Spring is a perfect time of year to celebrate youth and growing things.

Michigan has many unique "young" aspects. In the 2000 census, Michigan boasted a population of 9,938,444. Of that, 2,739,322 Michigan residents were ages 18 and under--almost one-third of the total population.

One springtime example of thousands of "young" things is the birth of lambs occurring every year in March, April and early May. The sheep and lamb inventory in Michigan on January 1, 2003, was estimated at 75,000 head, up 4 percent from a year ago, according to the Michigan Agricultural Statistics Service.

The number of sheep operations in Michigan is growing--in 2002 there were an estimated 1,900, up 100 from 2001. Every year more lambs are born in Michigan. The birth of lambs is a wonderful symbol of springtime and innocence ... and for a farmer, hard but rewarding work.

Ewes need to be closely monitored before and during birth. Once born--sometimes two or even three lambs are born to a ewe--a newborn lamb will suckle the first milk called colostrum, rich in protective antibodies, from its mother.

Lambs will continue to nurse for up to 16 weeks. A farmer must get colostrum into a lamb if not available from the ewe. Farmers may keep lambs alive by feeding them using syringes or baby bottles. For a few days after birth a ewe and her lambs need to be watched closely. Healthy lambs will appear content and will stretch when getting up and wag their tails when nursing. Farmers perform many tasks to keep their lambs healthy, including identification, vaccination and deworming.

Sheep and lambs provide consumers with meat and wool. Michigan's shorn wool production in 2002 was 460,000 pounds. Sheep shearing is one of the most interesting aspects of raising sheep. Each year, thousands of Michigan tourists witness this process. A few communities host festivals celebrating the contributions of sheep and lambs to Michigan culture.

As for growing things ... Michigan boasts 52,000 family farms and about 10.4 million acres of farmland. Bucking the national trends, Michigan in the past few years has made gains in the number of small farms and has remained steady in the number of farms--small and large--overall.

A symbol of springtime growth is the Easter lily. Michigan leads the nation in the growing of Easter lilies. Fifty-five Michigan growers produced more than 1.4 million potted Easter lilies in 2001.

All Michigan Easter lilies for sale in flower shops are grown in enclosed glass or plastic buildings called greenhouses where temperature, light and water can be controlled. Even when snow and ice pelted Michigan this past winter, Easter lilies were growing. Growers use specific techniques to make their lilies bloom at Easter, which falls on April 20, 2003.

So if it's young people, growing farms, lambs or lilies you admire, Michigan is your "young" state!