Being a Responsible Shepherd(ess)

In the United States specifically, almost no one does the task of true shepherding, and my theory is that dogs and other livestock companion animals have taken over the task of watching over the herds. Occasionally, you’ll find some ranchers or farmers actually employing shepherds from Peru or they will hire low wage earners who are in the states illegally. The nostalgic image of the shepherd setting atop the hills while keeping watch in the valleys below is nothing more than that.

It seems as if we have even become a society that’s been brainwashed into believing that only males were allowed to tend to animals, but the reality is that there were poor female children or young unmarried females who were put out into the fields with the responsibility of carrying for livestock. Just as young males had to prove their worth, so did the females.

Keeping the livestock alive might sound fairly simple but they held a great deal of responsibility. It wasn’t some ho-hum situation if a sheep were killed by a wolf, because every single lamb, goat or whatever animal they cared for had value. It wasn’t just a financial value either because many homesteaders kept dairy livestock and it was an important addition to their diets.

You have to remember that being a shepherd is actually one of the oldest jobs and it’s something that you find in cultures all across the world. You will even find that there are symbolic and metaphysical shepherding examples in a multitude of religions and beliefs, even in the likes of Greek mythology.

Though all this information above is fascinating, I want to discuss how I use the term Shepherd or Shepherdess to explain the mindset we need to quickly get ourselves into. We are to be ever vigilant and protective of the little spit of land that we have been blessed with. When I look over the 1.5 acres I’ve been gifted with, I don’t just look to it for providing for the needs of myself and my kids. I don’t want to just throw some trees in a hole and toss together some raised beds for annuals.

I want to invest in the future of my children and what will ultimately be my heritage for my grandchildren. I want to be the type of person who looks to the needs of those who may have no future if they don’t have a piece of land that they can live and work on. I not only see to the needs of my heritage though, but I consider the birds of the sky and the insects that crawl.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m not some tree smooching animal savior, yet I can see the value in providing an oasis for the very small. When the properties around me spray herbicides and pesticides, I want to offer respite to the native bees, butterflies and dragonflies. When the people around me chop down trees that provide nourishment and medicine, I want to be the one to hold the line and refuse to kill something that the authorities refer to as invasive. When animals are hunted because they simply do what comes natural to them, I want to use every opportunity to relocate them or discourage them from entering my property.

While the shepherd high on the hill does sometimes have to do away with predators that threaten to kill their flock, it’s not done with malicious intention nor is it done in a fit of spite or anger. It’s done simply because it’s part of the path they’ve chosen.

One of the gifts my children gave me for one of the holidays, was a cute little bird feeder. I made it my goal to not only fill the bird feeder during winter, but to fill it with non-gmo bird feed. This was done because I want to feed my charges the best that I can, and I don’t want to introduce any foreign seeds into the food forest I’m attempting to establish.

I’ll end this post by saying, I hope you see yourself as a shepherd or shepherdess of your land and that you will consider the importance of caring for even the most unpleasant creatures like dung beetles and moths. Happy homesteading!