"I grab the motionless lamb, which is frighteningly slippery, and
scramble on my feet, swinging its little body around to help it breathe.
I see its chest move, then it sneezes and starts breathing. It's stunned
by its delivery experience. As am I. I'm high on adrenaline. Tears are
streaming down my face. I pop the lamb down on the ground and start
frantically rubbing its tiny body... Looking back, I can see that this
was one of the first moments of questioning whether I'm truly cut out
for farming and realising that the answer might be... yes"
--------------------------------------------------------------
Zoë Colville spent years in a fancy hair salon with a long list of
clients, living on cigarettes, croissants, and a shoestring. It was
everything she'd ever wanted. But when an unexpected and overwhelming
loss caused her life to shift unexpectedly, she found herself on a
different path. One where the only use for a hairdryer is warming
new-born lambs; where the cycle of life on a farm gives new meaning on
purpose, and where nature is both a strict teacher and a balm to soothe
the pressures of everyday life.
Alongside her long-term boyfriend, Zoë is now a full-time farmer,
business owner and activist. In this memoir, she speaks vivaciously,
humourously, and candidly about the lessons learned along the way, from
mental health, social media and identity to surviving as an entrepreneur
in a shifting economy. And through those lessons - in love, loss, and
lambing - discovering something even more important: that it's always
the right time to take a bold step and try something new.
PRAISE FOR THE CHIEF SHEPHERDESS
'A new breed of shepherdess blazing a trail across social media,
challenging outdated ideas about the job and capturing the public's
imagination along the way' - Daily Mail
'The shepherdess whose flock you definitely need to follow' -
Hello!
