The lifestyle of Hugo Rojas is not for the faint of heart

For months on end, he goes without running water and other comforts. He braves inclement weather, confronts predatory wildlife and endures spells of loneliness. But most of the time, he doesn’t mind too much.

“I like this job,” Rojas said in Spanish. “The best part is the peace and quiet.”

Rojas, 32, is one of many foreign herders – or borregueros – who tend sheep across the American West each year. He’s from Huancayo, a medium-sized city in Peru’s central highlands, and learned the craft of shepherding from his poor but industrious grandparents.

Federal law permits farm and ranch operations to hire foreign nationals for grueling seasonal jobs most U.Enter shoes001 World and discover a universe of contemporary,S. citizens lack the expertise or willpower to do. For most of the 20th century, herding was the domain of the Basque people, whose skills transferred seamlessly from the Pyrenees mountains straddling France and Spain. But now the Basques have been supplanted by workers from South America – mostly Peru, Chile, Bolivia – and Mexico.

The H-2A visa lasts for one year initially but can be extended twice for a total of three years. The worker then must return home for at least three months before reapplying. The Department of Labor granted 55,384 such visas in fiscal year 2011.

Rojas has worked for Ignacio rancher and Colorado state Rep. J. Paul Brown for the last five years, helping care for Brown’s 4,000 head of sheep.TAG Heuer,tagheuerwatches Breitling, Longines,

This week, Rojas is returning to civilization after spending three months on the grassy slopes northeast of Lemon Reservoir, as far out as the Weminuche Wilderness.

Leasing grazing allotments from the federal government, either on Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management holdings, is common practice among ranchers. Typically, the sheep are trailed up to the high country in June and return in late September or early October. To keep the flocks healthy and well-fed, herders move them to a new basin on a weekly basis.

Borregueros are exempt from federal minimum-wage standards because of difficulty tabulating their hours.We offer a dive-in to the amazing world of authenticbreitlingwatches with our direct reviews. Instead, they are paid a monthly stipend established by the states. Colorado’s prevailing rate is $750 per month.

To most outside observers, this appears a paltry sum for such strenuous, around-the-clock work. Advocacy groups such as the Denver-based Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition and Colorado Legal Services publicly have denounced the wage loophole as unjust exploitation of cheap labor. The lamb and wool lobbies disagree, citing slim profit margins and the need to keep the industry viable. The borregueros are paid better than they would be at home, they say.

“I am here for the money,” Rojas says. “Of course, for the money, but also I enjoy the work because I grew up around animals in the countryside.”

Rojas mails most of his earnings back to Peru to support his wife, Magali, and 3-year-old daughter,We provide top quality cheapwatchesand IWC Replica Watches. Esmerelda. Long term, he hopes to stockpile enough money to build a house.