Ten years ago, no one wanted to be a shepherd in Catalonia. Many livestock farmers were forced to sell their flocks because they couldn't find anyone to shepherd them. The trend has reversed, and the profession no longer seems so vilified, judging by the growing interest in the Catalan Shepherds' School. This year, 55 applicants applied, of which 18 were selected. "I'm here by vocation, because I like living connected to nature and animals," exclaims Yeray Yánez, one of the students who began theoretical classes last Monday in the town of Montenartró (Pallars Sobirà).
A total of 90 students have passed through the School of Shepherds of Catalonia in the last five years. 70% have successfully pursued their project in the livestock sector. Most proclaim that being a shepherd is a latent vocation that has awakened at a crucial moment in their lives. “I imagine a day shepherding with a bag, with the necessary food to survive in the mountains, and without a cell phone. Just connected to nature and watching over the flock. And if anyone wants something from me, they can come see me,” says Yerai, a 35-year-old from the Canary Islands.
Not all of them will focus their future on herding cattle, but rather on becoming part of a new generation that has nothing to do with traditional livestock farming, but rather with agroecology. After receiving training, they will have to start from scratch; few of them come from farming families.
Toni Cantón, a 29-year-old from Manresa, wants to launch an educational project based on the influence of the rural world on education. "There are still children who don't know how milk is obtained."
María Abadías, a 27-year-old Barcelona native, will leverage her biology and organic farming studies to launch something ambitious: an organic sheep farm on a long-abandoned family property in Vall del Bac, Alta Garrotxa. “My idea is to start with sheep for quality meat and wool and then expand the business to include horses, cows, organic beekeeping, and rural tourism. It will be my life project, and I want to make a living there.”
Some students have left their jobs to embark on a new, discredited and uncertain career path, whether as a shepherd or rancher. Among those who have opted for a radical change are Gonzalo, a naval engineer, and Arnau, a social educator.
The Shepherds' School is an initiative of the Rurbans sociocultural association, which works to revitalize the region through traditional trades. The success achieved in the five years it has been operating surprises its leaders, who fear for its continued existence. "The Generalitat (Catalan government) owes us about €55,000 for the last three years, and we don't know how long we'll be able to hold out," says Vanesa Freixa, project coordinator.
The course costs 500 euros. After one month of classes, they complete a four-month internship at a farm, where they will work alongside the owner in exchange for room and board. The apprentice profile is a 30-year-old. 60% come from Barcelona and only 8% from Lleida.
Source: El País
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