Blog posts in AOA Organizational Topics

Lately, we have heard a lot of talk about Farm Names and Breeder IDs in regard to naming alpacas. Sounds important, but what is the difference? Do I need to do anything? Read on to find out the purpose of a Breeder ID and a Farm Name.

Special pricing for bulk transfers of 25 or more is a recent addition to the Association Membership benefits!

Many members have been discussing the ELD mandate on social media and contacting our office for updates. We are working with FMCSA and DOT to get more solid information and will be sharing with our members in the coming days. Meanwhile, some members have been sharing their experiences of working through the process and we will be sharing their experiences. Today's guest blog comes from Jennifer Hack with Triple H Ranch in Colorado.

Stay tuned for more updates and member experiences.

Reminder: This is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice. You should consult your attorney for advice specific to your circumstances.

There has been much conversation on social media about the ELD Mandate. Our goal is to share information to make our membership aware of the mandate and where they may learn more. From time to time, we will be sharing material from our members on timely issues.

While this article is not intended to cover every aspect of the mandate, we encourage you to research how this may impact your farm. We will continue to put out additional information on the issue as we learn more.

Thank you to our guest blogger, Rick Johnson. Rick and Char Johnson own Happy Tails Alpaca Farm in China Grove, NC.

Ah, another year of the AOA Student Design Competition is coming to a close. The eight finalists will be coming to the AOA National Fleece Show in Denver in a few weeks. It will be great fun to meet them in person, spend some time with a group of 18- to 21-year-old students getting ready to launch their careers in designing fashions and textiles, and hopefully utilize alpaca fiber as they go along. That's the hope.

Have you ever stopped to think about how things might be different if you never existed? What would be different? What effect has your life had on this world and the people around you? Sure...obviously your family would be totally different, but I am speaking more about other people you have come into contact with, companies where you have worked and organizations you have belonged to.

The AOA National Show is a large event, but not as large as many conventions that I have planned in my career. However, it has something that other conventions do not…animals. Adding animals to an event brings in a whole other set of challenges and a dynamic that often requires some creativity to manage. It also means traveling a lot of ground dealing with issues at the show. Most days, I have already walked nine miles by noon.

The desire to create is inherent in human nature. We crave the challenge and relish in development of a new idea or project. There are many reasons people create. Some do it for the intrinsic value they gain from creating something, some do it to benefit others, and some do it for personal gain and benefit, which is also okay…