Cabras y Chivas

Bianca Soares and her mother Andrée continue a generations-old family tradition, raising a herd of 7,000 sheep and goats in California’s Central Valley. While these ranchers may seem unlikely agents in the struggle against wildfire in the West, so too are their partners – migrant herders who hail from Peru.

Uncle and Nephew Nestor and Roony came to the U.S. seeking opportunities they didn’t feel they had at home. After a decade mostly separated from their families, they struggle to balance an all consuming profession with their dreams of starting a new life together in California.

These families tend herds that graze across the urban-wildland interface to reduce wildfire risk. From spring to late summer, prescribed grazing is implemented across thousands of acres, where goats eat 3-5% of their body weight every day. However prolific, this nascent industry, based on an ancient skill, faces many challenges; the economics that shape it are fundamentally broken, the work itself is grueling and relentless, and the migrant labor that powers it is squeezed between the two.

Cabras y Chivas provides levity and inspiration through its portrayal of family, landscapes and the spontaneity of life with animals. With cinematography that emphasizes seasonal elements and the natural environment, viewers are invited to reimagine the landscapes they live in. Through intimate character development, they’ll gain a deeper appreciation for those who sacrifice to protect them. Hopeful in its perseverance, this is a story about nature-based solutions for a warming world and the intricate web of relationships that inform them – amongst family, cultures and landscapes.