The Frederick News-Post (Maryland)
Couple finds joy in raising alpacas
December 3, 2006
Alison Walker-Baird
Heading home from his job at Fort Detrick means senior analyst Ray Boell will soon be greeted by a very, soft fuzzy bunch- the herd of alpacas he owns with wife Rita.
About 40 of these furry, gentle animals that resemble their much larger cousin, the llama, populate the Boells' Martinsburg, W.Va., farm. During the last 3 1/2 years, Rita and Ray Boell have used their own brand of TLC to raise their alpacas -- not for meat in someone's dinner, but for fleece spun into warm, pricey garments.
Though the animals can mean good profits, they seem more like Mr. and Ms. Boell's children than business inventory.
Ms. Boell, who has three adult children of her own, treats her alpacas with the care of a mother. She spends much of her time socializing with the alpacas on their farm, playing games with them, cooing to them and keeping a watchful eye on them.
Alpacas are like cats, Ms. Boell said, with their independent spirit.
South Bend Tribune (Indiana)
That's some fleece; Local farmers enjoy raising alpacas while creating an award-winning herd
December 6, 2006
Sherry Van Arsdall
Noahh looks up from grazing in the field.
A male alpaca, he turns toward a large picture window that faces the pasture.
Maybe he knows just how much his owners -- Sandi Nesbit and her husband, Bob -- enjoy watching the herd from their dining room.
"It's wonderful to watch them," Sandi Nesbit said. "It's a wonderful way to live."
Telegram & Gazette (Massachusetts)
The softer side of life;
Alpacas can grow on you
December 10, 2006
Susan Spencer
The soulful brown eyes gaze languorously from beneath luxurious fringed lids. A mop top of thick fleece protects the strong forehead. As the graceful, gentle animal leans its long neck into your touch, you feel one of the softest natural fibers around.
No wonder Laura F. and Michael R. Busky of Berlin fell head over heels in love with alpacas, cousins to llamas, nine years ago and bought the first two of their 14 animals. The Buskys held an open house at their North Brook Farm Dec. 2 and 3 as part of the Christmas in Berlin celebration. The alpaca farm was open for barn tours, spinning and weaving demonstrations, and the sale of homemade fleece products.
Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne)
Loveable alpacas provide multiple benefits
December 24, 2006
Shauna Stephenson
On a ranch just north of town lives a herd of long-legged, gangly-necked creatures with curly-topped-mops on their camel-shaped heads.
Dr. Seuss might have named them whumples, whopples or maybe even wiggleywhops.
To Lynn Boak, this small herd of alpacas has become the next step in her life.
Boak is one of a growing number of alpaca breeders who are setting up business in the Cheyenne area.
She says she started her business, Arroyo Seco Alpacas, because she loves animals. A visit to the ranch proves that theory.
Daily Nebraskan
Birth of 100,000th alpaca is registered in Nebraska
November 15, 2006 Wednesday
Adam Zielgler
On Aug. 18, a 15-pound, furry bundle of joy was welcomed into the world by proud couple Dennis and Bea Miller.
The Millers are the owners of Alpaca Palms in Wildomar, Calif., and that bundle was the monumental 100,000th alpaca registered by Lincoln's Alpaca Registry Inc.
Alpaca Registry Inc., or ARI, was founded in the 1980s, shortly after alpacas were first imported to the U.S. It's the only alpaca registry in the country.
"It's like the National Kennel Club for dogs," said Darby Vannier, the executive director of the registry.
Alpacas are timid but curious animals that do well in herds.
"They're pretty gentle so the whole family, even kids, can get in on their care," Cindy Berman, the director of public relations for the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association said.
The birth of the 100,000th alpaca, named Dee Lux, has been a big event for the alpaca industry. To celebrate, several industry magazines ran stories on Dee Lux and the ARI gave the Millers a plaque of Dee Lux's registration certificate at the national alpaca conference in Reno, Nev.
The Santa Fe New Mexican (New Mexico)
Alpaca Encounter
November 22, 2006
Ana Maria Trujillo
Last week before the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos faced off, a little white alpaca named Zan broke his left hind leg. When Sagebrush Alpacas owner Amanda Evans saw his splint, it was decorated in Steelers' colors and had a little football on it.
Now, Zan's splint is a simple yellow, but Evans said it will feature a visual treat for those who come to open ranch day on Saturday.
Three Eldorado-area Alpaca ranches -- AlpacaWorks, Sagebrush Alpacas and White Stone Alpacas -- co-sponsor the event for people to feed and pet the alpacas, shop for goods made from alpaca fiber and get answers to any questions about the animals.
"They're really lovely animals," Evans said. "You can have a ranch with alpacas as a female, and you don't need two tractors and six strong men and hay bales and all of that. You can do it on a small amount of property."
Rocky Mountain News (Colorado)
Chill chasers; Add fiber to your wardrobe in 22 natural colors
November 30, 2006
Tobie Orr
This is the year to find a piece that will be treasured for seasons to come. Cashmere is a classic, but don't ignore knits made from alpaca wool; they're available, undyed, in 22 colors. And don't assume that all alpaca fiber comes from Peru; there are companies in America that use wool from America (for example, visit www.americasalpaca.com). This year's favored colors are neutrals: sand, browns and ivory with splashes of orange, green, blue and purple.
The Associated Press State & Local Wire
Alpacas can be a great investment
October 7, 2006
Lauren Hough
One look into the big, inquisitive eyes on the teddy bear-like faces, and Rita Boell was head over heels for alpacas.
The rest, she says, was history.
It was 3 1/2 years ago that she fell in love with the furry, long-necked creatures. After she was raised on a farm in Germany, Boell longed for livestock to inhabit the eight acres of land behind the Victorian home she shares in Berkeley County with her husband, Ray.
"I wanted something small ... that wouldn't end up on the dinner table," she said.
The Boells purchased a few alpacas initially, but the group quickly mushroomed into the stock of 35-plus they currently own.
The "plus" comes from the number of females currently away for breeding, and those who are pregnant, Boell explained.
Alpacas are members of the camel family, and they are related to the larger llamas.
"They are easier to take care of than horses, and gentler on the land as well," Boell said.
