Sheep in the City: Nature’s Lawnmower

CLEVELAND, Ohio — If you drive down the Shoreway this weekend, your eyes are not playing tricks on you: Cleveland now has resident sheep, mowing lawns for free!

The flock is managing the grass of a vacant lot on North Marginal Road, next to the Quay 55 apartment building. They’ve moved in temporarily as part of an urban grazing experiment, which is being done to show how some land can be kept in shape without the need for mowers.

The city sheep idea was brought to life by St. Clair Superior Development Corporation, a non-profit community development company.

SCSDC spokesman Michael Fleming tells Fox 8 News that while the sheep are munching on their favorite food, they’re also acting as a lawn treatment service.

“That’s the great news about sheep, is that they weed, seed, and fertilize. And if you think about Scotland, and you think about golf, and where it originated, that’s why, because sheep were maintaining the land,” Fleming said.

A host of volunteers, many from nearby St. Martin de Porres High School, will help to keep the sheep safe–as will a llama.

According to Fleming, when llamas are around a flock of sheep, they act as a natural guard dog to keep other predators away. A newly installed fence will help, too.

Don’t worry if you miss out on the viewing “baahpportunity” this weekend, the flock is expected to stick around through October.

– Fox 8 anchor Bill Sheil contributed to this report.