alternative to chemical treatments, the city of Knoxville says it has moved away from using goats in some cases. Officials said previous efforts did not fully eliminate invasive species because the animals did not address root systems.
Instead, the city has secured $80,000 to remove invasive species, including kudzu, from parks using herbicides designed to target invasive plants without harming native vegetation. Officials say the method has already been used in parts of the South Waterfront area.
Even so, Ramsey believes goats remain a valuable tool — particularly for reducing overgrowth without introducing chemicals into the environment.