Between six and eight alpacas can live on one acre of land, since they only have a bottom row of teeth, and therefore graze more gently.
Alpacas are revered for their fleece, which was once referred to by the Incans as the "fiber of the gods." There are two kinds of alpacas: the woolier huacaya, which the Boells own, and the suri, which has fiber that grows into long and silky pencil-like locks.
The fleece, shorn yearly from the animals, is spun into fiber that makes high-quality clothes. The market for such fiber is the best in fashion-forward cities such as Milan and Paris, Boell said.
"It's lighter and warmer than wool," Boell said. "It's softer than cashmere."
And, unlike sheep wool, alpaca fleece has no lanolin, making it good for those who have allergies, she added.
The fiber can be used to make everything from suits to sweaters, and the silky fleece of baby alpacas commands the highest prices on the market. The fleece comes in 22 colors recognized by the textile industry from an almost-lavender gray to a deep maroonish brown.
While Boell expects to take spinning classes soon to help her process the alpaca fleece, her focus remains on breeding and raising her animals.
"The market is very stable," she said, noting that she sold 11 alpacas last year. "There's quite a bit of interest."
In fact, Boell refers to her animals as a "huggable investment."
The Ithaca Journal (New York)
Farm celebrates love of alpacas
October 9, 2006
Tiffany Edwards
LANSING - Potential farmers, children and the curious gathered at Indian Chimney Farm Saturday and Sunday to learn more about an unusual animal that is becoming popular with small farmers.
The alpaca - a member of the camel family that is indigenous to South America - stands just 3 feet tall at the top of its back, has an easy-going personality and a soft, warm coat that can be spun into yarn.
US States News
October 26, 2006
An apparel design and production student from Kansas State University recently received an award for her exemplary fashion design using alpaca fibers.
Leeann Armstrong, senior from Topeka, was awarded a $500 scholarship for her third-place submission in the Fiber to Fashion design competition.
The scholarship is funded by the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association and includes a sponsored trip with other winners in November for the national association conference in Reno, Nev.
"I was very excited to receive the award and I am honored to have been chosen for this experience," Armstrong said.
Designs were judged on how well each designer interpreted the overall theme of "Alpaca - Coloring Our World." Students were to use alpaca fiber in a dynamic, exciting and dramatic way.
The Union Leader (New Hampshire)
Llamas are sometimes added to an alpaca herd for protection
September 5, 2006
Although the uninitiated might use the words "alpaca" and "llama" to describe the same animal, professional breeders will quickly point out that the two differ greatly.
Peter Buckingham of Folsom Farm in Raymond said size is the biggest difference between the two species. A llama, with a maximum weight of about 500 pounds, can be up to three times larger than their alpaca relatives. Additionally, llama fleece has coarse "guard hairs" that feel rougher on the skin than an alpaca's delicate fiber.
But on many farms, llamas and alpacas are seen mingling together. Alpaca breeders often use one or more llamas as sentries to protect the smaller, more timid alpacas, and these animals are referred to as "guard llamas" in the alpaca industry.
The Boston Globe
Shear Gladness; A bass guitarist for the band Extreme 10 years ago,
Pat Badger now gives 36 alpacas his full attention
September 21, 2006
Taryn Plumb
In the early '90s, Pat Badger had a mane of scraggly blond hair, a black Spector bass guitar, and a hit lyrical ballad that served as the anthem for many dewy-eyed teenage couples.
These days, the Extreme bassist has taken somewhat of a professional left turn.
The long locks are gone, and his customary outfit is a pair of dirt-smudged jeans and a blue chambray work shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows.
His day-to-day responsibility? Tending a herd of three dozen fluffy, docile alpacas on his Alpaca Grove farm in Groveland.
"I just wanted to do something completely different from the entertainment business," said Badger, 39, leaning on a fence in the manner that farmers do, as he watched alpacas munch on the grass in his front yard. "Mostly, it's a love of the animals."
Alpacas are fuzzy, four-legged creatures squat, resembling llamas, only without the gruff temperament that are spurring many rookie farmers to launch careers in agriculture.
The Daily Journal (New Jersey)
They're raising what in Vineland?
September 26, 2006
Meg Huelsman
VINELAND Storm Trooper is a yearling and likes to frolic. She is white, with padded feet, and often is curious, daring and ready to meet strangers with an unusual nibble.
She is an alpaca that belongs to Alice Brown, who runs an alpaca farm on land off Main Road just north of Forest Grove Road.
"I love these animals," said Brown, 58, hugging her star stud, a red and white patterned furry male alpaca. "I didn't ever imagine I could love an animal as much as I love these alpacas."
The Register-Guard (Oregon)
Associated Press
August 3, 2006
Alpaca lifestyles
Sarah Skidmore
HOOD RIVER - Standing in the green grass, with Mount Hood's white snowcapped peak on the horizon, it's hard for Marcus and Cathryn Whitman to imagine life any other way: the peace, the quiet - the alpacas.
Like thousands of other Americans, they ditched their former lives for the bucolic experience of raising the easygoing shaggy animals.
A relative of the llama, alpacas originated in South America and were first introduced to the United States in 1984. They were initially popular in the Northwest, primarily among llama farmers wanting to diversify. But the alpaca has since generated a ``Green Acres''-like following among nonagricultural types nationwide looking for a tax-friendly business and lower-stress lifestyle.
"For not knowing what an alpaca was six years ago, it's now everything,'' Cathryn said.
The Whitmans wanted to make a change after weathering a few too many hurricanes working as dive instructors and yacht captains in the U.S. Virgin Islands. At their accountant's suggestion, they looked into farming for the tax breaks.
They picked the alpacas because they "didn't want to raise something that we had to kill, or that would kill us'' Cathryn said.
WBIR-TV (Tennessee)
August 15, 2006
South American Alpacas find home on East Tennessee Farm
Both retired executives, the England's had no real experience in farming when they started the Windy Hill Alpacas Farm nine years ago. One day Wayne read an article about raising Alpacas, so he brought the idea home to Mary.
"I said 'oh that's wonderful', Ever since I was 16 I said when I retired I was gonna raise Llamas," Mary says. "Alpacas are cousins to Llamas so I said that will do."
