Writing

Think of a profession that is dying out, for example a shepherd or a farmer. Write a dialogue with one of the last shepherd/ farmers in your country. Talk about their way of life now and before.

To find a farmer and speak with him I went to a village where I lived some years ago: Fortià. The name of the farmer is Pere:

D: Hello Pere!
P: Hi.
D: Do you remember me? I’m Daniel.
P: Yes, of course! How are you?
D: Fine. Well, I’d like to speak with you about your job. It’s for a project for the school!
P: Okay.
D: I want to know what you have to do if you want to become a farmer.
P: It depends. There are different types of farmers: the farmers that cultivate wheat and other farmers like me who take care of animals…
D: And what animals have you got?
P: Now I have cows.
P: Well the most important thing is to feed the cows, of course. Also we have to clean the cows and the place, they are very dirty, boy! And the most important, we have to milk the cows!
D: Yes, this is an important part. The profit of the cows is the milk that you sell, isn’t it?
P: Yes! But it isn’t very easy. When we have the milk we have to go to the cooperative of the region. Here there are other farmers that sell their milk. Then the cooperative sells all the milk and after words they distribute the profit depending on the quantity of the milk that you put. It’s relative. Do you understand?
D: Yes, yes. But I’m thinking that if you don’t have a lot of milk, you won’t earn a lot of money… am I right?
P: Yes, it is one of the problems of this job… but I like it!
D: I know! And do you think that now it is better than some years ago?
P: It’s different. The advantage is that now there are new technologies and machines that make the work easier.
D: And before you milked the cows with your hands, right?
P: Yes, times change.
D: And do you think that before there were more farmers than now?
P: Yes, before an important percentage of the population was devoted to farming. Nowadays there are very few farmers. Moreover these farmers are old, like me.
D: So the job is dying out, isn’t it?
P: Yes, it’s a pity.
D: Why?
P: Because it isn’t only a job, it’s a style of a life…
D: Yes, it’s true. Well, I think that we’ve finished!
P: Okay. You could come again!
D: I will try. Thanks!
P: You are welcome.
D: Good bye.
P: Bye!