Winter grazing with sheep: cooperation for agriculture and nature
INBO, ILVO, Odisee Hogeschool and the non-profit organisation Vlaamse Schapenhouderij (Flemish Sheep Farming) explored the possibilities of winter grazing with sheep, together with sheep farmers and other farmers. This took place during a preparatory project under the European Innovation Partnership. Sheep are used for nature and green space management during the summer, but feeding the flock during the winter is a challenge.
Winter grazing is a practice that was common in the past and is now gaining interest again, not only in Flanders but also elsewhere. The project investigated the possibilities on plots with winter wheat, grass seed cultivation, permanent and temporary grassland, green cover crops, fodder crops, nature areas and other public or private land. Winter grazing appears to offer specific advantages for each of these uses.
Landscape management in which sheep graze on different plots according to the seasons follows the same logic as landscape management for biodiversity in agricultural areas. It ensures year-round availability of food and shelter for wildlife, with particular attention to the breeding season. The landscape is then managed as a whole rather than as a collection of separate plots. The main obstacles to wider roll-out of this practice in Flanders are the mandatory registration contracts under manure legislation and public concern about sheep grazing in the cold winter months.
The project demonstrated that using sheep in winter offers advantages for agriculture and nature, as well as for climate adaptation, climate mitigation and the reduction of pesticide use.
Amaury Sonneville, Myriam Dumortier & Kurt Sannen
Image above: Yves Adams (Vildaphoto)