This Ecosystem Sustainable Building Practice Is Simple and Spreading

Utilizing sheep to keep grass lawns thriving, not just for scenery, but for agricultural use has been around for centuries... but is now widely spreading.

In the beginning of my time living in Maastricht, Netherlands, I began seeing packs of sheep around the city, such as the photo I took above.

I assumed that this was a rare occurrence of a farmer transporting their flock in this manner. To my surprise, I continued to see packs of sheep laying in the grassy areas of the city. Truly any grass area, even in small section besides the grocery store.

Overtime, I began to understand how the sheep 🐑 were helping these patches of grass grow fresher and more lively as they grazed, munching and naturally cutting the grass.

Not only are these sheep natural lawnmowers, no gas needed, no loud morning wake-ups, just munching

-sheep grazing also stimulates new grass growth, resulting in healthier and denser pastures overtime.

+their droppings are a natural fertilizer.

This is a simple, sustainable farming method that was so mind-blowing for me, something that I would never see in my neighborhood in The States. However, in Europe, with less highways and more natural parks and gardens right at your doorstep, this is a normal phenomena that keeps the country running on green energy.

Now, the United States has begun picking up this sustainable building practice for their solar panel plantations.

Not only does this practice reduce flooding of these energized plantations, it also creates a "two birds🐦 with one stone🪨" sustainability practice.

Called Agrivoltaics, it creates a dual use of land for agricultural and sustainable energy production.

“Agrivoltaics has enormous potential to solve our climate and energy problems simultaneously. It not only produces clean energy but also enhances agricultural output, yielding more produce than traditional farming methods.” According to Joshua Pearce, an academic engineer at Western University with work on protocrystallinity, photovoltaic technology, agrivoltaics, open-source-appropriate technology, and open-source hardware including RepRap 3D printers and recyclebots.

Sheep, the bright future for agrivoltaics, have been in decline in the United States, with a reduction in 2 million sheep since 2001{1} Pearce states that sheep use on solar farms in the United States drives down costs for farmers (and thus product consumer prices), increase sheep numbers as the sheep become healthier - a win for wool & sustainability, and creates more viable soil for produce production.

SHEEP, not only cute & fluffy but Sustainability Queeensss 👑

Now, Happy Taco Tuesday 🌮.

Oprah says treat yo' self

Additional Resources

1. Total number of sheep and lambs in the United States from 2001 to 2024

2. Euronews on Sheep Use

3. Solar farms are booming in the US and putting thousands of hungry sheep to work