Appropriate Technology Long before powered mowers and artificial fertilizers, hoofed livestock created and maintained open pastures and lawns.

Many famous lawns have relied on grazing to keep up appearances. Starting in 1863, sheep were common in New York's Central Park, where the "Sheep Meadow" was not a metaphor. Flocks could be found in public parks in London, Boston and Chicago. These sheep were photographed munching on Whitehouse lawn, circa 1919. Image public domain, via Library of Congress

"Sheep are lawn experts. They are more gentle grazers than goats or horses, clipping grass tops and nibbling weeds homeowners would like removed. They leave about four inches of the blade: just the right height, says Michigan State University Extension, to maximize root growth and shade out weeds....No chemicals are needed. Carbon from the grass is returned to the soil as sheep pellets. One 2006 study found replacing sheep for lawn mowers cut net emissions by more than a third." - Michael J. Coren Article: The Surprising Benefits of Switching to 'Lamb Mowers'