Using Sheep In Vineyards: An Ancient Practice & Sustainable Alternative

In February 2021, the Lodi Winegrape Commission partnered with a young Basque sheep rancher and old-vine growers to host a family-friendly sheep grazing demo at a LODI RULES certified sustainable vineyard in the Mokelumne River sub-appellation of Lodi. Learn more about the benefits of this ancient farming practice.

[@camillesimon2873]

0:54 that's exactly what i think but for my goats

[@ruthlehman8974]

How old does the vineyard need to be for sheep to be a viable option?

[@practicalsheepman]

We run a few hundred commercial ewes in Lodi NY which is in The Finger Lakes Wine Country. My son is the wine maker at Lamoreaux Landing which is located a few miles from our farm. I often look at the cover crops in the vineyards and think about free sheep grazing. We lamb in May so I don't want to move ewes to graze pre bud breaking. Post harvest would probably work out best. If the owner would be willing to put up permanent hi tensile perimeter around a block, I could cross fence it with polybraid for daily moves. I would need to leave a LGD with them. I would have trucking to do and probably hauling water though the dry ewes might not require too much when grazing lush cover crops in a cool time of the year. Grazing in the early fall would allow me to accumulate additional winter stockpile on my pastures at home. What are your thoughts about the profitability of this?