Integrated grazing (sheep) for carbon sequestration & climate
The impact, measured
Time horizon: Immediate to 3 seasons
Why it works
Replacing mechanical mowing with grazing saves diesel, and animal-driven cycling helps retain carbon in cover biomass.
What to measure for this pairing
Why this goal matters
A vineyard can be a carbon sink, not only a source of emissions. Practices that raise soil organic matter and perennial biomass pull CO₂ out of the atmosphere and store it in the ground, while cutting diesel, synthetic fertiliser and spraying.
Soil carbon is slow to build and easy to lose to aggressive tillage. Documenting practices and measuring organic matter over years is what underpins credible carbon claims and access to low-carbon markets.
Goal indicators
Market & certification: Relevant for footprint reporting, low-carbon labels and agricultural carbon credits.
How to implement the practice
- 1Define the safe grazing window (dormancy, before budburst).
- 2Calculate stocking rate for the available cover.
- 3Respect the safety intervals of any applied treatments.
- 4Log entries, exits and grazed plots.
Frequently asked
Won’t the sheep eat the vines?
In the winter-spring dormancy, before budburst, there is no tender foliage within reach. Outside that window you need barriers or short breeds.
What about spray residues?
It is essential to respect safety intervals and record what was applied to each plot before introducing animals — something the field notebook guarantees.
Same practice, other goals
Same goal, other practices — Carbon
How GrapeFlow helps
The proof certification and buyers ask for — logged by plot and date.
Electronic field notebook
Log every operation — cover sowing, grazing, composting, mowing — by plot and date, with an audit-ready history that proves the practice over the years.
Phytosanitary register & copper balance
Every treatment is logged with product, rate and active substance, and copper is summed on the 7-year rolling mean — direct proof of input reduction.
Plot registry & map
Every practice tied to the right plot on the map, with area, variety and history — so you know where you did what and can compare blocks.