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Sheep used as lamb drivers at Conestoga College’s solar plant

Posted on by darion

Conestoga College officials have enlisted the help of lamb pickers to maintain the land on the Fountain Street S campus.

Thirty-three sheep will graze on the 1.2-hectare pasture surrounding the school’s 1,800 solar panels for the next two weeks.

“Historically, we have hired landscaping crews to maintain vegetation under and around the panels,” Samantha Lamb, manager of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency at Conestoga College, told CBC News in an interview at the solar panel site. .

“As part of our ongoing sustainability initiatives, we recognize that this was an area of ​​opportunity for us to re-naturalize the area while also seeking more sustainable landscaping methods.”

Sheep are marked with a non-toxic, washable spray that divides them into milking and non-milking groups. It is also used to indicate sheep that require monitoring. Sheep are marked with a non-toxic, washable spray that divides them into milking and non-milking groups. It is also used to indicate sheep that require monitoring.

Sheep are marked with a non-toxic, washable spray that divides them into milking and non-milking groups. It is also used to indicate sheep that require monitoring.

Sheep are marked with a non-toxic, washable spray that divides them into milking and non-milking groups. (Karis Mapp/CBC)

Sun grazing is a method of controlling vegetation in sunny areas using grazing livestock. This is the first practice of its kind in Waterloo Region and at any university in Ontario.

The working sheep arrived on June 3 and come from All Sorts Acre Farm in Ayton, owned by Jennifer and Tim Fischer.

Tim Fischer moved into a trailer on campus next to an area where sheep graze.

“We had farmers who hired us to graze their fields for the season. The horse pasture gets overgrown, sheep can come in and basically decimate it, and then the grass grows back again,” Tim Fischer explained.

“They compacted the soil a little while eating, but it bounces back and comes back better than before. This is the first time we are doing it on such a scale.”

Initially, only 16 sheep were brought in to maintain the fields, but Fischer says this was not enough, so 17 more were added. Initially, only 16 sheep were brought in to maintain the fields, but Fischer says this was not enough, so 17 more were added.

Initially, only 16 sheep were brought in to maintain the fields, but Fischer says this was not enough, so 17 more were added.

Initially, only 16 sheep were brought in to maintain the fields, but Fischer says this was not enough, so 17 more were added. (Karis Mapp/CBC)

This green initiative is part of a two-year pilot project at Conestoga College. The first year focuses on implementation and setup, while Lamb says the second year will look at what else can be done on the premises and with the sheep.

He says they are considering the possibility of using “resources from universities in our operations or programming.”

“For example, the use of wool in our creative industries programs or the potential use of wool as fertilizer. We might even consider using sheep’s milk or cheese in our cooking programs,” she said.

The sheep’s temporary home is located near Highway 401, and Fischer says many curious people have stopped by to see what’s going on.

“We have placed signage along the fence to provide education, but we are planning more formal engagement opportunities,” Lamb said.

At night, the sheep sleep under the panels on uneven ground. At night, the sheep sleep under the panels on uneven ground.

At night, the sheep sleep under the panels on uneven ground.

At night, the sheep sleep under the panels on uneven ground. (Karis Mapp/CBC)

The sheep will remain on the site for the next week and will return several times throughout the summer to keep the site in good condition.