麻豆社

Kate Humble lives with shepherds in some of the most extreme environments on earth, discovering how the relationship between shepherd and flock has played a crucial role in human history.

Kate, who bought her own farm in Wales two years ago, works on a sheep station in the Australian outback where animals are raised on an epic scale for the growing global market and where scientists are fast becoming the shepherds of the future.

Australia is a country that was founded on shepherding, and today it is one of the world's largest sheep producers. Kate heads into the parched and remote lands of the outback to Meka, one of the largest sheep stations in Australia. 25,000 sheep are raised on a million acres of pasture. Kate takes part in a muster, helping to round up sheep across a vast area using motorbikes and light aircraft. And she learns about the threats and controversies that embroil modern-day shepherds, from drought and wild dogs to live export.

Kate meets farmers working to maintain Australia's position at the vanguard of the industry, employing the latest breeding technology and leading the way in embryo transfer and genetic testing. With the global demand for meat set to rise exponentially, Kate asks if this is the inevitable future of herding - or is there another way?