Sheep Grazing System with Complementary Pastures and Daily Milking

This case study examines Gavino Arca’s agroecological sheep farming system at Farm Su Giau in southern Italy, featuring rotational grazing on sandy soil, single daily milking, and mobile water supply. It targets local-rural markets with mid-range investment and high regional transferability. Key challenges include labour-intensive water management, uncertain seed mix performance, and a potential 5% milk yield reduction. Research gaps exist in species mixture effects, feed-productivity links, and milking system efficiency. Adaptations include automation, multispecies pastures, improved soil management, and system scaling. EU-funded, the project shows economic feasibility through high product value and agroecological payments, despite a long payback period. Environmental benefits include soil regeneration and nitrogen cycling; social gains include better animal health and reduced workload. Low youth engagement persists. Academic research underpins the analysis.