Use your brain to beat worms

For those who raise sheep and goats in New England, parasites are usually a bigger problem than predation and most other diseases. And as time goes on, they have gotten harder and harder to control.

Gone are the days when deworming the flock or herd every month and moving them to a clean pasture every time was the best advice. Taking a page from vegetable and fruit producers, Bill Fosher will explain how to use an integrated pest management approach to managing parasites in a sheep flock or goat herd.

Bill started keeping sheep in 1990 with a flock of four ewes. Over the years his operation has waxed and waned, peaking in the early 2000s with a flock of 750 ewes used in a vegetation management business, and producing about 1400 lambs per year. He has also worked as a hired shepherd for flocks as large as 1200 ewes.

The workshop will be held on Wednesday, June 5, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at a location to be determined in the Keene area. Fee of $15 for members or $20 for non-members includes handouts and light refreshments. For more information or to register, e-mail news@grazenh.com, or call Bill at 603-399-9975.