BY JOE ARCE AND COREY CRABLE
When Katy Claggett posted the flyer advertising a “Flock Party – bringing in a herd of sheep and goats to clean up the alley at 29th and Jarboe – she wasn’t pulling the wool over the eyes of Westside residents.
“We woke up and there they were, in our backyard this morning,” said Lisa Guerra, who lives adjacent to the alley. “I think it’s a hit. I’ve never seen sheep, so I think this is awesome.”
Guerra is just one of several residents who came out to supervise the sheep and goats clearing out the alley by eating the vegetation growing in it (the city does not maintain that specific alley). Brought in by a local farmer, the sheep and goats were the centerpieces of the event, dubbed a “Flock Party” and sponsored by the Sacred Heart Neighborhood and local partners such as Margarita’s and the Guadalupe Centers. The Flock Party wasn’t just all work, however – participants got to enjoy food the music of a live band SouLuna and kid-friendly games as well.
Claggett, who describes herself as an ‘urbanist’ and has lived in the neighborhood for two years, brought in local farmer and naturalist Jacob Canyon to oversee the project. Canyon praised the event and said he was glad everyone was having fun.
“It’s definitely uncommon as a way of managing green spaces in our day and age, but it’s really old school. The sheep and other grazing animals have always been used to maintain landscapes this way,” Canyon explained. “One farmer we worked with, had the sheep helping clear his land and he said, ‘Oh I love having the sheep here.’ They’re lawn mowers, weed whackers, and fertilizers, but unlike those things, they don’t emit any carbon. They don’t break down they actually increase in value, they reproduce, and they produce delicious, pastured meat that’s healthy.”
Claggett said she never worried about getting a crowd to help with the project – after all, Westside residents are known for their willingness to help one another.
“The first time we talked to the neighborhood association about the idea of bringing in sheep, everybody was just like, ‘What?’ And then it only took another minute for everybody’s faces just to light up into a smile because they thought it was such an interesting idea. And we knew that if we had an event that could incorporate kids in some way, that would just like only increase the joy. So we’re really accomplishing clearing the alley and having a really fun kid-friendly event at the same time,” Claggett said. “Everybody was telling me, ‘Everybody’s going to show up. We show up for each other.’ So that’s been proven right. And we’re thrilled with how it’s all turned out.”
Aaron and Maria Goldsmith, who used to live on the Westside, came back to help with the cleanup. Aaron recalled he was excited to hear about such a unique project.
“I thought, ‘Bring it on. I hope they bring a whole army.’ It really is overgrown,” Aaron said. “We’re clearing it all out so you can be able to get a vehicle all the way down through here and then take it all the way back.”
Maria was lucky enough to catch at least one sheep grabbing some sleep after eating a lot of vegetation in the sunshine.
“I think it’s ready to take a little nap,” she said. “Yeah they’re having a good time, and the weather today is perfect.”
Claggett thanked the volunteers and local organizations who had a hand in making the party a success.
“One thing that we can all do is, we can do small acts in our neighborhood, on our block that makes a difference in our lives and the lives of the neighbors around us,” Claggett said. “So if we just focus very locally, there’s a lot that we can do.”
