CLEARLAKE OAKS, CA >> Owners of Lake Village Estates are taking an eco-friendly approach to weed mitigation and fire protection. They employed a few hundred four-legged workers — sheep — to take care of weeds on approximately 20 acres of undeveloped property at the Clearlake Oaks business.
Citing both the desire to take preventive measures and support the local farmer who owns the sheep, Lake Village Estates owner Dena Barron contacted Robert Irwin to inquire about the possibility of using his herd to “work” on the vacant parcel at the back of the senior living community.
With this year’s dry, hot conditions, Barron was mindful of last year’s devastating fires and the effects. Barron’s senior community became home to some of the survivors affected by the fires that burned so much of Lake County last fall. Several FEMA trailers were delivered by the government agency to allow qualifying fire survivors to live within the park.
“We needed to take extra fire precaution this year, especially considering the fact that we have some fire survivors residing here at Lake Village Estates,” said Barron. “We took into consideration their sensitivity regarding how to mitigate the weeds on our undeveloped acreage.”
Residents of Lake Village Estates enthusiastically welcomed the sheep, said Barron, coming out of their homes to see the herd maneuver through the community’s roadways to get to the lot. When the weeding job was done, several residents said they missed seeing the sheep, she added.
The sheep are part of “Kaos Sheep Outfit,” a Clearlake Oaks business owned and operated by Jamie and Robert Irwin who have been hiring out their herds in California since 2010. They previously conducted vineyard management in Oregon.
Since moving to Lake County, the Irwins concentrated on the sheep mowing business, working with vineyard owners, walnut and pear farmers, and home owner associations needing to conduct fire prevention. They have increased the amount of acreage of fire prevention grazing in Lake County each year. “Our business started as a pipe dream and escalated quickly,” said Robert.
“Instead of using a tractor to mow, you’re using sheep,” he said. It’s a costly process to operate machines and hire people to do the work. The process not only saves the land owner money, he explained; it is also a safer, fire preventive measure to rid invasive weeds. Mowers and other mechanical methods of vegetation removal can create sparks that can ignite grass fires in extremely dry areas. It is also environmentally safer than using pesticides and chemicals.
The number of sheep employed for each job and the amount of time it takes to complete the mowing depends on the acreage and the terrain, said Irwin. For Barron’s 20 acres, approximately 375 sheep “mowed” the property for about 8 days.
Using sheep for grazing is not a new method employed in Lake County. The Irwins partner with various farmers and land owners, many of whom have used the sheep mitigation method for some time.
The couple lives in Clearlake Oaks and does not have the room to keep the sheep at their home. They rely on the “employment” of the herd to have places for them to keep the sheep. While the vegetation is the animals’ staple, they also need water. The Irwins supply a water trailer and troughs, but the property owner using the Kaos service is asked to supply water for the herd.
For more information on Kaos Sheep Outfit, call the Irwins at (541) 554-9170, or send them an email, jaimeikaos@gmail.com.