The England's say Alpacas are the alternative to farming, since the tobacco cash crop has faded in the East Tennessee area over the years.
"When it comes time to sell them, or we have prospective buyers here, it's actually like selling some of our children," Mary says.
The Denver Post (Colorado)
August 20, 2006
All right with alpacas
Kathlene Sutton
Confused about how alpacas differ from llamas? Ever wished you could hug one, if it promised not to bite? Black Hawk rancher Diana Smith will happily field all your questions and even invite you to visit her alpacas on the ridgetop where her grandparents raised cattle starting in 1874. Her family had been selling off land since the 1960s, but losing the ranch was unthinkable. So Diana and her husband, Delmar, bought 50 acres, and in 1998 they replaced the last of the cattle with three alpacas. Their herd now numbers more than two dozen. What started as a pragmatic approach to preserving her childhood home has turned into a love story tailor-made for a Disney movie. And it's all true.
What's best about raising alpacas?
To me, the most rewarding part of the alpaca life is seeing the babies born. They can't be here more than four hours without a name. These animals are very huggable. You do get attached to them like pets. We love our animals, the lifestyle. It is my life.
Norwich Bulletin (Connecticut)
July 4, 2006
Chatting with members of the animal kingdom, from alpaca to Z
Marge Hoskin
On a recent summer day, I decided to emulate the fictional Dr. Doolittle. I attempted to walk and talk with the animals.
In Hugh Lofting's children's books, the doctor talked with animals "to better understand nature and the history of the world." His parrot, Polynesia, shared with him the needed language skills.
Although I had no parrot, I began my quest alphabetically with "A" for alpacas at Safe Haven Alpaca Farm and B&B in Hampton, where I was welcomed by Steve Putney, operations manager. The farm breeds, sells and boards alpacas. There were 46 alpacas, including three babies or crias, on the 90-acre farm, he said.
Bred for their cashmere-like fiber, alpacas are members of the camel family and were domesticated more than 5,000 years ago in South America's Andes Mountains, where large herds were signs of wealth.
Years ago, a rude llama in a petting zoo spit in my eye. But alpacas, quiet and gentle, are less likely to spit, Putney assured me; however, several females on the farm could be "testy." The farm's latest Blue Ribbon winner is named "Spit Fire."
How do alpacas communicate? They "hum," Putney said, when talking with other alpacas. Their alarm call is a high scream, like a "dog's squeaky toy."
After resisting the attractive alpaca sweaters, scarves and more at the farm's county store, I was ready to be introduced to my first alpaca, a cria held by Putney's daughters, Allysa and Shaylan. I was fully prepared to hum, but the cria's body language spoke for her. It said, "Let me down now. I want my mother."
Syracuse Post Standard (New York)
July 9, 2006
Animal Magnetism
Couple resettles to raise alpacas and brings along menagerie
Janet Gramza
On trips to Faith's family, they visited an alpaca farm and started looking to buy some breeder animals and a farm. Tom was game for the move to Central New York. "I like the green," he says. They put a deposit on five alpacas in October 2004, closed on their 26-acre farm that December and moved in one year ago. They now have 25 alpacas and three llamas, which Faith said are used in South America to guard alpaca herds because alpacas are sweet, while llamas are aggressive.
Faith said people across the country are raising alpacas partly because they are so gentle and unassuming as to require minimal fences. They also don't eat much besides grass, they are cute and like being petted, and they produce a thick, woolly fur called fiber that is warm, soft, breathable and more stain-resistant than wool.
Lexington Herald-Leader (Kentucky)
July 17, 2006
Alpaca alley
Smaller, gentler than llamas, they thrive in Kentucky
Mary Meehan
When Kenny Linville first got into the business, he was one of five alpaca farmers in Kentucky. The farm owners, who created the Kentucky Alpaca Association, would rotate the group's officer duties among themselves. Now, according to the national Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, there are 90 alpaca farms and roughly 1,000 animals in Kentucky. And several of the industry's major trade shows are held here annually.
According to the national association, there are some 4,000 alpaca farms across the country. Kentucky is about in the middle of the pack for the total number of animals, which are closely related to the llama. Ohio has the largest number of farms in the country, 431. The number of farms continues to grow. According to the association, more than 29,000 people have requested information about operating an alpaca farm since 2004.
The Flint Journal (Michigan)
July 30, 2006
Ancient alpaca now a hot trend on farms
Robert Snell
Otisville resident Julie Engberg is convinced that alpaca farming is no fad. She and other breeders are behind a 166 percent spike in the Great Lakes Alpaca Association's membership rolls since 2000, President Kim Tollers said.
Engberg said a 1998 ban on imported alpacas was designed to control the population and is helping fuel demand.
Engberg bought her first alpaca in 2003 after seeing one at a show at Michigan State University.
"At first, I thought they were cute, then I learned more and more about them," said Engberg, 43. "I always loved animals, and I wanted to do something with them, but I didn't want something where they were butchered or killed afterward."
So she built a pole barn and erected fences on her 10-acre farm, dubbed Midnight Moon Alpaca.
Today, she has five female Huacaya alpacas, known for their fuzzy coat, and sells the fleece to a Columbiaville woman who makes blankets, shawls and rugs.
Engberg wants to gradually increase to about 10 alpacas and quit her medical transcription job.
"I don't have any plans on being a millionaire, but I'd like to support myself with it," she said. "If you can make money doing something you enjoy, that's a bonus."
Needlepoint fans use threads made of 100 percent baby alpaca, which can be found at Homestead Needle Arts in Grand Blanc.
"It's really, really, really soft, and that's why people like it for knitting," owner Theresa Swiecicki said. "It is gorgeous stuff."
The Casper Star Tribune (Wyoming)
June 2, 2006
Pack of alpacas
Laurie Creasy
Penny Van Hise stands with a group of her male alpacas at her home along the North Platte River east of Casper. Penny, along with her husband Paul, decided to buy and raise the animals after a trip to Peru a few years ago.
For Paul and Penny Van Hise, it was love at first sight -- for the alpacas they met in Peru.
"We went down for two weeks, and we picnicked with a whole herd of them," Penny said.
