Natural Buckthorn and Invasive Species Control in
Southeast Minnesota

Before we bring our goats to your property, we take time to truly understand your land. Every landscape tells a story, and our assessment ensures we develop the right strategy for your specific site.

The Invasive Species Challenge in Southeast Minnesota

Southeast Minnesota is one of the most ecologically remarkable corners of the Midwest. The Driftless Area’s rugged limestone bluffs, oak savannas, spring-fed coulees, and Mississippi River floodplains support a stunning array of native plants and wildlife found almost nowhere else. But for decades, invasive species have been quietly dismantling this heritage.

Buckthorn—both common and glossy—has colonized woodlands from Rochester to Winona to Houston County, forming dense, shading thickets that crowd out wildflowers, sedges, and native tree regeneration. Wild parsnip has spread through meadows and roadsides. Garlic mustard has taken hold in shaded understories. Without intervention, the region’s distinctive native communities are steadily shrinking.

The challenge is compounded by the Driftless landscape itself: steep terrain, rocky soils, and irregular access make conventional mechanical removal costly and difficult. Herbicide spraying is possible but increasingly unpopular among landowners who want to protect the very ecosystems they’re trying to restore.

A Natural Solution Built for Driftless Terrain

Diversity Landworks has been working in southeast Minnesota since 2013—this is our home ground. Founders Kyle Johnson and Tim Taylor launched the company here, starting with 20 goats and a vision for restoring the region’s native landscapes without chemicals. Today, we bring a herd of more than a thousand specially selected animals to sites across the Driftless, along with deep expertise in the region’s ecology and a full suite of restoration services.

Our approach begins with an ecological assessment of your land—understanding what native communities are present, what’s been lost, and what it will take to bring them back. Then we develop a custom multi-year management plan that may include:

  • Prescribed goat grazing: Our animals are specially bred and selected for targeted grazing work. They thrive on steep terrain, love to eat buckthorn and other invasive shrubs, and methodically deplete invasive root reserves over multiple seasons—eliminating them rather than just setting them back.

  • Prescribed fire: Fire is one of the most powerful restoration tools for the Driftless’s oak savannas and prairies. We conduct controlled burns when ecological conditions are right, clearing accumulated brush and stimulating native plant regeneration.

  • Forestry mowing and mechanical clearing: When brush density is too high for goats alone, our heavy equipment can open up the canopy fast, creating conditions for accelerated grazing follow-through.

Projects that combine these methods consistently achieve the fastest and most lasting results. Goats alone make a huge difference; goats followed by a well-timed burn can transform a woodland in just a few seasons.

Case Study: Great River Greening

Conservation nonprofit Great River Greening has deployed herds of browsing goats at Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan and Schwarz Pond Park in Rosemount, contracting with Diversity Landworks to help remove invasive species and restore native plant communities at both sites. As Great River Greening explains, goats are a natural, environmentally friendly option uniquely suited for the work — targeting the tips, buds, and bark of invasive shrubs like buckthorn, opening up the understory and giving native plants room to thrive.

Read the article

Serving Southeast Minnesota’s Public and Private Landowners

Diversity Landworks works with the full range of landowners and land managers in southeast Minnesota, from small private woodlots to large conservation parcels. Our clients include:

  • Private landowners: Rural property owners, hobby farmers, and acreage owners across Winona, Houston, Fillmore, Olmsted, Goodhue, and Wabasha counties who want a chemical-free approach to land restoration.

  • Conservation organizations: Land trusts and nonprofits working to protect and restore Driftless Area ecosystems.

  • Public agencies: We have an established partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and we have the experience and capacity to take on large-scale public land projects.

Whether you manage 2 acres or 2,000, we bring the same ecological rigor and long-term commitment to every project. We’re not in the business of quick fixes; we’re here to help your land make a genuine recovery.

Twin Cities

  • Minneapolis

  • St. Paul

  • Bloomington

  • Eden Prairie

  • Minnetonka

  • Plymouth

  • Maple Grove

  • Edina

  • Burnsville

  • Eagan

  • Apple Valley

  • Lakeville

  • Woodbury

  • Cottage Grove

  • Stillwater

  • …and more

Regional Hubs

  • Rochester

  • Mankato

  • Winona

  • Northfield

  • Faribault

  • Owatonna

  • Austin

  • Albert Lea

  • Red Wing

  • Hastings

And in the Driftless/Bluff Country…

  • Wabasha

  • Lake City

  • Zumbrota

  • Cannon Falls

  • Kenyon

  • Lanesboro

  • Harmony

  • Spring Valley

  • Preston

  • Caledonia

  • Houston

  • La Crescent

Start Your Southeast Minnesota Restoration

Every restoration starts with a conversation. Tell us about your land—what’s growing where it shouldn’t be, what you’d love to see return, and what constraints you’re working with. We’ll provide an honest assessment of what’s possible and a plan for getting there.

Serving Rochester, Winona, La Crosse area, Red Wing, Northfield, Houston County, and all of southeast Minnesota’s Driftless region.