SPEER, Ill. – Lianna and Jake Hinkle operate a two-acre specialty farm in western Peoria County specializing in the breeding and sale of Kunekune pigs, meat rabbits, chickens, goats and sheep. Looking for another unique way to add value to their small operation, the couple jumped at a recent opportunity to purchase a “Goats on the Go” affiliate franchise.

The couple regards the investment as both a way to boost farm income and spend more time with their growing children.

“This was our first full year of owning the business, and we have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of spending the whole summer with our children (Gabe, 9, Oliver, 7, and Murphy, 2) in nature, surrounded by animals,” Lianna Hinkle said.

Goats on the Go originated in 2012 in Ames, Iowa, when two hobby farm families hatched the idea of renting their goats to those in need of removing noxious weeds, brush and invasive plants from their properties. Managed goats, as those who know them can attest, will eat undesirable vegetation with little damage to desirable plants while providing a chemical-free alternative to weed removal.

“We use our goats to manage invasive and unwanted plant species with no chemicals or heavy machinery involved. Goats love to eat poison ivy, honeysuckle, boxthorn, honey locust, milkweed and more,” explained Hinkle, whose micro-farm is known as Hinkle Homestead.

There are other advantages to utilizing goats for large weed abatement jobs. The light-footed animals can work in rough terrain with little risk of erosion, leaving behind valuable fertilizer as the only by-product. The business model works so well, there are now Goats on the Go affiliates in about half the 50 states, though the Hinkles’ franchise is currently the only one located within two hours of Peoria.

“We were friends with a lady who introduced us to goats and sheep as a way of controlling our grass. At the same time our middle child, Oliver, wanted to show goats. Around that time, the owners of Peoria Goats on the Go decided to do other things and wanted to sell their business. We had a couple of dinners with them and then decided to ‘get crazy’ about this idea,” Hinkle said. “Though we are the new business owners, our goats are well experienced with about six years working in the area.”

The typical job can range from small backyard projects of less than a third of an acre to large wooded lots of 25 acres or more, and have included commercial contracts with area energy companies. “No job is too big or too small – the goats can do it all,” said Hinkle, adding that the family will typically transport a workforce of between 50 to 100 hungry goats (with a few sheep mixed in) to an assignment.

Depending on the size of the property in need of weeding, terrain may be broken up into segments or attacked by the goats in its entirety. Each animal has a role to fulfill in an assignment and its own preference as to where and what to consume, according to Hinkle.

“There definitely is a herd boss, and they have different tastes and habits,” she said. “They will go in and scope things out and then settle on what they like. Like human kids, some will want to have their dessert first.”

The Hinkles employ a variety of goat breeds in their business, though all share one common characteristic: a voracious and indiscriminate appetite for noxious and nuisance weeds. “We have a collective mix of all kinds of goats,” Hinkle said, “including Boer, Kiko, Spanish, Lamancha, Nubians and probably a few combinations in between.”

The variety of goats used in their side business adds to the eclectic mix of animals raised at Hinkle Homestead, including Kunekune pigs. Kunekunes are a small, longhaired, colorful breed from New England regarded as suitable for smaller homesteads and micro-farms due to their pushed-in noses that make them “easier on fencerows” than other breeds, and a physique that makes them easily manageable for harvesting, according to Hinkle.

“Farm-to-table is pretty much how we operate here,” she said in reference to the menagerie of sustainable meat animals bred and sold by Hinkle Homestead.

The Hinkle family has chronicled their exploits as owners of Peoria Goats on the Go on social media, offering followers a glimpse at some of the more unusual and challenging assignments they’ve undertaken since purchasing the business just over a year ago. Lianna said her family shares a mutual feeling of satisfaction in seeing a job completed to a client’s satisfaction. 

“It is so visually satisfying to see the before of a project and when the goats are all finished with it. They can uncover things you might not even know are there; we did a project for a couple new to a property and uncovered tractor parts, an old well and other things they had no idea were there,” she said. “Overall, we have had a very exciting and fun season, and I’m very excited to see what the future brings for us.”

To reach the Hinkles, email peoriagoatsonthego@gmail.com. For more information about Goats on the Go, including franchise opportunities and how to locate an affiliate in your area, visit www.goatsonthego.com.