'Wooly Whackers' offer rentable sheep for grazing services

May 16-As nature would have it, sheep graze, and grass grows. Having a herd of his own, Vallejo resident Luiz Ahumada made the move to capitalize on that simple truth.

His new business venture allows Solano County residents a unique way to trim overgrown vegetation and tackle unruly land by renting out a herd of sheep.

Nicknamed "Wooly Whackers" by co-owners Ahumada and Stephanie Gardner, the business combines their mutual love for livestock while providing grazing services that help clear land plots organically.

The idea was inspired by their upbringing.

"I grew up in a place where farm animals live amongst us," said Ahumada, "I pretty much had that in my background my whole life, and I brought it over with me to Vallejo."

Gardner also spent some time living on farmland in the United Kingdom, where the collaboration was only natural.

Ahumada said he first explored several different business ventures involving horses and local arts communities before his experience with livestock inspired something broader. Initially his goal was to become a large-scale grazing company, fulfilling large contracts for Solano County. In pursuit of such, he had built up a stable herd alongside a business partner and friend - until they had unexpectedly died, forcing him to take a step back.

"I had to make some hard decisions, which meant cutting my herd back, and just kind of putting it on the back burner," said Ahmada.

Momentum resurfaced when his paths once again crossed with Gardner.

"He had a sheep that gave birth to two lambs, and the mother had passed away," she said. "He needed help taking care of the babies and asked me if I'd be willing. I was like, 'I grew up on a farm, and I love animals so much, sure I'm there.'"

With one another's help, they bottle-fed, even tube-fed, the "twins" as they call them - later even utilizing the two as the face of "Wooly Whackers."

The business gained momentum after Gardner had first tested the waters and posted in an online Vallejo community group. The feedback from residents was so strong that the leap to pursue "Wooly Whackers" made sense for the two.

They made the pivotal decision to combine their efforts in a joint business venture.

"People love it because you're not using gas, you're not messing with the environment - it's eco-friendly," she said. "It's good for the sheep because they can go from place to place instead of just staying in one spot," said Gardner.

While many residents are familiar with goat grazing services, Gardner said sheep offer a different advantage.

"It's been received really well," she said. "I kind of thought at first - people are so used to seeing goats, and goats are great, but goats will eat the shoes off your feet while you're standing in them."

She added that sheep tend to be cautious and even more intelligent grazers.

"With lambs and sheep, they're very smart, and they know if something is toxic to them - to mostly avoid it," Gardner said. "They'll nibble a leaf and go, 'Nope, not for us.'"

Once they are around humans, she said they can also learn to recognize about 50 faces.

The partners also observed that the animals appear to have a positive effect on the vegetation they graze.

"It's strange - Luiz noticed something," Gardner said. "Anything that the sheep bite or chew on, it regrows and regrows healthier. So there's an enzyme in their mouth that works with the plants that makes the plants grow. We haven't figured out quite what it is yet."

To ensure the herd remains healthy and safe for clients' properties, Gardner said the sheep are well cared for. They are all vaccinated, dewormed, and receive vitamin B shots regularly.

Beyond grazing, Ahumada and Gardner hope Wooly Whackers can expand into education and community engagement, especially for local youth.

Looking ahead, Ahumada said he wants to incorporate livestock-based learning experiences into the business model.

"There's some stuff in Vallejo, but there's not enough," Gardner added, noting that public knowledge about livestock is still limited.

"It's like...we walk past people, and they go, 'Oh look a goat...' and I'm like, oh good grief, people don't know the difference between a goat and a sheep?" she said.

For now, Wooly Whackers is focused on helping residents clear their properties the natural way - one herd at a time.

Ahumada added that the joint venture has freed up time to continue pursuing another long-term passion of his, to stay involved with the community and help at-risk youth - something he said he personally benefited from growing up.

For information on renting a herd of your own, or to scroll through pictures of cute sheep, you can visit their official Facebook page under the "Wooly Whackers" name.

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