A small South Atlantic island needs an Agriculture Advisor … pick me!
I’m pretty sure I have the best job in the world, but even so, my wanderlust gets antsy when I see classifieds for positions like polar bear spotter in Norway or professional baby goat snuggler in Virginia. Now there’s something new to add to the list of unreasonable dream jobs: Agriculture Advisor for the very small and very isolated island of Tristan da Cunha.
Tristan da Cunha is officially the most out-of-the-way inhabited island in the world, sitting roughly 1,500 miles from from South Africa and 2,000 miles from South America. At seven miles wide and just a bit under 38 square miles, it has a permanent population of less than 300. People, that is … because the island has 300 cattle and 500 sheep.
NASA/Earth Observatory/CC BY 2.0They do a bang-up job of lobster fishing, but it appears that they only grow potatoes – and according to the job listing they’d like to also harvest fruits, vegetables and other crops to reduce their dependence on imported foodstuffs. Without an airport, they are reliant on fishing boats from South Africa that service the island only eight times a year.
Suitable applicants need to be knowledgeable about:
• Modern medication for livestock
• Arable crop rotation
• Orchard creation, management and development
• Tending to legumes in greenhouses
• Livestock maintenance and general animal husbandry
Meaning that I would be completely unsuitable for said job, drats. But if you’ve got the farming chops and are looking to get out of Dodge, there’s literally no more seclued place to get away from it all.
Google Maps/CC BY 2.0That said, it’s a two-year commitment. And the position might sound a bit off-putting with the listing of fun leisure activities: “Tristan da Cunha offers expatriates opportunities for walking and occasionally visiting the nearby islands of Nightingale and Inaccessible.”
But as Modern Farmer points out, there’s an upside: The islanders are described as “fun loving, friendly, kind and generous” and there’s a pub, cafe, dance hall, swimming pool, and tourist center on the island to enjoy.
See the full job listing here: Agricultural Adviser – required for Tristan da Cunha
Via Modern Farmer
