December 2008
December, 2008
The Lane Report
A Stock Tip - Livestock That Is
There’s a warm place in our hearts here at The Lane Report for alpacas, for reasons we don’t have time to go into, so it was with interest that we read a recent missive from the Kentucky Alpaca Association citing a report that the sure-footed natives of the South American Andes are developing a rep as a good investment in this slippery financial time.
The important news, according to The Wall Street Journal, is that this year’s federal farm bill mentions alpacas by name as eligible for favorable tax treatment as livestock – for farmers who qualify as for-profit ranchers. IRS publication No. 225, The Farmer's Tax Guide, provides guidance.
Adult alpacas stand about 36 inches at the withers and weigh 150 to 200 pounds. They don’t have horns, hooves, claws or incisors, but are intelligent, curious, predictable, seek companionship and communicate mostly by softly humming. Every 12 to 18 months, alpacas produce five to 10 pounds of luxurious fleece that’s as warm as but only a third the weight of wool. Alpaca-derived clothing is hypoallergenic, stretches, repels water, reduces odor and is wrinkle-resistant.
December 10, 2008
Niagara This Week
Alpacas are intelligent, inquisitive and blessed with a warm fleece
By Dorothy Turcotte
Until recently, I knew very little about alpacas, except that they are native to the Andes mountains of South America. A visit to the Vineyard Alpacas farm in Beamsville changed all that. I learned that alpacas are the oldest domesticated animal in the Americas. Although related to the llama and other camolids, they are smaller and better natured than their larger relatives. Alpacas are gentle, inquisitive, docile and intelligent. In addition, they are blessed with one of the warmest, softest fleeces provided by Mother Nature.
Gillian Maloney who, with her husband and her brother-in-law operates Vineyard Alpacas, is a tremendous fan of her beautiful alpaca friends. The farm began five years ago with only about eight animals, but now has 22. Although each alpaca has a name and all are regarded as friends, the Maloneys' alpacas are not pets. They are livestock, and in order to be raised successfully, they require careful attention. Because the alpacas are native to the high altitudes of the Andes, and have such warm coats, they enjoy the cold winter weather and can comfortably stay out-of-doors all winter. Their coats aren't waterproof, though, so they don't like damp weather.
December 13, 2008
Casa Grande Valley Newspapers
Alpacas 'like potato chips'
Maricopa woman fell for one animal and ended up with a farm-full
By Adam Gaub
MARICOPA - What started as a hobby turned into a full-fledged farm in rural Maricopa for Claudia and Brian Klaus.
They aren't growing vegetables, nor raising cattle, however. Claudia's love of the alpaca gave way to the couple acquiring and then breeding the woolly animals in what is now known as the Alpacazona Farm.
The farm sells products made from the wool - rugs, mittens, scarves - in addition to yarn made from the wool.
Claudia did not always dream of owning alpacas.
"I was at work screwing around one day on the Internet and I thought these things were really cool," Claudia said. "I was really into spinning and craft-type stuff.
"I got one and they're kind of like potato chips - you can't just have one."
Now with 17 alpacas to feed and care for, Claudia rises each day at 4 a.m. to tend to the animals before leaving for work by 6. She says it is worth the effort, however, having seen a number of new alpacas birthed at the farm.
December 26, 2008
The Morning Call
Drawn to Alpacas
By Marion Callahan
Kit Hower faced a great deal of uncertainly after her husband died 10 years ago.
With one income, she wasn't sure how she would pay the taxes on her 10-acre Upper Saucon Township property or what she would do to fill her days.
''All I knew was that to keep the farm, I had to do something different,'' she said.
Her answer came in alpacas -- what she calls ''huggable investments'' -- the low-maintenance South American relative of the llama that is half the size and twice as woolly. The tax breaks alone made the endeavor pay off in two years, said Hower. She breeds them and sells things such as socks, shawls and sweaters from the the fiber from the nearly two dozen alpacas that roam in the pasture beside her 19th-century farmhouse
'I had never raised animals to any great degree and never imagined myself at this age in jeans all the time,'' said Hower, slogging through her pasture that was left muddied one recent day from the melting snow. ''Once I met one, it was all over.''
