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Are Urban Sheep The Solution To City Landscaping?

A Former Shepherd Wants Sheep To Cut The Grass In Montreal
Sheep in Cornwall Park, Auckland
Ivan Stevens/500px
Sheep in Cornwall Park, Auckland

Mathyas Lefebure is on a mission to bring herds of sheep to Montreal's city parks.

The former French shepherd told the CBC that using grazing sheep to maintain Montreal's green space is environmentally-friendly and could even result in the production of Montreal sheep milk cheese in time for the city's 375th birthday in 2017.

Similar projects have already taken place in Saskatchewan, Atlanta and throughout Europe.

According to the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the city of Turin was able to save approximately 30,000 euros by using 'lawnmower sheep' in three of the city's public parks.

And when it comes to quality of the cut, soil compaction and efficiency, the experts at Asian Turfgrass Centre say sheep are the smarter choice. Due to their minimal weight, sheep can be sent out to "mow" almost instantly after heavy rainfall (unlike machinery). They also mow in unison, so they can tackle a job quickly and they can get lower to the ground than even cows.

But depending on the amount of grass you need cut, you might want to reconsider. This fun animal lawnmower calculator will help you find the best animal to graze on your grass.

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