Reader’s Digest Australia & New Zealand – May 2019

84 | May• 2019

yearsasanextrashepherdhandwith
a flockcompletingthetranshumance,
a centuries-oldpracticeofseasonally
guidinganimalsthousandsofkilo-
metresacrossthecountrytograze
inmoreagreeabletemperatures.He
couldworkforsomeoneelseagain,or
eventendhisownflockofanimalson
publicland.Butwhathereallywants
ishisownflockandland.Ashe’s
learnedoverthepastweeks,thereare
grantstohelpyoungshepherds– but
onlyif youalreadyhave 500 sheepor
170 goats.Tohavewhathewants,he’ll
havetoworksmart.Heknowsthese
spreadsheetsmatter.
Thatafternoonthestudentsgather
ontheverandahofa localbar.“Milk
andmeatpriceshaven’tgoneupfor
25 years,”complainsCristobalPadilla
Garcia,whosefamilyraisesanimals.
“Youhavetomakesurethatyour
animalsareproductiveallthetime.”
Julia sits and listens. Raised by

architect parents who

farmedpigsontheside,

sheonlyreallydiscovered

herloveofallthingsrural

whileworkingona farmin

Colombiaafterfinishing

herstudiesinliterature,

philosophyandtheology.

Butonthefarm,everyday

wasvibrantandnew.She

lovedthework.Shecon-

nectedwiththeanimals

andtheland.

“Beforetoday,I liked

theideathatshepherding

ismorebucolic,thattherearen’ta

lotofnumbers,”saysJulia.Nowshe’s

learnedthatthemoderntechnology

andaccountingshethoughtshewas

leavingbehindmightactuallybeuse-

fulforherdreamofmakingcheese–

andhelpherfindpeaceofmindout

ontheland.

“Theclassconvincedme,”saysJulia.

“Thetoolstheprofessorgaveusare

perfect.”Butwhatshelikesmostabout

becominga shepherd“isnotthebusi-

nesspart,butthetimespentwith the

animals in the countryside.”

AT9AMTHENEXTDAY, 16bleary-

eyedfutureshepherdsclimbintoa

largevanforoneofthelasteduca-

tionalfieldtripsofthecourse.Aftera

bumpy20-minutedrive,theyarriveon

thelandofJaimeHidalgoRuiz,a local

shepherdwhoraisesa rarebreedof

indigenouspigusedtomakeSpain’s

prized cured ham–Jamón Ibérico. The

JuanAntonioholdsa wheelofcheese

he made from goat’s milk

PHOTOS: DAVID BIASI