A Laurel County youth has found his calling by way of a flock of sheep

LONDON, Ky. – At a time of year when holiday stories of shepherds are prominent, Trent Jones is living the experience in ways reminiscent of those described in the Bible, with a few updated conveniences.

The 16-year-old student and FFA member at South Laurel High School used a summertime job experience to begin his career as a modern-day shepherd.   

He spent last summer on a mountaintop camp overseeing several hundred sheep as part of an open-range sheep farming proof-of-concept program in Perry County led by the Southeast Kentucky Sheep Producers Association (SEKSPA). The project captured the attention of many government agencies, academics, sheep industry folks and the general public.

Having worked on the sheep farm of SEKSPA President Patrick Angel, Jones fell in love with the prospect of raising sheep and the mountaintop experience solidified the idea.

“This all started when I made a post on social media looking for a job, something that led me to Patrick’s farm,” he said. “I spent about a month building fences and working with the sheep when he brought up the idea of working in Perry County. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but it worked out and I don’t regret it at all.”

For several months, Jones lived on this mountain that once served as a coal surface mine. He stayed with the sheep 24-hours a day, seven days a week and tended to all their needs. He herded them to different green pastures and fresh water, sheared their fleeces, pulled lambs, trimmed hooves, and kept a watchful eye out for predators with the help of guardian and herding dogs and an ATV. 

Angel said there was something about Trent's work ethic that led him to believe he would do well at the job.

“He’s a hard worker and learned quickly how to manage the sheep so there was no doubt I thought he could do this,” Angel said.

The real challenge was going to be convincing his parents, Kenton and Lisa Jones.  

“I didn't necessarily say no when Trent told us about it, but, as a family, we needed to get a little more information to find out what this was all about,” Lisa said. “He would come home after working on Patrick’s farm and he was just so excited about it, and I could tell he had dedicated himself to this. That's all he wanted to do.”

Kenton said he was apprehensive about the idea at first, but he and Lisa realized that there are not many young people, today, who have an opportunity like this.

“I worked with my grandfather during my summers out of school and remember how beneficial it was and that is what kind of sold me on this knowing Trent would gain valuable experience, and he has really taken off with this.”

Trent said he felt comfortable, for the most part, while staying at the mountaintop campsite. And luckily, there was good cell phone reception.

“It was a little weird being out there with really no sign of human activity,” he said. “And all you had to talk to were the sheep and dogs. But my days started early, and the sheep would come and go as they pleased from the pen, where their water supply was located, to the grazing area. They developed a pattern and by 8:00 at night they were ready to come in for the night.”

Angel said Trent just seemed to have an inherent ability to be a good shepherd and has taken the experience far beyond the mountaintop.

“He regularly speaks to our SEKSPA events explaining what he did and all that he has learned,” Angel said. “It has been a good experience for him and the project as a whole.”

Having spent so much time with the sheep and learning so much about caring for them, Trent said he felt a real sense of responsibility for them.

“The whole time I was there, I knew those sheep belonged to someone else and I felt responsible for each one of them,” he said.  But I think taking care of them, was just natural to me. It's what God has made me to be and to do this.”

Since the experience, Trent used some of the money he earned to buy his first flock of sheep keeping them, for now, on Angel’s farm.

“I’d like to have my own farm in the future and raise sheep,” he said. “But for now, I can keep them on this farm. Patrick has been doing this a long time and has shared his experience with me, so I have decided if my sheep have any triplets during lambing season, I want to sell or donate them to an FFA or 4-H member to help them get started.”

Trent said he expects his first lambs to be born around April 1 and helping this next generation get started is important to him.  He hopes one day to grow his flock to around 300. But for now, he is happy with the 11 he bought, noting they all look good with no health problems.

Without saying it, Trent seems to be very proud of his accomplishments, as are both of his parents.    

“Saying we are proud is definitely an understatement,” Lisa said. “We are proud of his decisions and choices to follow through with this, get involved, and stick with it.”

Kenton reiterated Lisa’s thoughts adding he is glad Trent had this experience and is taking it to a new level.

“In the beginning, I knew the experience was going to be good for him, but I didn't realize that it was going to turn into what it has,” he said. “It's something I'm happy that we allowed him to get into because I've found through the years, that if you enjoy what you're doing, you can accomplish anything.”

From all indications, this young man, a modern-day shepherd, will conquer many more mountains in the future.