Reader’s Digest Australia & New Zealand – May 2019

May• 2019 | 85

studentsstareoutatoneof
Jaime’slushgreenfields,at
themomentoverrunwith
largeblackpigs.
“Thistypeofanimalisn’t
beingraisedonbiginten-
sivefarms,”explainsthe
school’scoordinator,Fran-
ciscodeAsísRuizMorales.
He’sspeakingaboutthe
modernpracticeofhaving
thousandsofanimalskept
inindoorstalls.“Ifwelose
shepherdslikeJaime,we
willalsolosewholebreeds
ofindigenousanimals.”
Asthestudentswanderthebrush-
freetundra thatmakes upmuch
ofJaime’sland,Franciscoexplains
thatwithoutgrazingherds,invasive
weedssuchasthistle andheath-
erwouldquicklydestroythebio-
diversitythathas developedover
thepastthousandsofyearsofnon-
industrialfarminginEurope.
“Animalslikethelynxandeagle,
thatdependonclearedlandtohunt,
coulddisappear,”saysFrancisco.
Withoutanimalsgrazingandkeeping
thelandclear,theforestfiresplagu-
ingEuropewouldbecomeevenmore
uncontrollable.
Hepointsata cow,munchingona
tuftofgrass.“Plantsthatdependon
wanderingfarmanimalstospread
theirseedswouldnolongergrow,”he
says.“Thereisa biggapinknowledge.
Societyingeneraldoesn’trealisewhat
is disappearing and its impact.”

AFEWDAYSLATERit’stimeforthe

students’lastten-dayplacementswith

a shepherdtutor.MarioandJuliahave

bothchosenJuanAntonio.They’ve

beenwaitingforthis:thechancetobe

onthelandwitha realshepherdand

soakuphiswisdom.

“Thisiscalledtorvisco,”saysJuan

Antonio,holdingupa long,slimleaf.

Thethreestandoutsidehismilking

shed,oblivioustothehotAndalusian

sun.Hepassesthemtheplant.“It’s

a naturalantibiotic,antisepticand

anti-inflammatory.”

Heholdsupaweatheredplastic

waterbottlefilledwitha darkliquid.

“Thisisa mixtureofoliveoilandtor-

visco,” heexplains.“Itcanbeusedto

treatinfectionsinsteadofantibiotics.”

Whenoneofhis 200 goatsor 170

sheepslipsontherockyhillsand

getsa cut,hewrapsitsfootinoneof

theseleaves.Whena milkingsheep

gets mastitis – an inf lammation of

Mario(left)shearingsheepalongside

Juan Antonio’s son