On a Texas farm, hundreds of rows of solar panels soak up sunlight. Underneath, a troop of stocky sheep rummage through pastureland. Their one job: eat grass. Good thing they’re hungry! 

Huge solar farms keep popping up in the United States. Their best employees are sheep. 

One solar project in Milam County, Texas, has 1.3 million solar panels. The farm stretches 4,000 acres. That’s a big yard to keep mowed. About 3,000 sheep help. They’re even better than lawnmowers because they can squeeze into tight spaces. They can clip grass in both sunny weather and rain. 

Plus, you don’t have to feed sheep gasoline! People like solar energy because it’s renewable. Sunlight keeps coming and doesn’t run out. (But cloudy days can cause problems.) In a way, sheep are also a renewable resource. The animals run on food and water. Gas for lawnmowers takes a lot more time and a lot more processing to renew. 

This trend is called “solar grazing.” More than 60 solar grazing projects exist in the United States. Solar fields use sunny, flat land. That’s a perfect habitat for sheep. More sheep also means more animals and wool in the market. 

In 2021, sheepherder JR Howard started making agreements with solar farms. The solar farmers paid Mr. Howard to bring his sheep to eat their grass. Mr. Howard’s small business grew. Now he has 8,000 sheep and 26 employees. 

He named his company Texas Solar Sheep. “It’s been great for me and my family,” he says. 

But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever. — Psalm 79:13