Poland's first female shepherd breaks down baa rriers

High up in Poland's picturesque Tatry Mountains Janina Rzepka is fighting gender stereotypes with the help of her wooly supporters.

Rzepka is the country's first certified female 'Baca' - or 'Head Shepherd' - a role traditionally reserved for men.

To receive her formal certification, Rzepka had to pass a practical exam to show she was capable of shearing and herding sheep as well as making 'oscypek' - a smoked cheese made from sheeps' milk.

The production of this intricately patterned cheese is restricted due to EU regulations. It can only be produced between late April and early October, when the sheep feed on fresh mountain grass, needs to be made by hand and can only be smoked using pine or spruce wood.

The hard work didn't stop after she passed her exam in 2013. Rzepka, helped by her son and daughter, works around the clock to tend to her flock all year round, come rain or shine.

(Polish) SHEPHERD, JANINA RZEPKA, SAYING:

“If you love it, nothing is difficult, you know that everything will be done. If a man lives from this and makes him happy and there is money for that and it is known that it is done for himself, for children, it can not be said that something is difficult or something can not be done. You just get up and do it”

(Polish) SHEPHERD, JANINA RZEPKA, SAYING:

“Some saying that every shepherd has his own hand when it comes to oscypek and that the oscypki taste different from each hut. There is something in this truth, but I do not have a special recipe”

(Polish) DAUGHTER OF JANINA RZEPKA, DANUTA PAWLIKOWSKA, SAYING:

“It is not like that is a night and I go to sleep and rest. What a dogs will move, what will some jump up, you have to get up and check what's going on .You have to turn on the lights and must to see if everything is all right.You have to turn on the lights and see if everything is all right. Check whether the wolf approaches the pen. Here are wolves and bears a lot these days”.

(Polish) TOURIST, RESIDENT OF JELCZ LASKOWICE NEAR WROCLAW, DANIEL WITUSZYNSKI, SAYING:

“We are systematically here, every year at Janina's place, we always buy “oscypek”. This work is the most male work but Mrs Janina, as you can see, she's hanging in there. Here is really tasty and kindly and we always come back here”.

(Polish) SHEPHERD, JANINA RZEPKA, SAYING:

“The worst is the weather. With the sheep there is hard work, as if the rain is raining, when strong the wind is, when is the snow even in May it will come to us, it is hard, but everything will disappear when the sun rises, everything else gets better”.

Видео Poland's first female shepherd breaks down baa rriers канала TV NEWS.PL