Sheep are gaining popularity as mowers of grasslands in the US and beyond. Two vineyards in Ireland have just acquired Quessant sheep to manage vegetation. The benefits are many. Less fuel fumes in the vineyard from mechanical mowing equipment, a constantly coifed surface that may compete less with the vines, and of course sheep droppings return nutrients to the soil. Of course, it will affect the terroir, perhaps favourably.
New Zealand has been doing it for some time. With 27M sheep and 37K hectares of vines, it was inevitable to converge, especially if there were benefits both ways, and there are. NZ has studied the results and quantified the benefits. The financial benefits are substantial from the reduction of herbicides alone.
I love the way agriculture is heading. The practice is just beginning in the US, but there is hope that more care of the earth and better ecological practices will help the earth and the farmer.
