Targeted Grazing Services
Why targeted grazing?
Reduce unwanted vegetation while also improving the health of your soil.
Also called "prescribed grazing," targeted grazing regenerates your soil by:​​
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improving water filtration, which reduces runoff and erosion
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improving water retention for increased drought resistance
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fertilizing naturally with manure and urine, which increases microbial activity and nutrients in your soil
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increasing organic matter as hooves incorporate manure and urine into the soil
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reducing chemical fertilizer and herbicide use, which is costly and damaging to health, water quality, and native ecosystems
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reducing compaction as opposed to heavy equipment
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increasing aeration through hoof action
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increasing carbon sequestration in soil to combat climate change
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increasing soil pH to reduce soil acidification
 
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Other benefits to targeted grazing with sheep are:
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fire prevention and mitigation by removing unwanted brush
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reduction of invasive plants for conservation and improved land utilization
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access to steep, wet, or hard to reach areas
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reduced labor costs and volunteer time
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breed specific attributes that integrate with existing agricultural operations
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compatibility with solar equipment in agrivoltaics operations
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removal of competing vegetation encourages growth of desirable trees in forestry operations
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sustainable method of clearing, weeding, and mowing that increases public interest and environmental awareness
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watching them "work" will put a smile on your face!​​​​
 
How can you incorporate targeted grazing with sheep into your farm, forestry, or land management program?
Targeted Grazing Applications
Join Our Waiting List
We are excited to start offering targeted grazing services to clients located on the Olympic Peninsula in 2026! Please join our waiting list to be contacted when services begin.
Resources
1 / Soil Health Generally
USDA-NRCS Soil Health Classroom Demonstration Video (really worth watching!)
USDA-NRCS Web Soil Survey (allows you to find soil information in areas of interest)
USDA-NRCS Soil Health Assessment
UC Davis Soil 101 "Soil Health"
2 / Targeted Grazing
American Sheep Industry Association / Ron Daines Targeted Grazing: A natural approach to vegetation management and landscape enhancement
​University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources "Targeted Grazing: A Primer for Consumers"
Rangelands Gateway "Targeted Grazing"
Oregon State University "Targeted Grazing"
UC Davis Soil 101 "Animal Inputs"
Derek W. Bailey, Jeffrey C. Mosley, Richard E. Estell, Andres F. Cibils, Marc Horney, John R. Hendrickson, John W. Walker, Karen L. Launchbaugh, Elizabeth A. Burritt, Synthesis Paper: Targeted Livestock Grazing: Prescription for Healthy Rangelands, Rangeland Ecology & Management, Volume 72, Issue 6, 2019, Pages 865-877, ISSN 1550-7424.






