Words and Photos by Alanna Conn
Alyssa Dolan has mastered the art of corralling.
When Alyssa Dolan starts her shift at Pearson鈥檚 Town Farm, her first task is to take the goats out on leashes. If they鈥檙e feeling agreeable, it takes 10 minutes. If they鈥檙e not, they fall down in a dramatic display of revolt, and the job takes considerably longer.
Next, she checks in on the chickens. If any fights broke out among the brood overnight, she鈥檒l survey the damage and massage a rooster ankle or two. It鈥檚 all part of a typical day for Dolan, but it鈥檚 not complete until she has to wrangle Chuck.
Chuck is the resident ram at Pearson鈥檚 Town Farm, one of a group of sheep 鈥渨ho are particularly fussy,鈥� says Dolan. 鈥淎nd not only is Chuck cranky, but he absolutely hates me.鈥�
And that鈥檚 a problem because Michial Russell, Saint Joseph鈥檚 farm manager, needs the sheep moved from the fields to the barn regularly: for shearing, for shots, for breeding, when it鈥檚 cold, when it鈥檚 hot鈥�. There鈥檚 always a reason.
Dolan, who has worked at Pearson鈥檚 Town Farm for the past five years and was聽 recently promoted to community supported agriculture (CSA) manager, is one of the only farmers capable of taking on Chuck鈥攁nd that鈥檚 nothing to scoff at. He鈥檚 big. He sometimes knocks people over. He fears no one.
鈥淚t鈥檚 scary, but I鈥檝e discovered the easiest way to move him,鈥� says Dolan. 鈥淚 take some grain, shake it, and run for my life! And since he can鈥檛 stop on a dime like I can, I step to the side and he charges past me, right where we need him to be鈥攅ither in the barn or in the field.鈥� Then it鈥檚 only a matter of getting him into a headlock and waiting until the rest of the herd catches up. Only.
Dolan鈥檚 a part-time student studying business and sustainability at the College, with hopes to run her own farm one day. She wants to teach people about sustainable gardening, and to provide fresh vegetables to the community.
It just so happens that she鈥檒l be a professional ram wrangler, as well.