"At 14,000 feet in the Andes," Paul added.
What's not to fall in love with? The alpacas look soft and cuddly, a wacky but elegant mixture of giraffe, horse, and teddy bear. Their enormous brown eyes seem to beg for love.
Well, they're definitely soft, with thick fleece that holds the heat of the sun. But they're animals of prey, so they're wary of people, backing away from an extended hand.
After meeting the alpacas, the Van Hises researched buying and caring for the animals, and decided to find themselves a small ranch. They circled around the northwest. "We knew whatever we found, it would have to be really exceptional for us to leave Casper," Paul says, "so we tried to find something around here, and boy, did we ever!"
The five-acre Sungate Alpaca Ranch lies east of the city on an easy bend of the North Platte River, back a dirt road. It's named for a point on the way from Cuzco to Macchu Pichu where the road opens up to a stunning vista.
They moved in January of 2005, pounding in stakes for the fence during minus-15-degree days. Now the animals wander in the open space, cropping the new spring grass. They're still somewhat of an oddity, but Paul says there are three other locations near Casper where alpacas roam.
"We want to build a herd," Paul explains, but that takes time. Gestation for alpacas is 11 months. The first new addition to the herd came about two years ago; the first baby alpaca born at Sungate is just a year old.
"But this summer, we expect three babies," Penny says. They also want to breed the animals and sell the fleece.
The Ann Arbor News (Michigan)
June 02, 2006
Home on the Alpaca range
Casey Hans
Michelle and Victor Waling and several guests shared a special surprise last month: One of their alpacas gave birth on Mother's Day, adding yet another of the gentle animals to their Howell Township herd.
"We had a baby in front of whole audience,'' said Michele Waling.
The tan-and-taupe female joins two other babies, called "crias'' that were born in recent weeks to the Oak Grove Alpacas herd.
She has yet to be named, but will join other herd members who are all named and registered through the Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association.
Shearing with some help
Alpaca owners come together this time of year for shearing that removes a year-old coat of valuable fleece that can be spun into specialty goods.
Dave Binkowski and his helper were on site recently at the Waling's ranch where he was working through their herd of 22 animals, generating bag after bag of soft fleece.
"They call me 'the Alpaca barber,''' he said. Binkowski shears about 1,100 alpacas each year from Benton Harbor to Gibraltar from the three-month season that runs from April through June.
He started out by shearing eight of his own sheep, then moved on and made alpacas his mainstay. "I saw an ad for an alpaca farm. I just fell in love with them,'' he added.
Michele Waling said the shearing not only provides part of their livelihood, but also keeps the animals cool for the summer season. "Even in 30-degree weather, they'll sleep outside,'' she said. "They like the winter a lot better.''
Charleston Daily Mail (West Virginia)
June 19, 2006
All for alpacas
Colleen Wright
ASHFORD -- The Arnold family of Ashford in Boone County has eight new additions: six alpacas and two llamas.
They roam 16 acres that have been in Rebecca Arnold's family for years.
There's a barn on the property, and she and her husband, Chris, both 32, had dreamed of having a real farm.
They wanted animals that could generate revenue, but not cattle or pigs because then they would have to be slaughtered.
One evening last year, as Chris, a draftsman for Penn Virginia Corp., watched TV, he saw a commercial for alpacas.
The llama-like mammals seemed like a perfect solution.
The Arnolds traveled to several alpaca farms in Ohio and West Virginia to learn more about them.
They finally bought two females and four males of varying ages, as well as two llamas for protection.
"Alpacas have soft pads on their feet and only one row of teeth, so they can't really defend themselves," said Rebecca, a former hairdresser.
Alpaca fur is highly marketable. The Incans referred to it as "the fiber of the gods," and only the royalty was allowed to wear it.
"It is warmer than wool and nicer than cashmere," Rebecca said.
To prepare for her new occupation, Rebecca has been taking knitting classes and hopes to make socks, sweaters and hats from the fleece of her livestock.
On May 29, the Arnolds' alpacas were shorn for the first time.
May 2006
High Plains (Kansas)
May 5, 2006
Raising alpacas is a "shear" delight
Doug Rich
April is not a month generally associated with harvest unless you raise alpacas. The first week of April alpaca breeders gathered at the Kansas Alpaca Company near Ottawa, Kan., to shear their animals and harvest the valuable fleece.
If you are looking for a unique way to diversify your farm or ranch--something that does not take too much acreage, no additional equipment, and uses the skills you already possess, then you might want to take a look at alpacas.
"This is a really great small farm operation because it requires very little land to raise alpacas," says Bonnie Samuel who owns the Kansas Alpacas Company in Ottawa, Kan., along with her husband Bill. "They are very clean, efficient, low cost animals to raise."
Youngstown Vindicator (Ohio)
May 7, 2006
Kinsman Raising a Pack of Alpacas An area couple started with a few animals and now have a herd of 12.
Rebecca Sloan
HEN KINSMAN TOWNSHIP resident Jacque Piper saw some alpacas at the 2002 Cleveland Home and Garden Show, she was hooked with just one look.
"I told my husband I really wanted to get some alpacas of our own," she said. "There was just something about them that I couldn't resist."
Although Jacque, a part-time librarian at Kinsman Library, and her husband, Dennis, an engineer at Delphi, didn't own any animals besides a dog and cat, it wasn't long before they'd transformed their 15-acre property on Kinsman Pymatuning Road into an alpaca haven.
"We bought three pregnant females in 2002 and put up a small barn and fenced in some pasture," Jacque said. "Now we have 12 alpacas, we're planning a larger pasture, and we just put up a new barn."
With its hemlock siding and green metal roof, the new two-story barn is quaint and rustic — a welcome refuge for the small herd of alpacas that drifts timidly in and out of its roughhewn interior.
Jacque said she and her husband plan to convert half of the new barn into an alpaca store.
Lompoc Record – (California)
May 15, 2006
Fans visit alpacas for shear love of them
Mark Baylis
Saturday's summer-like day turned out to be the perfect time for an alpaca to get naked.
About 19 alpacas took a spin at public exhibitionism and had their fleece shorn off at the Alpacas de Los Olivos ranch Saturday. Hundreds of curious residents turned out to watch the creatures lose their winter clothing and to marvel at the unusual animals and their trademark humming.
