Watch Heart Valley: Life Lessons from a Shepherd | The New Yorker Documentary

[ding]

[birds chirping]

[calming music]

What makes a good farmer is he likes the job he’s doing.

For most people, it’s from eight to five or something.

They just looking at their watch.

When it’s time to finish,

I never look at my watch.

[soothing music]

[garage door creaking]

[sheep baying]

[spoon rings]

[bowl clanks]

[egg cracks]

[cream splashes]

[spoon scrapes]

[kettle boils]

[spoon scrapes]

[grapes thud]

[mixture boils]

[grapes thud]

[footsteps plod]

[van door slams]

[rock music playing]

[muffled rock music]

[engine roars]

[speaking Welsh]

I am 73.

I live in the parish of Cellan.

I have not left all my life.

Since I was very young,

I always hope to have my own farm.

The world ‘shepherd’ means gotta look after the flock.

No matter what’s the weather.

The sheep have got to have their feed on Christmas Day.

It’s a responsibility.

Down, boys!

I was born in Cellan.

I came from a farming family.

[gate clanks]

Great-great-great-grandfather.

I picked up a little thing from everybody.

Boys? Come on!

Come on!

Come on!

I’ve got about 70 sheep, 50 lambs.

The breed of my sheep is Plynlimon Speckle.

They got the black noses,

and a few other black pieces here and there.

All the sheep has got different characters.

My normal main duty of the day

is to have a look at the sheep,

make sure they got plenty of food and water,

and everything is on their feet.

The most thing I like of my sheep is that they bring lambs.

They are a part of the family. [laughs]

They’re always there waiting for you at the gate.

[feed swishes]

Routine’s very important, for me and work.

Good boy, you are.

It keeps your mind occupied, you know.

This is my holiday. [laughs]

[gate clanks softly]

I work every day mostly to keep me happy. [laughs]

[sheep baying]

My sheep enjoy having plenty of land under their feet.

They don’t want to be locked in a small paddock.

[sheep baying]

All right, come on!

The sheep really like me,

especially when I’ve got some feed for them.

Ay, come on!

[sheep baying]

They recognize my voice.

[speaking Welsh]

They come then, guaranteed.

Oh, oh, oh, oh!

[sheep baying]

Oh, oh, oh!

Ho!

[engine roaring]

[engine roaring]

[thunder rumbling]

[metal clanks]

[metal clanks rhythmically]

[sheep baying]

[wrench clicks]

[saw buzzes]

[gravel crunches]

[tire thuds]

[engine roars]

[engine roars]

[engine roars]

Where are you from?

From where?

[speaking Welsh]

I knew that chap, anyway.

[engine roars]

[engine roars]

[birds chirping]

[sheep baying]

[footsteps plod]

I’m ready for a sandwich.

At midday, I get four sandwiches

with salmon paste and a few biscuits.

I do my shopping on a Friday,

which takes a few hours.

I go up to Aberystwyth in a bus.

No responsibility when you’re in a bus.

Anything I want, it’s in Lidl.

They have got every sort of food there.

Whatever I want, it’s there.

[metal clanks]

I’ve never had any foreign food.

I’ve had a few pizzas, yes.

What are they, Italian, is it?

[soothing music begins]

I enjoy going to Lidl,

and see the variety of people in there then.

It makes me think how many people is in what world, is it?

Oh, it’s unbelievable.

I would like to see the Great Wall of China.

It’s out of this world, is it.

How many years and how many people were on the job?

Perhaps he took a century or more to build, I don’t know.

I would never walk it, I know that.

It’s just so long.

[peaceful music]

[metal rattling]

And today, now, we have to check the teeth of the sheep.

Not bad, are they?

Some have lost them and wouldn’t be able to graze then.

Perfect.

Excellent.

They’ll be to the mart, then,

to be slaughtered for meat.

As towards Tregaron Mart.

Oh, that’s finished.

That one is finished.

I’ll put a green marker on her head, is it.

Yes, she’ll have to go.

This isn’t very nice.

I don’t want to, but I’ll have to sell them.

I’m always sorry to see these sheep going.

[engine roars]

[soothing music]

Things are changing rapidly fast here now, at the moment.

New people coming into the area,

and they’re not like the old Welsh.

You haven’t got the very high wages.

I can see the rich city people buying the farms.

There used to be a shop here, and a pub.

The price of wool has gone rock bottom.

You’re lucky to get any money at all for it.

A lot of land now has been planted with forestry,

and there’s hardly anybody living in the area then.

Not very good for the community.

You don’t have the locals then involved in the farming.

I keep myself to myself, mostly.

Used to be, before my time,

they used to do everything together.

It’s gone more a business, is it.

I do get the Single Farm Payment and that’s very useful.

It can help me to do things.

Oh, it’s changed completely.

I don’t see it sustaining.

It is very hard.

A year ago, I could hardly move, you see, from the stroke.

I remember them moving, one bed to the other.

It was real agony.

I didn’t believe I’d ever be well again. [cries]

I wanted to go back to the sheep.

[van swooshes]

Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

[sheep baying]

[farmer imitates sheep baying]

Go on, Gigi.

[sheep baying]

I think that she’s a girl, you know.

[sheep baying]

Go on, then, boys.

Come on!

[sheep baying]

They’re not that stupid, you know.

Are they?

[sheep baying]

[farmer laughing]

If you go to London now,

nobody, mainly on the streets,

nobody has got time at all for you.

They won’t even look at you.

[orchestral music]

Crikey, unbelieveable.

It covers some area, doesn’t it?

In the autumn, the valley looks very beautiful.

Everything turns gold.

[inspiring tonal music]

For 10 years, I’ve had the same dinner every night.

I know exactly what I want.

Fish, onion, baked beans and an egg.

It is my favorite meal.

I enjoy the onions more than anything.

Having the same meal is important to me,

because I can plan things then.

Oh, I like to plan everything, you see.

Yeah. I got a few fish in the freezer.

[farmer laughing]

Excellent.

I haven’t got much time in the evening.

I like to go to bed at nine.

Sleep on my back all night.

I have quite a few dreams,

and they come true.

[spoon scrapes]

Very nice.

[soothing music]

I enjoy going for my walk,

and I think about it nearly all day.

Like a baby with a new toy. [laughs]

I don’t like to walk in the day, you see.

It’s got to be in the evening.

So, while the sun is in the right place.

I save a lot of thinking for the walk.

What makes a good farmer is he likes the job he’s doing.

It’s very important to have a job that you really like.

For most people, it’s from eight to five or something.

They’re just looking at their watch.

When it’s time to finish,

I never look at my watch.

I like to be present, polite and always helping somebody.

Highly regarded qualities.

Do the work you like doing,

and do what you want.

From the top of the valley,

I can see the sheep from the top road.

I’m very happy then.

Can see the sun going down in the west.

The trees, and the hills, and the little river.

Everything looks so small,

and you, so big. [laughs]

So big.

I don’t think anybody else would see it like that.

[calming music]

You would think you’re in another world.

[soothing music]

The valley has been made to the shape of my heart.

Everything is perfect.

Top of the world.

[music crescendos]

[singer vocalizes]

[calm violin music]

[sheep baying]