Benefits of Urban Grazing
• Ecologically-forward, holistic way of land management
• Reduce pollution, invasive plants and usage of fossil fuel.
• Eliminate needs for herbicides, pesticides and fertilizer.
• Save on operational costs
• Entertainment, Agricultural Experience
• Ecologically-forward, holistic way of land management
• Reduce pollution, invasive plants and usage of fossil fuel.
• Eliminate needs for herbicides, pesticides and fertilizer.
• Save on operational costs
• Entertainment, Agricultural Experience
Old, Tested Practice
Using small ruminants for keeping lawn is nothing new. Our modern idea of lawn was born from the images of European estates that were maintained by sheep. The White House lawn once had sheep grazing during Wilson’s administration to save money on ground keeping.
Environmental Impacts of Conventional Land Maintenance
According to Consumer Reports, small, two-stroke engines used in conventional lawn-care equipment are big polluters. Mowing a lawn one hour per week for a summer consumes only 10 gallons of gas, but releases an average of 148 pounds of CO2 emissions per year. Furthermore, one hour on an average riding mower emits roughly the same amount of NO2, one of the key ingredients in smog, as driving a very clean new car for 75,000 miles.
Sheep are Better Suited for the Job
A variety of small ruminants – sheep and goats – can control green fields in many conditions from urban fields to steep terrains along power lines that men and machines cannot easily access.
Sheep do not compact the soil or disturb the indigenous species. Sheep can eliminate thistle, brush, noxious weeds, and other invasive plants and restore native grasses.
In addition, 200 animal days of grazing creates 600 pounds of manure containing ten pounds of nitrogen and eight pounds of phosphate that are readily available for plant growth. This would be similar to the amount of fertilizer recommended for a spring treatment for the average lawn care.
Using small ruminants for keeping lawn is nothing new. Our modern idea of lawn was born from the images of European estates that were maintained by sheep. The White House lawn once had sheep grazing during Wilson’s administration to save money on ground keeping.
Environmental Impacts of Conventional Land Maintenance
According to Consumer Reports, small, two-stroke engines used in conventional lawn-care equipment are big polluters. Mowing a lawn one hour per week for a summer consumes only 10 gallons of gas, but releases an average of 148 pounds of CO2 emissions per year. Furthermore, one hour on an average riding mower emits roughly the same amount of NO2, one of the key ingredients in smog, as driving a very clean new car for 75,000 miles.
Sheep are Better Suited for the Job
A variety of small ruminants – sheep and goats – can control green fields in many conditions from urban fields to steep terrains along power lines that men and machines cannot easily access.
Sheep do not compact the soil or disturb the indigenous species. Sheep can eliminate thistle, brush, noxious weeds, and other invasive plants and restore native grasses.
In addition, 200 animal days of grazing creates 600 pounds of manure containing ten pounds of nitrogen and eight pounds of phosphate that are readily available for plant growth. This would be similar to the amount of fertilizer recommended for a spring treatment for the average lawn care.