Join us for a virtual field trip hosted by the Hewitt family of Maple Wood Farms near Faribault, MN! We'll meet their sheep and see how newborn lambs are cared for. Sara Hewitt will guide us through the sheep barn and share a behind-the-scenes look at how their sheep are raised for wool and meat.
This is a 30 min virtual field trip targeted to K-5 students.
Maple Wood Farms
Maple Wood Farms has been in Sara Hewitt’s family for over 100 years. The Hewitt family raises Suffolk sheep, beef cattle, corn, soybeans, flowers, pumpkins, and even honeybees! The farm has two barns: one for sheep and one for beef cattle. The Hewitts have a few extra helpers around the farm; their kids help with chores and show the sheep, their cats help keep away rodents, and they also have a farm dog!
Sara Hewitt says that she loves being a farmer because she loves being a part of a community and raising something that helps feed that community. She loves following her family tradition, working the land, and being outside, and she takes pride in her family legacy as farmers. Most importantly, being a farmer brings joy to Sara Hewitt.
The Sheep
The farm is home to 24 ewes, which are female sheep, and 1 ram, which is a male sheep. The sheep are fed corn and grain once a day and have as much hay as they want accessible throughout the whole day. The corn fed to the sheep is grown right on Maple Wood Farms! The Hewitts shear their sheep once a year, in the spring, because the sheep need their wool to stay warm during the cold Minnesota winters. The ewes at Maple Woods Farms are Suffolk sheep, which are typically larger in size than other breeds of sheep. Lambs are 10-16 pounds when born, ewes will grow to 145-180 pounds, and rams are often over 200 pounds.
Lambing
At the time of this Virtual Field Trip, the ewes at Maple Wood Farms were pregnant and expected to give birth in the next few days. Ewes are pregnant for 147-152 days and commonly give birth to twins. One year, the ewes at Maple Wood Farms gave birth to ten sets of triplets! Once the lambing (birthing lambs) is complete, the ewes and their lambs are put into lambing jugs, which are small pens that keep the lambs close to their moms. These lambing jugs help the mom and lamb bond, while it also ensures that the lamb is fed and warm.
Who is who?
Sheep must be tagged to help tell them apart, but the Hewitts also name most of the sheep. After lambing, all of the lambs are named with one theme in mind. In past years, the Hewitt’s sheep were all named after types of candy, fruits and vegetables, and more creative themes. This year, the Hewitt’s sheep will all be named after flowers!
