Yes. You heard right.  Six black beasts are now patrolling the Bell Mountain Vineyards, devouring all cover crops that lie in their path.  These delightful creatures are the latest experiment at Medlock Ames.  In previous years we've had great success using sheep to help us mow the organic cover crops that carpet our vine rows, cycling nutrients as they graze.  This year we decided complement our wooly weeders with some miniature cattle.  These 'Lowline' cattle were originally bred in Australia from Angus cattle chosen specifically for their small stature and ability to thrive in the harsh conditions of the Australian Outback.  Their petite physique helps limit compaction on our soils and their hearty manner allows them to flourish on even the toughest weeds in our chemical-free vineyard, which saves us from the drudgery of back-breaking labor.  They are approximately 60% of the size of a typical beast but they are 110% cuter with a gentle disposition.  Our young bulls are fairly timid (which is why the image below is taken from a great distance) and despite their relative recent arrival at the ranch we've all grown rather fond of them.  They may be smaller than the average cow (or bull, rather) but they still weigh several hundred pounds.  Agustin, our vineyard foreman, has thankfully developed some top secret, special techniques to help train the herd to work the rows without damaging our delicate trellising.  

Sheep and cattle have different forage preferences and the presence of one with the other encourages both to eat more quickly.  With the two groups working together we’re hoping that they will be able to make short work of our weeds.  By introducing animals into our farming we are creating a system that more closely mimics nature’s complexity.  A farm with greater diversity of species is a stronger system that is better able to resist pests and drought.  This type of farming allows us to capture more energy from the sun, the ultimate renewable resource.  Everything that lives on our farm - vines, livestock, wild animals, even the bugs in our soil - works together to enhance the environment at Bell Mountain which supports us and our business.  Our job is to help that process along.  Sometimes (often, actually) we make mistakes.  But we try to learn from those mistakes and continuously improve the way we do things here and ultimately make more delicious wine!