Editing Lake District (section)

=== Agriculture and forestry ===
[[File:Thirleme 069.jpg|thumb|A young [[Herdwick]] grazing above [[Thirlmere]]. Older sheep of this breed are grey or white.]]

Farming, and in particular [[Domestic sheep|sheep farming]], has been the major industry in the region since [[Roman Britain|Roman]] times. The breed most closely associated with the area is the tough [[Herdwick]], with [[Rough Fell]] and [[Swaledale (sheep)|Swaledale]] sheep also common. Sheep farming remains important both for the economy of the region and for preserving the landscape which visitors want to see. Features such as [[dry stone wall]]s, for example, are there as a result of sheep farming. Some land is also used for [[silage]] and [[dairy farming]].

[[File:Hughie - Lakeland Terrier.jpg|thumb|upright=.60|The [[Lakeland Terrier]] is a District namesake, and native of the area's farms.]]

The area was badly affected by the outbreak of [[foot-and-mouth disease]] across the United Kingdom in 2001. The outbreak started in [[Surrey]] in February but had spread to [[Cumbria]] by end of March.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Lake District 'nightmare' as fell farm is infected |last=Cadwalladr |first=Carole |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1327961/Lake-District-nightmare-as-fell-farm-is-infected.html |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=26 March 2001 |access-date=27 August 2012 |archive-date=26 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426174133/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1327961/Lake-District-nightmare-as-fell-farm-is-infected.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Thousands of sheep, including the native [[Herdwick]]s which graze on the fellsides across the district, were destroyed. In replacing the sheep, one problem to overcome was that many of the lost sheep were ''heafed'', that is, they knew their part of the unfenced fell and did not stray, with this knowledge being passed between generations. With all the sheep lost at once, this knowledge has to be relearnt and some of the fells have had discreet [[electric fence]]s strung across them for a period of five years, to allow the sheep to "re-heaf".<ref>{{Cite news |title=If they go, it is the end of Lakeland |last=Griffin |first=Harry |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/apr/11/footandmouth.features11 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=11 April 2001 |access-date=27 August 2012 |archive-date=17 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317020654/http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/apr/11/footandmouth.features11 |url-status=live }}</ref> At the time of the outbreak, worries existed about the future of certain species of sheep such as [[Ryeland]] and Herdwick in the district,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Rare breeds 'could be lost' |last=MacClean |first=Matt |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1233458.stm |work=BBC News |date=21 March 2001 |access-date=27 August 2012 |archive-date=1 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070301154754/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1233458.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> however these fears have been allayed and sheep now occupy the district in abundance.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sheep breed resurrected decade on from foot and mouth |last=Clarke |first=Tom |url=http://www.channel4.com/news/sheep-breed-resurrected-decade-on-from-foot-and-mouth |work=Channel 4 News |date=9 February 2011 |access-date=27 August 2012 |archive-date=17 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217033412/http://www.channel4.com/news/sheep-breed-resurrected-decade-on-from-foot-and-mouth |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Forestry on Harter Fell.jpg|thumb|Forestry operations on [[Harter Fell, Eskdale|Harter Fell]]]]

Forestry has also assumed greater importance over the last century with the establishment of extensive conifer plantations around [[Whinlatter Pass]], in [[Ennerdale Water|Ennerdale]], and at [[Grizedale Forest]] among other places. There are extensive plantations of non-native pine trees.