We completed this round of the Canyon View Project last Saturday - we moved the sheep and goats off the project in anticipation of heavy rains over the latter half of the weekend. Thanks to our border collies Taff and Mo, we were able to load the animals in a culdesac adjacent to the property - all without loading chutes or corrals!
The animals did a tremendous job on the blackberries - they defoliated most of the plants they could reach. By defoliating them in the fall when they are going dormant (and trying to store energy in their root systems), we hope we can stress the plants enough to kill some of them. Later this winter, the Placer Land Trust will plant native trees and shrubs in the riparian corridor. We'll bring sheep back this spring to graze the yellow starthistle as it begins to bolt (probably in early May).
Thoughts about sustainable agriculture and forestry from the Sierra Nevada foothills.
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