“They're so cute. They're probably so relieved to have that fur off,” said Janell Briones, a Seattle-area resident.
The alpacas milled about in a fenced area of the ranch, waiting to be transformed from a miniature llama-meets-Teddy-bear appearance to, well, a nicely trimmed oddity.
“When I first saw one I thought it was an alien,” said Ed Warynick, who owns the ranch with his wife Elizabeth.
Until 20 years ago, Alpacas were primarily confined to South America. Ranchers in the United States began importing them in the 1980s. Now several ranchers in Santa Barbara County raise the creatures for their wool, which is incredibly soft and often used for clothing, such as sweaters and coats.
As many ranchers will tell you, once you alpaca you don't go back.
April 2006
Lynchburg News and Advance (Virginia)
April 4, 2006
At home on the farm
Casey Gillis
GOODE - When Marty Leist emerges from the barn at Mountain Meadows Alpaca Farm with a midday snack for her herd, a few alpacas wander over at first, but it’s not long before she’s surrounded by them.
Leist feeds them twice a day, paying close attention to each one so she can keep track of exactly what they’re eating.
She and her husband, Harry, bought the Goode farm in 2001 because Leist, who had been a nurse for many years, was looking to do something different. Something, she says, “that would preferably put me outside.”
Right around the time she was looking for a new career, “I stumbled across a picture and fell in love,” she says.
That picture was of alpacas, which resemble llamas, grazing in a field. Leist sent away for more information and in 1998, they bought their first two alpacas.
Since then, farming has been “just a nice change of pace,” she says.
Leist’s love of alpacas led her and friend Sheila Mahone to organize the Sedalia Center’s first Spring Fiber Festival, scheduled for all day Saturday, to coincide with the yearly shearing of her 28 alpacas, which happens every April.
“Alpacas are raised strictly for their fiber,” she says. (When an alpaca’s fur is still on it, it’s called fiber; once it’s been sheared off, it’s called fleece. Leist says they can usually get between 5 and 10 pounds of fleece from each animal).
“Alpaca is actually a luxury fiber in that it’s the softest cashmere,” she says. It’s also three to seven times warmer than wool and can be used to make everything from hiking socks to “knock-down gorgeous evening wraps,” she says. “If you ever start wearing alpaca, it’s hard to wear anything else.”
WHOI (Illinois)
April 08, 2006
Alpacas converge in East Peoria
Brock Spencer
Camel-like animals known for their fine fibers converged on East Peoria this weekend.
"They originated in South America, that's where they are from: Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. They were imported in here in about 1984," Alpaca Breeder Kevin Zurin said of the animal.
Zurin, who is from Pennsylvania, got into the business of Alpaca breeding about four years ago.
"We saw them in the paper for sale and bought them,' he said. "And, we didn't like them very much. We loved them. So, we decided to get some more of them."
Now, Kevin and his wife Sue, along with 60 of their furry friends, are touring the U.S. to participate in breeder shows. These events allow breeders to put a price on each alpaca, which is a member of the camel family.
"They are cousins to the lama," Sue said. "They are a lot smaller than lamas. They are really a docile animal, very friendly, easily trained."
Alpacas hair is used to make some of the finest fibers in the world. And, those can be used for many different types of clothing.
"Sweaters and scarves and things. It's just so warm and light weight and just really soft, " Sue said.
But, some of the more interesting things about these animals includes how they smell.
"Some people say they smell like popcorn, their fleece, " Kevin said.
OregonLive.com (Oregon)
April 17, 2006
Some folks can't get enough of alpacas
Luciana Lopoez
Alpacas, members of the camel family, are closely related to llamas. But alpacas are smaller, generally shorter than people. The animals are native to Peru and Bolivia.
They were first imported to the United States in 1984, according to the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association. The Alpaca Registry Inc., a Nebraska-based nonprofit, tallies more than 82,600 animals in the country.
Alpaca wool has been used for hundreds of years, dating to the Incas. The wool still sees a number of uses, particularly in clothing.
A number of show-goers had alpaca ties of their own. Janice Nersten was looking for sire services for the animals at her farm, Day Creek Alpacas in Sedro Woolley, Wash. She and Kris Olson of Krystal Acres struck up a conversation over the alpacas Olson brought from Friday Harbor, Wash., on San Juan Island.
The Olsons began breeding alpacas after retiring to the island and finding it dull, Olson said. The animals, she said, each have distinct personalities. Even better, the babies (called cria) are cute --and stay cute as adults.
"They're pretty much cute all the time," she said.
March 2006
Shelbyville Times-Gazette (Tennessee)
March 1, 2006
The alpacas are coming
Brian Mosely
No, it isn't a cross between a giraffe and a sheep.
They're called alpacas -- a breed of South American camel related to the llama.
Owner Kay Kemp of Stoney Ridge Farm, event chairman for the show, will be displaying three of the gentle beasts.
The 240 acres farm was established in 1997 and the first one to breed alpacas in the county. Since 1999, they have been producing ribbon winners with 30 alpacas; it is considered a medium-sized farm in relation to those across the country.
When the Kemps started their venture, there were only about 300 farms in the country that raised alpacas; now there are 4,500. All of the alpacas are registered and are "chipped," which means they have microchips implanted to track them.
Kay Kemp keeps a llama gelding as a watch guard near the house while the female alpacas reside in the barn. The "ladies" are not shy at all and don't seem to mind being around people, especially when you have a handful of food for them. They don't bite, but spit when upset and their kicks amount to nothing.
Those under 6 months are not allowed to be shown, although the youngest ones are extremely cute. Breeding can begin when they reach the age of 2 and gestation takes almost a year. The males and females are kept apart for obvious reasons. There is a resemblance to camels in the toes and face. They make a gentle humming sound, and do not like to be petted in the face.
One small female with black fur, named Penelope, will be shown by Kemp in the show, along with a male called Sequoia. All of the alpacas at the farm are named.
