BY KAREN BOSSICK
Rodolfo Serva came to the Wood River Valley from a poor Andean village of Canchapalca, Peru, when his father came to herd sheep for Carey rancher jim Cenarussa. And he tried his hand at it, too, before deciding running a chain of KB’s burrito restaurants and Serva fine dining was more to his liking.
Serva will be one of three who will talk about the history, challenges, culture and lives of Peruvian sheepherders in Idaho this coming week.
The discussion, “Peruvian Sheepherding in Idaho: Una Conversacion” will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at the new Wood River Museum of History and Culture. The museum is at 580 Fourth Street East in Ketchum, just down the street from the Community Library.
The bilingual event, timed to coincide with next week’s Trailing of the Sheep Festival, will feature:
- Luis Campos, an attorney and the legal director for the Alliance of Idaho. He will speak on the immigration and visa processes involved with sheepherding.
- Betzi Quiroz, dean of nursing at Carrington College in Boise. She provided medical aid and resources to Peruvian sheepherders in Idaho for more than 28 years.
- Rodolfo Serva, is a former sheepherder who now owns several Wood River Valley restaurants.
Jessica Maynard, the operations manager for Visit Sun Valley, will serve as moderator.
"Sheepherding up high in the mountains is uniquely Western in North America,” says Mary Tyson, director of the Center for Regional History. “Protecting and fattening the lambs is important in sheep ranching business. Today most of the sheepherders in Idaho are Peruvian and their experience and history needs to come to light more. The job appeals to certain Peruvians and it will be fascinating to hear about this from a health, legal, and personal perspective. I’m eager to hear more about what makes it a Peruvian story.”
To reserve your seat, register at https://thecommunitylibrary.libcal.com/event/11154022.
Únase a nosotros para una conversación que explora la historia, los desafíos, la cultura y los medios de subsistencia de los pastores peruanos en Idaho, tal como lo observan los panelistas a través de su trabajo y experiencias vividas. Los panelistas incluyen a Luis Campos, Betzi Quiroz, y el evento será moderado por Jessica Maynard. Habrá traducción al español. El aforo es limitado; es necesario inscribirse.