Grazing Together: Healthier Landscapes, Stronger Communities | October 24 Greenwood Community Center, Elk
Exploring Community Grazing and Wildfire Resilience on the Mendocino Coast
Along the Mendocino Coast, grazing has long been part of caring for the land. Now, Conservation Works is exploring how neighbors, landowners, and local graziers can work together to make this time-honored practice an even more powerful tool for healthy grasslands, wildfire resilience, and thriving communities.
Thoughtfully managed grazing can help maintain open grasslands, reduce accumulated vegetation, and support native habitat.
Working with Nature
Sheep and goats are remarkable vegetation managers! With the right timing and care, grazing can reduce accumulated grasses and thatch, manage invasive plants, and help native wildflowers flourish. It can also reduce fine fuels that contribute to wildfire spread.
The secret is knowing when, where, and how long to graze. Healthy grasslands depend on thoughtful stewardship, and grazing is one of the tools that can help keep these landscapes resilient.
What If Your Neighbors Shared a Flock?
Imagine sheep moving between neighboring properties, helping manage overgrown vegetation while landowners share the cost of professional grazing services.
That's the idea behind community grazing. Neighbors might hire a local grazer together, coordinate grazing across property boundaries, or even establish a grazing cooperative.
It's a practical way to support local agricultural businesses, make land management more affordable, and care for larger stretches of the landscape.
Community Grazing Workshop in Elk | October 24
Conservation Works is bringing Sarah Keiser, founder of Wild Oat Hollow and The Holistic Herder, to Elk to explore how community grazing partnerships can take shape along the Mendocino Coast.
Sarah will share her experience connecting landowners with professional graziers and demonstrate how thoughtfully managed grazing can support healthier landscapes and wildfire resilience.
Saturday, October 24, 2026 | 10 AM–1 PM
Greenwood Center
6129 Highway 1
Elk, CA 95432
Free and open to the community. Registration requested.
Register for the Grazing Workshop
Connecting Grazing and Forest Health
This work complements Conservation Works' North Bay Forest Improvement Program, which helps landowners restore forest health and reduce wildfire hazards.
Forest restoration doesn't end when trees are thinned or brush is cleared. In suitable locations, carefully managed grazing can help keep grasses and other fine fuels in check, maintaining restoration investments while supporting healthier landscapes.
Growing Something Together
What makes this gathering particularly exciting is the potential for new partnerships. Perhaps neighbors will decide to share grazing services, or local graziers will discover new opportunities to work with coastal landowners.
The possibilities extend beyond any one property, bringing people together to care for the landscapes that connect us.
Healthy landscapes begin with people working together. Sometimes, they begin with sheep.