Wanderlust and WWOOFing: Farm 13...

Lambing has to be some of the hardest work I’ve ever done. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired, then dragged myself out of bed before dawn and worked another 14 hour day. In fairness I knew what I was getting myself into, and it also turned out to be one of the most magical experiences I’ve had.

The farm I picked is on Saturna Island, one of the southernmost gulf islands. With around 100 ewes, lambing is the busiest time of the year on the farm. When I arrived things were pretty quiet with only a few lambs each day. We tinkered on a few jobs around the farm, and even found the time for a quick excursion to the beach. A few days later, things picked up with 6 or 7 lambs a day. Pretty manageable, I thought.

And then it started snowing. One of the first things I learnt was that lambs are often born in the worst weather – apparently something to do with the change in pressure. So in the middle of a 2 day snow storm, 10 inches of snow, a 3 day powercut, 3 nights sleep in an unheated cabin, and no way over the mountain road to the rest of the island, the lambs started arriving in full force. Because of the weather, the usual bi-hourly checks were upped to every hour, and extra care had to be taken of small lambs to make sure they didn’t die of cold in the barn. Not to mention the extra work caused by having to trudge through so much snow all day.

It was a test of endurance, teamwork, and the power of strong coffee. I would get up and do the 6.30am check with one of the other wwoofers, and usually not stop work for another 12-14 hours. We lost a few lambs to the cold and ill health, but an awful lot were saved. I saw the farmer pull out a HUGE lamb that was stuck and being born breech, then whirl the lamb round in circles by its feet to clear the mucus. I learnt how to tell if a ewe is in labour by looking at her cervix and identifying typical behaviour. I got to be the first person on site at so many births to wipe the mucus from their noses with a towel. I watched triplets being saved when the first two tried being born at the same time. I bottle fed numerous lambs, either orphaned/rejected or with a mother who didn’t produce enough milk. I learnt how to train a ewe to accept a lamb that isn’t hers. I nurtured tiny lambs next to the stove in the kitchen to warm them up. I milked sheep, and swore profusely when they wouldn’t stand still. I spent precious minutes watching lambs frolicking happily in the pens when they were let outside for the first time. I got to witness the highly unusual event of quadruplets, all a healthy and equal size.

It’s definitely been the most intense wwoofing experience I’ve had so far. Working hours and days off didn’t apply, but the payback was well worth it. I learnt so much about sheep and animal farming as the farmer has been doing this for most of her life and knows so much. Whilst being upsetting and exhausting at times, the wonder and miracle of going into the field and seeing a new lamb standing for the first time made it all worth it. There’s not much to say about the rest of the island as I didn’t really get to see it due to being so busy and the weather being so bad, but people tell me it’s lovely...

So I’m taking a week off to catch up on my sleep and visit some new and old friends before heading back to Cortes. I know it’s been a bit quiet on the blogging front – my brain has been whirring away over the past few months and I’m only just starting to get to the point of being able to communicate these thoughts in a coherent manner. So hopefully more posts to come...