November 2008
November 27, 2008
Colfax Record, CA
Four-legged family - Colfax couple finds new career in raising alpacas
By Gloria Beverage
When life gets too stressful, Hailey Parker walks down the hill behind her family’s Colfax home to sit among the alpacas.
“They’re really nice animals to work with and be around,” Parker said. “They’re very therapeutic. There’s a natural energy about them that just helps. If I’ve had a very stressful day, I’ll just sit down there. They seem to know if I’m having a hard day.”
Residents of Colfax since 1999, Hailey and Ric Parker decided to raise and breed alpacas shortly after selling their downtown Colfax business, Pick-A-Flick.
Parker, who grew up on a farm in Idaho, said she and her husband left Sacramento and settled in the foothills “to get away. It’s just beautiful up here. And we’d heard good things about the schools.”
When they purchased 5-1/2 acres on Sawmill Road, the Parkers began discussing their options.
“We thought, ‘do we just let it sit and continue to grow land,’” she said. “My husband had worked on a horse ranch when he was younger. He’d always wanted a ranch of some sort.”
In considering their options, the couple knew they didn’t want to raise animals that required a lot of work. With Ric working full-time, the majority of the daily tasks would fall on Hailey and their two children, 16-year-old Megan, who attends Colfax High School and 20-year-old Tyson, a student in Sierra College’s special education program.
After spending some time at an alpaca ranch in Oregon, the couple realized they had found the ideal business.
“We stayed with them a day at a time and worked the ranch with them,” she said. “I realized it was something I could do by myself. They’re not high maintenance.”
By 2006, the first six alpacas had moved onto the hillside. Today, they have 27 alpacas residing on the property.
November 24, 2008
Chicago Tribune
Mich. family sniffs out new life as alpaca farmers
By Mardi Suhs
Surrounded by historic Centennial Farms in the rolling farmlands near Tustin, a sunny farmhouse sits atop a hill, the home of Jim and Holli Meier and their three children.
The Meiers recently built a barn on the crest of that hill to accommodate Holli’s endeavor of raising alpacas, a vocation neither would have envisioned a few short years ago. Jim, a professional photographer and Midland business owner before moving to Cadillac in 1994, is now a real estate agent. Holli is a speech therapist who specialized in patients with brain injuries.
But something happened three years ago that changed the destiny of the Meier family.
“I was at the vet office with our cat, and my son Joseph looked out the window and said, Hey mom, there’s something out there. I don’t know what I’m seeing.”’
Holli looked out to see an unusual-looking animal.
She took one look at the cute, cuddly, adorable creature and had to know more – so she visited the Big Willow Alpaca Ranch near Mesick, just one of nearly 150 alpaca farms and breeders in the state of Michigan.
“I went to this farm and just fell in love with the alpacas,” she said. “My husband is not an animal lover. But when we came home from that farm visit, I told him that’s what I want to do.” And then she laughed. “His only comment was make sure you are sure about this.”’
After extensive research into the potential for alpaca farming, they put their Cadillac home on the market and started looking for a farm.
Now the family has moved from semi-suburbia to life on the Wind Crest Alpaca Ranch, which includes, so far, ten alpacas, one llama, four ducks, ten chickens, three cats and one dog.
November 13, 2008
Cedar Valley Daily Times
Independence, IA
Life on the farm
By Brett Myers
VINTON - If a person opens their heart, they might be surprised at how life changes.
That is what happened to Sonia Kach of Vinton. Three years ago, Sonia and her husband Tim began farming alpacas on their farm near Brandon. Why did they begin?
You meet one and you fall in love with these amazing creatures, Sonia said. You do the research, they pull on your heartstrings and you’re hooked.
The Kachs currently have 23 alpacas at their farm, which has been dubbed Savannah Breeze Alpacas. They own 13 and are boarding the other 10.
The creatures are not difficult to care for.
Chores can take 15 minutes in the morning or two hours, if you want them to. We like to just sit and watch them, Sonia said.
Alpacas are native to the Andes Mountains of South America. They are often prized for their fiber, which can be spun or knitted into various clothing items.
It is very warm, but not heavy, Sonia said of the fiber. Many who cannot wear wool can wear alpaca.
Her knitting has become popular and a personal way for people to connect with an alpaca after visiting the farm. After a visit, many people will request fiber from a specific alpaca.
