SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — The trouble, when people try to clear brush, they always need to stop and take a lunch break.
But the 120 goats and sheep roaming this Fletcher Hills canyon, will happily do their jobs around the clock.
Matthew Sablove has been coming to this canyon since he was a little kid. As the years went on, the space became overgrown.
Acres of dead brush, perfect fuel for turning a spark into a full on wildfire, threatening the houses that sit above it.
"This canyon is a fire hazard. It's been a fire hazard for many years," said Sablove. "You essentially have areas that are in danger of fire all the time. And then they're only really being addressed when there's fire events,"
Matthew, his wife Angelica and their friends wanted to find a different, more sustainable way to clear out thick underbrush and what better way then having a team of living lawnmowers.
"The goats are more browser and they stand up on their hind legs and eat stuff and sheep always have their face in the ground," said Sablove.
Sablove's company is known as Good Shepherds and after they were hired by the local HOA they’ve been living, working and taking care of their flock in this canyon for weeks now.
After the team chops it up, the goats and sheep turn the brush into fertilizer.
"They're eating about a fourth there are 4% of their body weight every day. So we estimate about since we've been here, about 45,000 pounds of fire fuel have been eaten," said Sablove. "What's happening is, you're essentially cycling the nutrients back into the land, rather than taking the problem away and drying out the land."
There are canyons like these all throughout San Diego and many of them pose a fire threat. Good Shepherds tending to their flock, while tending to the earth, in a natural way.
To connect with the company you can reach them at www.goodshepherds.earth
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