Al Barakat Sheep & Goat Farm

Being out here near the Ananthgiri Hills in Vakarabad is quite different from being in the city. At Al Barakat Sheep & Goat Farm, our days start way before the sun is actually up. We have to check on the animals first thing, making sure everyone is healthy and the water troughs are full. The air is a bit cooler here because of the hills, which the goats seem to like. It’s a lot of physical work, cleaning out the pens and moving feed bags around. We spend a lot of time just watching the herd and making sure they are grazing okay. It’s not a polished business with a receptionist or a waiting room. Usually, you’ll find us in old clothes covered in a bit of mud or hay. We take the sheep out when the weather is good, but if it rains too much, we have to keep them inside. Sometimes a kid is born in the middle of the night, and one of us has to be there to help out. It’s a quiet life for the most part, away from all the traffic. People drive out here from the town when they are looking for livestock. We don't have a website or anything like that. We just focus on the animals and making sure the farm stays running. It’s a lot of walking and a lot of heavy lifting every single day, but we are used to it now.