Miniature Babydoll Sheep and Wine

Want to go the natural way, whether a drinker or a grower of today's wines? Then look for wineries that are going organic in their growing. Olde English Miniature Babydoll Southdown Sheep top off at 2 feet tall, improve soil when they poop, and cut costs way back for wineries as they weed-whack their way through vineyards.

They are the oldest known and rarest purebred sheep in all the world, originating from Sussex County, England. They come with big benefits. Their small hooves mean less trampled-on soil than what a tractor tire leaves behind, or a farm boot. They can get into low, small spaces where cumbersome weeds like to grow and farmhands don't like to go. They don't forage up like goats tend to do, which means they won't eat the grape leaves. This all means better wine for you.

University of California researchers are in process of training full-sized sheep (36 inches tall) to dislike grape leaves. With negative association, these sheep just may have a promising future in the vineyards with their shorter cousins.

Wineries can save grape growers serious money with a family of miniature sheep, up to thousands of dollars sliced off per acre. But before selling or leasing the Babydoll Southdowns, suppliers say farms should be free from pesticides and other chemicals and should be fenced in to protect the sheep from predators. Guard dogs should also be employed for this same reason. They need to chase off the coyotes because once the coyotes discover the property is riddled with little white sheep, they will keep coming back.

More and more customers are demanding organic wines for their palates. Supply and demand says employ more Miniature Babydoll Sheep, not farmhands. And, eventually, supply more full-sized sheep coming out of the U of Cal lab.

The sheep like the weeds and can digest them easily. This turns the wool workers into little natural lawn mowers and helps with fertilizing the area more completely and naturally. Miniature Babydolls are much like the bigger, taller breeds and are easy to care for with no special or particular needs aside from their size. Most are white, but some are black, gray, or black and white spotted. They should be 18 to 24 inches tall. They may produce for up to 8 to 10 years. The North American Babydoll Southdown Sheep Association and Registry Web site has a list of breeders with contact information. It is also loaded with cuddly pictures and breeding information.

Whether a farmer or a consumer, it is worth requesting more information about Miniature Babydoll Sheep and which wineries use them in their vineyards. The future of organic wine looks bright and healthy where no chemicals are used to grow grapes and sheep frolic on the landscape.