The Kemps had lived in the suburbs all their lives and when the kids moved out, they wanted to have a farm with profitable animals they didn't have to slaughter. The alpaca are sheered about once a year and they can produce anywhere from two to three pounds from the females to four or five pounds from the males
The animals are sheered right up to the top of their necks in the spring and the fleece is a cashmere-like fiber that is highly sought after by spinners, weavers and knitters.
WCAX (Vermont)
March 22, 2006
Alpaca Farm Fueled by Cow Power
Weathersfield, Vermont
In the hills of Weathersfield, Alpaca's have a foothold. Ian and Jennifer Lutz started raising the fuzzy animals ten years ago.
"Each one is a little different. People don't understand how we can have 240 and know every single one. But even if you look at all the white animals they all look a little different," said Jennifer Lutz.
It's a great business," said Ian Lutz.
But what really powers the Cas-Cad-Nac farm, is another four legged farm animal. Cows keep the lights on. The Lutz's just agreed to buy all cow power from CVPS. Under the program, manure from other farms is turned into renewable energy. So far 2,500 customers have signed up Cas-Cad-Nac farm is the biggest customer. CVPS says as the client base grows, it gets easier to attract more dairy farms to turn waste into watts.
Union Democrat (California)
March 30, 2006
Chris Nichols
As an engineer in the heart of high-tech Silicon Valley, Rick Brady never imagined he'd spend his golden years raising alpacas — fuzzy, curious creatures hailing from the remote high mountains of South America.
But after several successful seasons as the owner of Valley Spring's Oak Valley Alpaca, Brady says he, his wife Pam and their herd of alpacas are one big, happy family.
"If anyone would have told me in five years you'd be raising alpacas, I'd say: you're crazy," said Brady, 60, who left his job with a San Jose telecom company five years ago, standing in his alpaca pasture last week.
The notion of raising alpacas came after the Bradys visited an alpaca farm in Washington state several years ago, and later saw some of the animals while vacationing in South America.
The Bradys now have 20 of the alpacas on their five-acre property in a small valley off South Ranchero Road, within view of downtown Valley Springs.
Pam Brady, 59, who logged more than two decades as an office manager in Hayward and other Bay Area cities, said the move to Valley Springs has been a pleasant surprise.
She's traded fighting daily gridlock on the East Bay's expressways for a much slower pace. On lazy afternoons, she and her husband sip wine on their favorite wooden bench in the middle of the pasture, feeding their alpacas pellets of grain from the palms of their hands.
"They're quiet and they're very calming and relaxing," Pam Brady said of the animals, which are a bit smaller than llamas, very curious and equally skittish.
The animals, native to the Andes Mountains, are primarily found in Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Historically, they provided clothing and transport to the native Inca population. They were domesticated about 5,000 years ago, according to the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association.
Alpacas weigh between 150 and 200 pounds, stand 4 or 5 feet high, can adapt to any climate, and have three stomachs.
Each spring, the Bradys shear their alpacas and sell the soft, silky wool to clothing manufacturers and even a few locals.
The fur is processed into many items, ranging from sweaters to suits to sports wear, Rick Brady said. He knows of one woman who turned it into a wedding dress.
Baby alpacas — like the Brady's new addition named Carlin — have the softest and most valuable fur. It's known as royal baby alpaca fleece, Rick Brady said.
February 2006
Hay & Forage Grower
February 1, 2006
Alpaca Opportunity
Julie Holmquist
Hay growers looking for marketing niches should investigate the alpaca industry.
Compared to other livestock, alpaca numbers are low: There are currently over 70,000 registered alpacas in the U.S. But the industry has seen consistent growth over the 20 years since farmers began breeding alpacas in this country, says Jerry Miller of the 4,000-member Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association.
Because alpacas can no longer be imported into the U.S., alpacas here are raised for breeding as well as their luxury fiber. Alpaca fiber is lighter and warmer than wool, naturally fire-retardant and contains no lanolin or oil, so it's hypoallergenic.
"Alpaca items, from socks to sweaters to stuffed toys, are beginning to catch on like crazy," Miller notes. Awareness of the fiber is growing fast, he says.
Richard Wildt, Morgan, MN, agrees. He's been raising alpacas for 20 years and sells fiber products and alpacas for breeding stock and pets.
"Once people get a hold of this alpaca fiber and start using it, they come back," Wildt says. "It's growing every year."
Alpacas are ruminants that require much less feed than most animals their size (150-175 lbs). But alpaca owners, while disagreeing about feeding details, agree on the need for grass hay in the alpaca diet.
"Not all alpaca people want the same type of feed; we disagree with one another," says Connie Bodeker, a suri alpaca breeder from Cannon Falls, MN. "Any good grass hay with 15-16% protein that's palatable and free of weeds and seed heads should be the base of a good alpaca feeding program. Everybody agrees that it's the best basic feed for alpacas."
Bodeker, who has an animal science degree from the University of Minnesota, is choosy about the grass hay she buys for her 60-plus alpacas.
"We're very picky people, worse than the horse people by a long shot." Yet Bodeker says she'll pay well for quality hay.
"We don't want a lot of debris because of the fleece production, and we want a very soft hay that should have a TDN of around 60%. Anything over 55% is adequate."
Alpaca owners have a lot of money invested in their animals, she notes. Alpacas can live 20 years and still reproduce at 15 years, so Bodeker says proper nutrition can be more important than for some other marketed animals.
Wildt says he can't afford to be choosy about the hay in his region, where soybeans and corn are the predominant crops and grass hay is harder to find.
The money he spends on feeding his alpaca herd - which ranges from 260 to 400 head depending on sales and time of year - is split 50-50 between grain and hay. He buys about 5,000 bales a year and feeds his herd grain and hay twice a day.
Wildt says alpacas need dry hay year round.
"We have some friends on San Juan Island out in the ocean by the state of Washington. They have lush green pasture 6" high, but their alpacas still have to eat hay. They need some dry matter in their stomachs."
Most alpaca owners have only a few head - the average farm is 10-20 alpacas. There are over a thousand alpacas at farms in states such as Ohio and Washington, says Cindy Berman of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association.
Gwinnett Daily Post (Georgia)
February 5, 2006
Alpaca herd lives at Snellville farm
Rachael Mason
On Centerville-Rosebud Road in Snellville, bright-eyed and curious alpacas peer over a fence at passing cars. The furry, long-necked animals often gather around a small barn-shaped shop that is part of Creekwater Alpaca Farm.
