by AnnGardner Eubank –
A flock of sheep have been hard at work at Puller Solar Farm near Hartfield since Dominion Energy introduced a “solar grazing” program to serve as an environmentally friendly and adorably fuzzy alternative to motorized lawn care on a number of their solar farms throughout the commonwealth.
A pilot program introducing flocks of sheep to Dominion’s solar farms to help keep grasses from interfering with solar absorption to the panels began in October 2022, said senior communications specialist Tim Eberly.
Dominion made the switch from lawnmowers to sheep at Puller Solar Farm in March 2023, said Eberly. The flock in Topping numbers about 80 sheep. They can graze around 40 acres every few days.
Dominion took on a 25-year lease of the 120-acre property in 2018. According to Eberly, there are 58,800 solar panels on the farm.
The sheep are bred by Marcus and Jess Gray who operate Gray’s LAMBscaping and raise sheep to graze solar farms throughout Virginia. The Grays travel statewide to regularly tend to and rotate the sheep throughout the farms.
“We’re trying to grow the flocks,” said M. Gray.
According to M. Gray, since the launch of the program, 1,000 sheep have been grazing as many as six solar farms so far.
Puller Solar Farm is a smaller location with just under 100 sheep grazing on the property. Larger farms host several hundred sheep, he said.
Sheep are an ideal alternative to motorized lawn care thanks to their less than picky eating habits and their low to the ground stature that allows them to maneuver easily beneath and around the panels.
Additionally, unlike goats, sheep are mild-mannered and lack aggression, so they don’t try to eat electrical wiring, Eberly said.
These sheep in particular also do not get their tails docked and do not get sheered, so they are very low maintenance.
Dominion has implemented the grazing program through several other solar farm locations in Louisa, Greenville, Mecklenburg, Pittsylvania and Sussex counties.
According to Eberly, Puller Solar Farm is a 15 megawatt farm, which is enough to power 3,750 homes. The energy from Puller Solar Farm is used at University of Virginia and powers roughly 9% of the University’s overall electric, Eberly said.
In order to make sure the sheep are performing their duties throughout the entire farm and not just honing in on one section, M. Gray said he uses portable electric fencing to block off large parcels of land on the farm that they rotate throughout the week.
While the 80 sheep on the farm are instrumental to the daily operations of the farm, there are two other key leaders who keep the farm running smoothly and efficiently.
Gray’s border collie, Trip, serves as an integral part to the team, herding the sheep in one close-knit herd wherever they need to go.
Honey, a 2-year-old great Pyrenees, serves as the head honcho of security, as she protects the sheep from any potential predators on the farm.
In addition to all the fluffy members of the team, Gray said the farm provides several others with jobs as well.
According to Gray, during the summer, several neighboring residents to the farm have helped out with general maintenance, and there are even now talks with state colleges and universities about creating paths for workforce development.
Solar grazing has spawned symbiotic relationships among the company, sheep and the workforce.
“Solar farms are already an environmental alternative to other sources of energy. Now we’re pairing two environmental alternatives together,” said Eberly.
While the program is still in its formative years, the company’s goal is finding the golden ratio of how much land per sheep is ideal for overall operations, he said.
While the company has not yet found the program to be more affordable than motorized lawn care, the environmental benefits are undeniable, continued Eberly.
In addition to the obvious removal of lawnmowers, the organic matter the sheep provide to the farm is important for the future of the land.
While Dominion is only a few years into its lease on the land, there is a possibility for the land to be eventually turned back over to traditional farming, and the richer the soil is, thanks to the sheep’s organic matter, the better it will be for the farmer of the future.
To date, Dominion hasn’t eliminated lawn mowers completely from overall maintenance of the farm. Some vegetation is not in the sheep’s diet needs and will ultimately call for outside reinforcements, said Eberly.
As of this year, the lawn maintenance was about a 50/50 split between sheep and lawnmowers. Over time Dominion wants it to be closer to 75% sheep, 25% lawnmower.
In its first year, Dominion has been happy and excited about the program and plans to continue its growth and development, he said.
