Herd through the grapevine Sheep graze

From The Pasture To The Vineyard

Vineyards have come full circle in terms of agricultural practices. Deploying animals to do hard labour on the farmstead is a convention that goes back many farmer’s almanac editions as they provide natural weed suppression, fertilization, and pest control.

The use of sheep in vineyards is also a traditional practice that has been used for centuries in many winegrowing regions around the world. However, it has seen a resurgence in recent years, especially in organic and biodynamic vineyards like Southbrook Vineyards.

Bill Redelmeier, proprietor of Southbrook Vineyards in Niagaraon-the-Lake, has had sheep in his biodynamic vineyard for several years. With a background in agriculture and a third-generation farmer, deploying sheep as labourers was an obvious choice, “Sheep are faster moving than cattle and relatively easy to handle,” he says, adding that they provide organic fertilization, without the use of harmful chemicals promoting biodiversity on the land. “It’s part of the care that comes from being a whole farm as opposed to purchasing all of your inputs where you have no control over how it’s produced or how good it is. I feel it results in a better wine.”

Southbrook Vineyards is an organic, biodynamic, and LEED® Gold certified vineyard located on a

150-acre property in the heart of the Niagara Peninsula wine region and includes 60 acres of vines, a winery, and a hospitality & tasting pavilion.

The approach to biodynamic agriculture is to treat a farm as a selfsustaining ecosystem. Biodynamic farming methods avoid synthetic chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and GMOs, and instead focuses on farmmade solutions for pest control, soil health, and fertility.

Southbrook has had as many as 200 sheep working the weeds on the property, and they are part of partnership Redelmeier formed with a local farmer who manages the flock in exchange for the use of his land.

“When we purchased the additional land, it was with the intention of having somebody use it,” says Redelmeier. “It’s tough for young farmers to get started with the high cost of land, so it works well to