Baaad economy driving young Italians to herd sheep

Think Italian shepherds are just a bunch of gray-haired old men strolling down the middle of rural European roads, whistling folk tunes and blocking traffic? Well, you're mostly right. But not for long, according to a new study. The Italian agricultural body Coldiretti reports that about 3,000 young Italians under age 35 have recently entered the, ahem, field. Spurred by soaring unemployment, the new generation of sheep herders is largely comprised of aspiring lawyers and doctors with poor job prospects. The new recruits may be good for the industry, the report notes, as they bring with them new animal husbandry techniques.