Every spring, brothers Kostas and Efthymios Papastavros, along with Kosta’s wife Fotini, herd their 800 goats on foot to the Koziakas mountain in Thessaly, Central Greece, according to The Guardian.
The family are descended from nomadic herders and breeders who have existed in the Greek and Balkan region for hundreds of years, known as the Vlachs.
Starting their day at 5.30 am, the Papastavros family milk their goats by hand, before transporting their raw goat’s milk to plants for processing, twice a day.
“People say that herders are uncivilised and uneducated and unable to do other jobs,” Kostas told The Guardian.
“But they don’t realise that you have to be passionate to be one. You have to love the animals and love the job. I am very proud of what I do.”
But despite the years of love and appreciation for their lifestyle, they are currently at risk of being the last generation of nomadic herders in Greece due to increasing financial hardship.
Many herders have had to sell or slaughter their livestock as a result of soaring energy costs. The mountain roads used to transport the goat milk are in dire need of government support and reconstruction.
The Papastavros’ are one of just over 3,000 herder families that still remain in Greece.
“I don’t know if it is going to be preserved after our generation, we are probably the last ones,” Kostas said.
FULL STORY: The Guardian.
