This issue of Food for Thought will provide some wool related resources and activities to get you started or augment our programs. Local sheep farmers and fiber artists will be on hand to demonstrate and discuss with students how they raise sheep and use their wool. These programs are great for teaching science lessons on adaptation, as wool helps the sheep stay warm even before it helps us! Integrating arts into your lessons is easy with spinning and dyeing activities. The history of sheep farming in New Hampshire is fascinating and had a major impact on our state.  These resources can enhance history lessons as well.

Though we're focused on sheep and wool for the next few weeks, there are many other things going on too. Once again we'll be at the NH Farm and Forest Expo in Manchester on February 3rd and 4th. If you haven't been to the Expo, come check it out. It's a wonderful place to learn about the diversity of working landscapes in our state. You can meet people who raise all kinds of crops and livestock and learn about what they do and why. If you're exploring small scale farming there are tool and equipment exhibits providing helpful resources. Forestry and wildlife experts can teach you about the woods and their importance to our economy. In addition to the exhibits, food tasting and the FARM-O game, there are excellent workshops too. Visit the Farm and Forest website for more details(www.nhfarmandforestexpo.org)  and stop by to see us at booth #201.

It's also time to begin thinking about maple sugaring. That is a sweet topic but unfortunately there are many potential threats to our maple sugaring industry including invasive insect pests. See the article from Piera Siegert, state entomologist with the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food about insects to watch for and how to get students involved in real science and preventative measures to protect our precious maple trees.

Best wishes,

Ruth

Ruth Smith, Coordinator

A male sheep is a ram.

If he is neutered he is called a wether.

A female sheep is a ewe.

A lamb is a sheep that is less than 1 year old. Most lambs are born in the spring. Typically a ewe births 1-3 lambs at a time. Lambs can stand soon after they are born. Lambs are considered full grown at about 6 months.

A group of sheep is called a flock. The flock provides safety for the animals.

Sheep make a bleating sound. A lamb can identify its mother by her bleat.

There are over 200 different breeds of sheep in the world. Some are raised for meat, others for different types of fiber. The US is home to 35 different breeds. One of the most popular breeds is the Hampshire.

Sheep do not have any top front teeth. The roof of their mouth is hard. They eat grass and forbs (broad leafed herbaceous plants) as well as browse on some woody plants. They are ruminants, which means they have four parts to their stomach to help them digest the plants.

Sheep are sometimes used to control weeds. They have been put under power lines, on ski slopes and in forested areas to graze and "mow" the plants which grow in places where humans don't want them. This service means fewer machines or chemicals are needed to reduce the weeds in these areas.

Sheep have been domesticated by humans for over 8000 years.

As of January 2011 New England was home to 51,000 sheep (according to the American Sheep Industry). They resided on 3000 different farms.

History

Despite a ban on exportation of sheep to the New World, a few smuggled sheep made it to North America and by 1665 there were 100,000 on this continent.

In the colony of Massachusetts during the late 1600's, the general court passed a law requiring youth to learn to spin and weave.

Restrictions on the trading of wool was one of the issues that helped incite the Revolutionary War.

In 1809 Merino sheep were imported from Spain and brought to New Hampshire. There was a dramatic growth in the sheep industry within 3-4 years. Hill top farms were ideal for grazing. At least 80% of NH south of the White Mountains was cleared. Flocks of 500-1000 sheep were common throughout the state. In 1835 there were 465, 000 sheep in the state. The human population of NH at that time was only 190,000.

In New England  250,000 miles of stonewalls were built to confine sheep. Woolen mills were scattered in small towns across our state. This was a short lived boom. By 1840's the farms were being abandoned as people headed west to more fertile soils or into the cities to work in the mills and industries of the Industrial Revolution.  The old farms reverted to forests and today our woods are scattered with the stonewalls as a lasting legacy of the impact of sheep on our landscape.

An essential role for educators

by: Piera Siegert, State Entomologist and Director, Division of Plant Industry NH Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food

Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) and emerald ash borer (EAB) are invasive insects that New Hampshire residents should be concerned about. Neither has been found in New Hampshire, but there are populations of both ALB and EAB within 100 miles of the state's borders. The largest known ALB infestation is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and EAB populations have been found in New York's Hudson River Valley, and near Montreal in Canada. Both ALB and EAB were likely introduced to the U.S. in shipping material from China; both spend part of their lifecycle feeding under the bark of hardwood trees; and both have the potential to cause significant economic and aesthetic damage to New Hampshire's forests.

ALB principally attacks maple trees, making ALB a threat to both the maple syrup and fall-foliage tourism industries in New Hampshire. ALB adult females lay eggs in chewed-out pits in the bark of maple trees. These eggs hatch into larvae which burrow into and feed within the tree. Because larvae and their feeding galleries are beneath the bark, and because early infestations can be asymptomatic, ALB populations can be difficult to detect. There is no commercial trap or other passive detection method currently available for ALB. Detection of ALB populations relies on a survey in which host trees are examined for signs and symptoms of damage. This is a labor-intensive process, and one which is greatly assisted by the efforts of residents with an eye to the health of their trees.

EAB attacks and kills all species of ash trees, with tree mortality occurring 3-5 years after initial infestation. Ash has been a highly planted urban landscape tree, making EAB a threat to both forest and urban landscapes. Nationally, EAB is estimated to cost between $12 and $25 billion dollars over the next decade to treat, remove and replace urban ash trees. Ash's autumnal colors contribute to the palette that makes New England's fall forests so striking. Additionally, black (a.k.a brown) ash is culturally significant for some Native American tribes. Early infestations of EAB can be difficult to detect, with systemic symptoms such as crown die-back not evident until late in the infestation. Unlike ALB, there are passive detection methods for EAB; however, an informed population is still a critical component of EAB detection and management.

In general, insect infestations are easier to manage when populations are small. The earlier an outbreak is detected, the lower the associated costs and the greater the chance of success. Early detection can reduce the overall impact to our northern hardwood forests, urban landscape and maple syrup industry. Because the impact to the community is reduced by early detection, community participation is critical. Currently, the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food is administering a USDA APHIS and US Forest Service joint project with the goal of providing outreach to school-aged children about ALB and EAB. A critical aspect of this project is to train educators about ALB and EAB so that they can incorporate forest pest awareness activities into lesson plans, helping to create an educated community able to participate in the detection of these destructive insects. To find out more about how to participate in this program, please email: [email protected].

To learn how to train your students to become "beetle watchers" watch for future workshop opportunities through NHAITC or attend a workshop at the NH Science Teachers Association Conference on March 12 at Keene State College: www.nhsta.net