Conestoga College's landscaping crew is looking a lot different this year; wearing thick wool coats and acting very sheepish.
The group of at least 33 sheep has traded their farm and barn for a solar farm at the Conestoga College Fountain Street Campus.
"It was a bit different for them on the first day, but now they're just focused on eating all of this tall green grass," said the flock's owner and herder Tim Fisher.
The original plan was to only bring a few sheep, but Fisher decided to bring another 20 from their home farm at All Sorts Acres farm in Grey County along for the trip.
The livestock is "solar-grazing" on a three-acre plot of land to trim the weeds and grass around nearly 1,800 solar panels.
"It's perfect for them. They get to sit under the solar panels when it's hot and get some cover and stay dry when it rains," said Fisher. "The idea is for them to eat all of the grass to prevent it from growing up into the solar panels that could potentially cause damage."
Just a year ago, the solar farm was a perfectly manicured lawn kept by a full team of landscapers and machinery. The plan is to now have the sheep come in and eat all they can, cutting the grass, but also cutting emissions.
The project's first year will focus on setup and implementation, while the second will introduce educational and engagement opportunities for students.
The college noted in an April blog post that the original plan was to find a green landscaping solution, but the many spin-off benefits soon became apparent.
"It presents a unique opportunity to integrate urban agriculture at Conestoga while eliminating the need for herbicides and gas-powered landscaping equipment. It will also provide education and engagement opportunities for the whole college community," said Samantha Tremmel Lamb, environmental sustainability and energy performance manager on the school's website.
Fisher was been living and working at the solar field for the past two weeks and watches over the sheep as the continue to chew their way around the panels.
"I've got my little trailer set up here, so I can keep an eye on them. There is also an electrified fence that keeps them from trying to wander off," he said. "They seem to be really liking it here, so it might be hard to get them on the trailer to go home."
The crew started grazing on June 3 and has been booked for two weeks, leaving this Sunday.
Fisher commends the college for its efforts in naturalizing the area, allowing ground-nesting birds, pollinators and other wildlife to return to the area. The sheep also act as a natural manure maker, fertilizing the ground as they go.
"Having been out here at night we are getting so many fireflies, dragonflies and other creatures I'm sure would not be attracted to just a perfectly cut lawn," he said.
The college also noted that the sheep not only provide an excellent alternative for landscaping, but they could also contribute milk and cheese for its culinary programs and wool for the creative industries program.
The "lamb-scapers" will be back two more times this year with more opportunities for students and members of the community to learn about the solar-grazing initiative and the solar farm that helps generate about 750,000 kWh of renewable energy per year for the college.
"This is a renewable lawn maintenance on a renewable energy source, what more could you ask for," said Fisher.
