Leafy spurge is notoriously aggressive. It spreads through both seeds and an extensive root system, allowing it to outcompete native grasses and forbs. Along river corridors and open rangeland, especially near the Snake River, it can form dense monocultures that crowd out wildlife habitat and reduce forage value for livestock. Cattle typically avoid it due to its milky latex sap, which can irritate their mouths. But goats? That’s a different story.

To a goat, leafy spurge is less “noxious weed” and more “five-star buffet.”

In October 2025 we turned our herd loose (with permission, of course!) at Eagle Park in Rexburg for a 15-acre, all-you-can-eat vegetation buffet.

The mission?

Tackle dense, overgrown patches filled with bur-bearing plants, thirsty willows, and broadleaf weeds that had made themselves a little too at home.