Sheep versus lawnmower: the big mowing contest – panorama

Those who used to own a piece of meadow were happy when they owned sheep too. Not only did they keep the sward short, but they also provided wool, milk and Sunday roast. At some point came the time of urban lawn squares – and with them the lawn mower. Whether with a tangled electric cable, a smoking motor or even in the form of a robot – thanks to its grass catcher bag, the machine was as swallowing as the sheep. Only a few row house owners can therefore still afford a sheepfold.

The University of California’s Agricultural Institute is now trying to find out if it might not be more efficient and environmentally friendly to let woolly cloven-hoofed turf care. For this purpose, a selection of four sheep breeds is now grazing 4000 square meters of lawn on campus under the supervision of a shepherdess. For control purposes, an equally large piece of land is tended with a lawnmower. Haven Kiers, who leads the project as professor of landscape architecture, says her dream is to fully integrate the sheep into the central campus, where their presence could help reduce student stress.

The results of the study should be available at the end of this summer. A few advantages are obvious even without scientific certification. If you send them out onto the turf, you don’t have to hook up sheep anywhere, for example, or refuel. And if you should take a look around the landscape instead of doing your job of plucking grass, a single instruction in your own language is sufficient: “Muh!”

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