Alpacas are raised for their soft fleece, which is made into yarn. The Creekwater shop stocks only alpaca items, including yarn, socks, sweaters and blankets. Open on Saturdays, the shop is the most visible part of the 50-acre farm, which includes wooded hills and grassy fields.
“People come from all over to see the alpacas,” said Nancy Sturm, who owns the alpaca farm.
The main barn at Creekwater cannot be seen from Centerville-Rosebud Road, but it’s the heart of the farm. Pregnant females and mothers and new babies are kept in a pen adjacent to the barn, while another pen is home to an award-winning alpaca. The rest of the alpacas roam the farm during the day and are penned up only at night.
The 11 cats who live at the farm play around the barn with no fear of the alpacas.
“They’re really gentle creatures,” Sturm said.
Portsmouth Herald News (New Hampshire)
February 12, 2006
Alpacas find a home, and live in Kittery Point
Jeanne' McCartin
They easily ride four to a mini van, are environmentally friendly, and produce one of the world’s most luxurious fibers. But it’s the alpaca’s big baby browns that flick most people’s switch, doe-like peepers aimed at the heart.
Initially Paula Ickeringill and Wendy Turner of Kittery Point went looking for a livestock, guard animal for their pygmy goats; the fence on their Sea Hill Farm a bit iffy. Instead they put the time and money into new fencing, and opted for alpaca.
"We just fell head-over-heels with alpacas the first day we saw them," says Ickeringill.
"You just connect with their eyes, the softness." After coming across the creatures in Martha Stewart’s "Living," they called a listed 800-number, got a location’s guide and started visiting local farms. In the process they discovered quite a bit about the creature, which persuaded Ickeringill it was the animal, and the businesses she wanted around after retiring from teaching. Today she cares for 29, most owned by the couple, plus a few boarders.
January 2006
TELEGRAM & GAZETTE (Massachusetts)
January 8, 2006 Sunday
On colonial land, alpacas reign;
Petersham farm lends home to fleecy friends
By Ann G. Forcier
A television commercial flashed a wooly face and large dark eyes. The image did what was intended: it hooked a viewer into buying the product.
"I thought they were the cutest little things I'd ever seen," Teresa Emmrich says of alpacas. "I started reading about them and found out that they are an investment. My 401(k) was doing nothing, so I decided to try them."
It was September 2003. Ms. Emmrich had quit her job as a health care management consultant. She says she'd fallen in love with New England and no longer wanted to move around the U.S. With husband, Gary, also a health care management consultant, she bought a 4,500-square-foot, 18-room colonial home built in 1742, across from the Petersham Country Club.
"The kids were grown and gone, and we had this big house. We said, `OK, we'll figure this out,' what to do with the space."
That, she says, was her mindset when she saw the alpaca commercial.
The Emmrichs bought three alpacas, then two weeks later, two more. They set up their herd on a 3-1/2 acre plot abutting their home and called it Colonial Hill Alpaca Farm. The land once was part of a 100-acre lot given by King George III of England to one of his sons.
Looking like a cross between a miniature giraffe and a teddy bear, the Emmrich alpacas are the variety known as huacaya (pronounced wah-KI'-ya). Their fleece is fluffy and crimped. The alpaca disposition, unlike their camel and llama cousins, is sweet and gentle.
The Emmrichs have, however, posted a warning sign on the path that leads to the alpaca corral. It reads: "Warning!! Alpacas can cause an overwhelming loving sensation to your soul. Anyone with a weak heart, enter at your own risk."
Since 2003, four females have been born at the farm; three more crias (immature alpacas) are due in the spring. The first male born here will be named Petersham.
Teresa makes and sells purses from the fleece of her award-winning, registered animals. The purses are named after the animals from which they come: Plymouth Rock (Rocky), white; Hyannis, light fawn; Chicopee, dark brown; Raven, black; or Nantucket, multicolored.
She sells them, and a range of other alpaca products, in the store that is attached to the bed & breakfast rooms she's also created since 2003.
"We had a positive response," she says of customer interest in alpacas and their products. "We had no idea we'd be such a huge success. We're different. We're very different. We tell people as soon as they walk in the door, please make yourselves at home. Take off your shoes, relax, take a nap, whatever you want to do - and they do. People sit on the porch to watch the animals, take their morning coffee out to them, or watch while they sit in front of the fireplace. We love alpacas, but we didn't realize so many people would love them, too.
"We love people coming here to learn about alpacas, whether or not they stay or buy anything. We love to share what we have."
The Lebanon Daily News (Pennsylvania)
January 9, 2006 Monday
Area couple ambassadors for alpacas
By KAREN SHUEY
HARRISBURG -- When most visitors think about the Pennsylvania Farm Show, they picture cows, pigs, sheep and the usual barnyard bunch, but there is a new herd that's getting a lot of attention -- alpacas.
For the third year in a row, Dennis Balbac and Monica Kline have brought alpacas -- South American cousins of llamas raised mainly for their wool -- to the show from their A Suri Farm Ltd. on Mt. Zion Road in Bethel Township.
Although the Farm Show has no competition for the breeders of alpacas, Balbac and Kline said they show their herd to allow others to experience the alternative farming option.
The couple began to research alpaca breeding seven years ago, shortly after Balbac retired after more than 30 years of flying helicopters.
"[My wife and I] were looking for a business to supplement our retirement," Balbac said. "We were investigating lots of different options because of our love of animals. One day we went to an alpaca show here in the Farm Show Complex and ended up falling in love with them."
Never having raised livestock before, Balbac and Kline found themselves scrambling to learn the ins and outs of alpacas. Balbac said he spent months researching exactly what it takes to be a breeder of a virtually unknown animal -- only 70,000 are registered in the United States.
In the end, the couple decided to invest in alpacas when they learned they are docile animals with friendly personalities and require low maintenance, Balbac said.
"All you need to do is provide them with a little bit of shelter, some food and water," he said.
There are two types of alpaca: the Huacaya, with fuzzy, crimped fleece; and the Suri, with silky, pencil-locked fleece. The couple quickly decided to focus on the Suri because their wool was more valuable.
