Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Migrant shepherds

Here is a brief description of an upcoming film about workers who come from South America to the US to herd sheep on federal lands in the Western High Plains (think Brokeback Mountain country).  I am always interested in the basic agricultural jobs that are out there and might be appealing to people from the US, but this doesn't seem like a promising one.  Granted, the scenery is beautiful and the physical labor is healthy and gratifying.  But most people in the US don't know anymore how to ride a horse or manage lots of sheep on the open range, and certainly couldn't withstand the isolation from other people for such long stretches.  Above all, I think it would be hard to find someone from the States willing to work long hours for what apparently amounts to only $800US per month on average.  You'd be better off working any minimum-wage job, or even just living off the government dole and picking up odd jobs here and there.

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