Pecora Cornigliese, a set on Flickr.
While we were staying at Agriturismo Casanuova, in the Province of Parma, we heard about a rare breed of sheep that was making a comeback in the area.
The Pecora Cornigliese is an old breed native to the mountains near Parma. It's useful for milk, meat, and wool.
The breed has become rare because of a shortage of shepherds. In the village I visited, Rigoso, there used to be about 20 shepherds. Now there are less than a handful - including the one I met, Onorato.
The shepherds receive support from the EU (15 Euros per animal, per year), but there doesn't seem to be support to help them get their products to the markets.
Italians don't actually eat much lamb, so the future of this breed may be determined by how well it is marketed.
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