How UC Davis is testing ‘sheep mowers’ against conventional landscaping techniques
A sheep landscaping crew is the latest, if temporary, addition to the front entry of UC Davis.
An academic experiment at the campus, which first opened in 1908 as an extension to UC Berkeley called the University Farm, started Wednesday to evaluate conventional landscaping methods against using sheep to eat weeds and grass, fertilize soil and control pests. It will continue through the week and intermittently throughout the summer.
According to A. Haven Kiers, the assistant professor of landscape architecture who is leading the project, the sheep can have numerous benefits for the landscape. But there is little peer-reviewed evidence to support the benefits in an urban environment, which she hopes to change.
“I want to integrate sheep into the UC fabric,” she said, explaining how the animals align with the school’s brand. “We’re this ag school, and we’ve got amazing veterinary and agricultural services. What I want to do is add to that.”
Haven said her dream was to integrate the sheep into the central campus, where their presence might help minimize student stress.
Students hired has sheepherders will tend the animals, which include four breeds: Suffolk, Hampshire, Southdown and Dorset. A nearby acre of grass will be maintained in the traditional fashion to provide the comparison.
Follow the work of the sheep experiment on Instagram at @UCDavis_sheepmowers.
