Youth Voices: Farm Fiesta

It was just another work experience day. I expected to spend the morning upturning compost piles and measuring the height of my lettuce with Fhernando. But when we reached the compost canopy, there were sheep EVERYWHERE, pooping, trampling on the compost, gorging on dried corn cobs, and having the time of their lives. There is no better visual to describe Hobbe's state of nature - fiesta de ovejas (sheep party).

But on this day, I learned sheep aren't just party animals, they can also be protective, aggressive, and sick (enfermo). After Fhernando and I helped everyone shovel the fresh poop into its correct compost bin (compartimiento) and reorganize the scene, we didn't end up working with the compost. Instead, we went over to help check the sheep - well, we thought it would just be a check-up. Our work turned out to be much more intimate (we would be isolating sick sheep and applying a paste of oil and copper sulfate mixture to diseased areas).

The afflicted sheep looked awful - they had inflamed scabs surrounding their eyes and shriveling their ears, so I was glad to be able to help them, but they were not used to the treatment and put up quite a fight (pelea). The application process went as follows: Fhernando raced to catch a sheep and braced his body around it, and I tried my best to paint the refusing sheep with a brush of the solution. The process involved grit, sweat, strength, and closing your nostrils. The work was so intense (intenso) that Fhernando received a few deep gashes in his arm. But we were glad for the experience and exposure. We agreed animal production might not be our cup of tea (or coffee, we drink coffee with every meal here)...[CONTINUE READING]