Every spring, the alpacas are sheared, and the couple uses the fleece to weave into items they sell on their farm. The fleece of an alpaca is more expensive than that of the commonly used sheep's wool because it tends to be cleaner, more durable, warmer and hypo-allergenic, Balbac said.
Balbac and Kline said they enjoy showing alpacas as alternatives for farm livestock, but they warn that it's very expensive to start a herd.
Alpacas were only introduced to the United States 20 years ago and are no longer allowed to be imported, they said, which means the alpacas must be bred by the owners.
"The foundation of our herd was made up of one male and four pregnant Suri," Balbac said. "Now we have five males and ten females, six which will give birth this year."
Contra Costa Times (California)
January 18, 2006 Wednesday
Alpaca ranch is a family affair
I'm a city girl who grew up in the Los Angeles basin. I went to a ranch for the first time when I was 21.
Living in Brentwood is full of variety and surprise. I can't believe I live six miles from the seven-acre Rising Star Alpaca Ranch. Its mission is "to provide a family-friendly atmosphere where people of all ages and nationality can experience a unique farm visit and better understand these amazing alpacas."
It was a treat to meet Jim and Kelley Hobart and their daughter, Lauren, who is 12 and goes to Edna Hill. Their son, Brandon, is a Boy Scout and a tech guy like his dad. The family has seen many cities of the world because of Jim's business. When I arrived, their affectionate white lab guard dog Nikki and their rescued greyhound Sunny greeted me. Kelley got off her tractor and met me at the car. She began teaching me about the ranch and what Jim refers to as their "lovable critters."
At first glance I was awed by the sight of the alpacas' peaceful and gentle faces. I patted one on the head, and Kelley kindly explained they prefer to be touched on the bottom of their necks. They are always on alert for a predator and are prey animals with bright eyes like those of a deer.
A 2-week-old baby was nursing, and I learned alpacas come in 22 different colors. The mom and the baby were not the same color. Their fiber is soft like cashmere and stronger than wool. The Hobarts' breeding program focuses on bringing out the best fiber and uniqueness of color.
Doing research on specific genetics and trait characteristics is important. Kelley looks for alpacas that the family can show. The family ships the alpacas as far as Canada to be bred, and the stud fees can be as much as $10,000.
Kelley was formerly a nurse at Sutter Delta and does the medical care for her animals. A shed she built contains beautiful installed cupboards filled with all the medical supplies she needs.
Lauren, who is in the 4-H Club, is learning to spin their wool. It shouldn't surprise you that when I asked Lauren about any plans for a career, she immediately answered:
"I am going to be a camelid (camel/alpaca) vet."
She has already started her education right on their ranch. The alpaca business began because of her 4-H project. The family bought one and since alpacas are herd animals, they purchased another one. The family has been raising alpacas for three years. Now they have 11 on the ranch and five more on the way. Orchard grass and vitamin pellets are their food of choice.
These beautiful animals are native to the high Andes Mountains of South America and have been in this country only since 1984. It is important to sheer them before it gets too hot because their wool is so warm. The quality of their wool is really important, and it was interesting to see the differences in the wool of three of their alpacas.
Daily Record (Morristown, New Jersey)
January 27, 2006 Friday
Alpacas have replaced horses as the most common road-crossin
By Sarah N. Lynch
BOONTON TWP. -- If you happen to be in the Four Corners area, you may catch a glimpse of several docile, 5-foot-tall creatures with long necks and puffy fleeces being lured across the street with food.
These magnificent and rather funny-looking animals are neither horse nor deer nor llama. They are alpacas.
Throughout the spring and fall, Brookhollow Farm owner Nancy Johanson must lead the alpacas from their pastures along Rockaway Valley Road, across busy Powerville Road, so the males can breed with the females.
Alpacas have replaced horses as the most common road-crossing animal at Four Corners in Boonton Township, rendering the yellow "horse crossing" sign that once stood along Powerville Road obsolete. Today, there are 90 alpacas on the farm, not to mention four llamas, goats, cows and a horse, Johanson said.
Llamas and alpacas both come from the camel family, but do not look or even act alike.
A llama is three times the size of an alpaca, said Brookhollow Farm owner Nancy Johanson, who has 90 alpacas on her farm.
Llamas weigh 400 to 450 pounds and are taller than alpacas. They are considerably stronger and are able to carry packs, versus an alpaca, which lacks the bone structure to support the weight.
Alpacas weigh 150 to 175 pounds. They are close herding animals, but are less territorial. If an alpaca senses danger, the alpha of the group will get out in front and the pack will turn and face the direction of the danger.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 30, 2006 Monday
Home Edition story of the week: Alpacas: Prize of Peru
By CATHY HULBERT
Can you name an animal that is related to the camel, has a valuable coat, costs as much as a car and was prized by the Incas of Peru?
If you guessed the alpaca, you're right. First brought to this country from South America just over 20 years ago, these gentle animals are becoming more popular with farmers in the United States. There are several alpaca farms in Georgia where you can learn about them. To find one, check out the Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association Web site at www.alpacainfo.com or the Southeastern Alpaca Association site at www.sealpaca.org. Most of these farmers are happy to show kids how to interact with the animals, and some offer classes on leading alpacas through obstacle courses to demonstrate their agility.
More fun facts:
Alpacas are smaller than llamas and weigh between 100 and 200 pounds when fully grown. Their feet have pads like those of dogs, rather than hooves like horses, which means they are gentler to pastureland. They live for about 20 years. The babies are called crias and weigh about 20 pounds at birth.
Alpacas --- like llamas --- are in the camel family. Like the camel, they are prized for the helpful role they play in the lives of people. The same thick, soft fiber that keeps this breed warm in the cold Andes Mountains can be turned into winter clothes.
Alpaca sweaters, coats, socks, scarves and other clothing tend to be soft and light but very durable and strong.
Between 1200 and 1535, the Incas were a large, powerful group that considered alpacas a treasure. They used alpaca fiber for beautiful tapestries as well as regular clothes and ceremonial garments. There was even a time when only royalty could wear clothes made from alpaca fiber.
