Six women and five men have started the course this year at the Escola de Pastors i Pastores de Enviny, in Pallars Sobirà (Lleida). In this edition, number 16, there are fewer students than other years, when places were sold out and the majority have graduated from universities.
Kique Molina is an environmentalist with a master's degree in agroecology and a collaborator of the Entretantos Foundation. After some years working as a technician in an environmental association in which he is an activist, Ecologists in Action and other organizations supporting the rural world, he has seen school, in his words, “the perfect means to be able to enter into the practical part.” ”. His intention, like other colleagues, is to work for a while on a farm and in the long run, set up one of his own. In his case sheep, although he does not rule out that they are goats. He hasn't chosen the location yet. He is from Madrid and has been living in Catalonia for 10 years, in Breda, in the Selva region (Girona).
“I am not sure about the place, my partner is also from abroad, I am very open, what interests me is environmental management through livestock farming. Both fire prevention and biodiversity conservation. “I want to throw it out there,” she says.
Thinking about greater economic viability, he is interested in dairy production because of the added value of the cheeses and if he had the choice he would like to set up a cooperative project. “I do not aspire to have my own livestock, but rather to share them with more partners and have a project that includes the productive part, the territory management part and technical advice on environmental education.”
Maria Pignatelli is from Tordera, in the Alt Maresme. Graduated in Literary Studies from the University of Barcelona, at the age of 24 she changed classes at Argentona and Santa Maria de Palautordera high schools for the cayado.
“I signed up _he relates_ because I have always had an interest in working with the land and living in this environment. In my family we have dedicated ourselves to firewood and charcoal, but I have always liked animals and I wanted to explore this path of livestock.”
He has had some connection with agriculture, also with biodynamic production and has sometimes gone out to graze with fellow workers. Last year she went to a course at the La Rioja School of Pastors.
In the long term he thinks “well dimensioned with the territory, that it could live on its own without depending too much on external support and that the production was respectful. And with that he wants to “work for a while with professional people.”
He has always thought about setting up a dairy sheep farm, but, like Kike, he does not rule out exploring dairy goats as well.
The director of the school, Laia Batalla, assures that the students are people “with a brutal vocation for the sector, although they do not come directly from it, but who really feel this passion for animals, for herding or for opening a dairy farm. small format.
“In the first editions, he says, they were younger. The average for many years has been over 30 years. We have a 42-year-old boy and a 43-year-old girl.”
Most of the theoretical classes are in Enviny and there is training outside, silvipasture is concentrated in one in Tivissa (Tarragona.
With this year's students, 258 people have passed through the Escola de Pastors i Pastores. All of them have passed through one of the farms collaborating with the school, about twenty of them.
