Go, Go, Goat!

GREATEST OF ALL TIME or G-O-A-T for short! That’s what this idea implemented by the City of Mishawaka is in practice.

The Goats have the run of the hillside eating up vegetation including Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and all the overgrowth. They’re doing a great job and also drawing a crowd with dozens of people throughout the day stopping to watch the goats at work clearing the unwanted vegetation on the Mishawaka Riverbanks. 

Unlike the bipeds who’ve done this work in the past these four legged trimmers leave the area clean with little or no risk of on the job injuries. Further, as neighbors from other nearby communities stop to take a look they’re also stopping at Mishawaka eateries and Root beer stands and spending a few dollars that otherwise may not have gone into the Mishawaka economy. 

This environmentally friendly workforce shows Mishawaka thinking creatively and making the city the G-O-A-T for summer innovation in our book! 

© 2026 Brian S Collier. All opinions are those of the author. The author reserves all Rights and copyrights. To request permission to reprint any or all of this article, contact info@redresssouthbend.com. 

Author’s Note: This story was partially written using AI assistance, but all reporting, local details, and interviews are real, original, and strictly fact checked.

Reprinted with permission of the author by Redress South Bend.

All opinions, research, and views in this piece are attributed to the author and are not necessarily the thoughts or opinions of Redress South Bend.

Brian S. Collier, Ph.D.

Columnist

Born and raised in South Bend, Indiana, Collier is a graduate of South Bend public schools. Collier taught high school for four years before earning a Ph.D., then taught college in Arizona, Michigan, and Indiana. He is now again teaching high school locally.

Collier signed on to serve on the editorial board and as an occasional contributor to Redress, hoping to help provide a liberal perspective on issues in his hometown and the region. While local 'liberals' may not feel heard, Collier feels like both parties are so far from where they were when he was a child that they wouldn't possibly recognize their modern iterations.

Collier feels strongly that South Bend lacks actual leadership, shows cowardice, and prioritizes conveniences and business interests over citizen needs, and is a proxy for petty vendettas and a lack of real, sustainable policy. Collier fears for the future of St. Joseph County, Michiana, and America, and the very real chance that the American experiment ends during his lifetime due to partisan nonsense and the public's inability to even see other perspectives.