A California law passed in 2016 aimed to help farm workers by providing them with overtime, but some say this could completely wipe out the goat herding industry.
Goat herders say California’s farm worker overtime law is making it more expensive to provide goat grazing services.
“That will price all of our sheep and goat herders and put them out of business in San Luis Obispo County,” said Brent Burchett, San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau Executive Director.
The law is effective whenever someone is on the job site. This poses a problem for herding businesses since herders are required to be on-site with the animals at all times.
For the past couple of years, there was an exception for goat and sheep herders, but that exemption is set to expire on January 1, 2024.
Daniel Jaureguy is a local sheep herder/owner in northern San Luis Obispo County and says he has been struggling with the law.
“We’ve had to cut back a couple of guys because we can’t afford them anymore,” Jaureguy said.
There are also concerns about losing the industry altogether.
“In SLO County, we have family farmers and ranchers that depend on this to keep their properties cleared,” Burchett said.
He said it also poses a threat to community members, especially with the wet winter that happened this year. Goats and sheep are being used more often as an eco-friendly way to clear vegetation that could be fuel for a wildfire.
“We’re all going to be at risk because we’re not going to have that tool to keep our lands clear of all the vegetation and puts us at a higher wildfire risk,” Burchett said.
If nothing is done about the law by January, the California Farm Bureau says monthly salaries for goat herders could increase from about $3,700 to $14,000.
The goat-herding industry is pushing the state legislature to change the way goat herders are treated when it comes to salaries, but a bill to do so has not received a public hearing yet.
