KNOX — Gary Kleppel is a sheep farmer who likes coyotes.

He is perpetually aware of the ecological balance of which he is a part.

Every morning, Kleppel and his border collie bring their 30 sheep from barn to pasture and then, every night, return them to the barn.

Overnight, coyotes eat all the vermin in the pasture. There are no rats in the Kleppels’ barn.

In ecology, Kleppel explains in this week’s podcast, there is no competition; rather, there is co-opetition. “We cooperate and we compete,” says Kleppel.

Kleppel, who has a Ph.D. in biology and, for 15 years, directed the graduate program of Biodiversity Conservation and Policy at the University at Albany, came to farming by way of oceanography.

When he and his wife, Pam, who is now retired from her job as a business manager for Albany Law School, bought Longfield Farm in Knox, it wasn’t farmed. There were just five plant varieties on their 16 acres; now there are 51 varieties.

He rotates the places where his sheep graze, perpetually creating fresh pastures.

Kleppel noted that birds followed the great herds in Africa of wildebeests, zebras, and elephants. The birds would scratch the manure and eat parasites. So he got chickens for his farm, who serve a similar function, following the sheep.

“The magic resides in the microbes,” says Kleppel.

Manure enhances the grass, which in turn enhances the flavor of the meat. “The most important thing I grow on my farm are microbes,” he says.

The Kleppels’ economic goal for their farm is to have it pay for itself. For this reason, they have diversified. Their sheep produce meat and wool. 

His wife makes dryer balls of the wool. The wool is also used for gloves and blankets and scarves. The chickens lay eggs and the Kleppels also bake healthy breads to sell.

In his book, “The Emergent Agriculture,” Kleppel explains the biological importance of diversity. A fundamental rule of ecology, he says, is: “Diversity creates stability.”

When there’s a perturbance, a diverse environment is resilient.

Kleppel, for example, notes that his sheep don’t much like to graze on goldenrod but it’s useful to have it on his farm because 75 percent of plants are pollinated by insects. Goldenrod blooms late in the growing season, giving bees their last meal.

“Farming is a continuous problem-solving job,” says Kleppel.

As Kleppel is now in his seventies and the Kleppels’ children aren’t interested in taking over Longfield Farm, they are looking for young people that may be interested.

Kleppel chairs the town’s Agricultural Advisory Committee and is the vice chairman of the Albany County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board.

He believes the Hilltowns are equipped to create a vibrant agricultural economy. Kleppel is interested in working with students at Berne-Knox-Westerlo — both to work with him on research and on agri-business.

The Hudson Valley, he says, is geared toward sustainable local food.

So often, Kleppel says, people set up a dichotomy between conservation and economic development. But, with agriculture, they work together.

Looking back at his life, with his enduring interest in science and his diverse pursuits, Kleppel concludes with this advice: “Follow your passion, train broadly, keep your eyes open, and remember: No one owes you a farm.”