It helps maintain that connection, Sonia said. They can call and say, Sonia, I need another from Chloe. It helps them bond more with their yarn.
November 13, 2008
The Martha’s Vineyard Times
Vineyard Haven, MA
Barbara Ronchetti: On becoming an alpaca farmer
By Elissa Lash
The creatures begin to move forward, first hesitantly, then with more confidence. They advance, a long-necked, furry-legged, pointy-eared otherworldly group staring quizzically through long lashes.
"Oh dear," says Barbara Ronchetti, "they think it's time for food. Hey guys," she gently calls out, "it's not dinnertime yet." She smiles like a pleased parent, and reaches out to stroke a feathery head.
Island Alpaca in Oak Bluffs, founded in November 2006, is home to Ms. Ronchetti and her brood of Huacaya alpaca.
Reminiscent of Dr. Seuss creations, they are strange and beautiful beings. Alpacas are part of the "Camelid" family and native to the Andes Mountains of South America. Yet they are amazingly adaptable to varied climates, from Florida to Minnesota and apparently Martha's Vineyard.
November 5, 2008
Souderton Independent
Fort Washington, PA
Alpaca farmer having pack of fun with her fleecy family
By Megan Blank
The four-acre Sloping View Alpaca Ranch on Indian Creek Road in Franconia is host to 16 Huacaya Alpacas, which Youells has been caring for since 1999.
Alpacas are domesticated herd animals native to South America. They belong in the same family as llamas or camels, just proportionally smaller.
Also, unlike those other two, alpacas do not spit on humans.
Originally Youells had raised horses for years, beginning at age 21.
"My love is animals, and I still love horses, but it got too difficult to keep them around here," Youells said.
Next, she tried raising emus for three years, but "as a making-money venture it was too expensive."
She was considering keeping llamas, when in her research she discovered alpacas and their investment potential.
"I looked at other ranches, and decided to get some," she said.
Youells eventually retired from her job as a clerk at Merck & Company to care for the alpacas, peaking at one time with 18 alpacas on the ranch.
"They are my family," said Youells.
Recently, Youells held an Open Barn on Oct. 18, an event she does every year, to raise awareness about the animals, and to display alpaca products for sale. Children were able to walk the alpacas and there was a demonstration by a hand spinner processing the alpaca fleece into yarn.
"We had a nice turnout," she said. "Everyone loves to come and visit them, and the alpacas seem to enjoy the company."
This proved to be true, as the animals often came up and "gave kisses," while emitting a low "humming" noise, the predominant alpaca sound.
"Hear them talking?" asked Youells, with evident pride.
It doesn't require much to maintain alpacas. Youells' animals eat orchard grass and one cup of a special alpaca food per day. They spent most of their time outside, and seem to love all kinds of weather.
November 2, 2008
The Capital-Journal
Topeka, KS
Alpacas invade Domer Arena
By Angela Deines
…
Katlin Gruber, 15, of Hiawatha, is hoping the growing popularity of alpacas will help fund her college tuition.
"I've been taking care of alpacas since I was 8 years old," she said. "I want to go to K-State to be a vet and someday own my own alpaca farm."
Alpacas are bred for their fleece, which is made into yarn, similar to cashmere and lighter, stronger, warmer and softer than sheep's wool, according to the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association.
Katlin is one of more than 130 breeders from across the Midwest showing more than 400 alpacas at the Fifth Annual Mid-America Alpaca Show this weekend at the Kansas Expocentre's R.R. Domer Livestock Arena.
Although she brought several alpacas to the show, Katlin admits that one yearling Huacaya male, Prince, is her favorite.
"He's just very sweet," she said.
October 2008
October 16, 2008
The State Journal
Fleecing West Virginia
Growth in popularity of alpacas may mean business opportunity in state.
By Gretchen Mae Stone
Not many West Virginians can say the governor met them at the front door of the Capitol, but Leo and Jesse stomped right up to the front steps and spent one-on-one time with him.
The year before their visit, the governor signed a proclamation dedicated to Leo and Jesse and all of their friends.
They even refrained from spitting on him during their visit this year, which can be a problem if you get between two alpacas.
Leo and Jesse are pet-quality alpacas from Crimson Shamrock Ranch, David Moran and Lori Wall's 120-acre farm in Preston County, where about 80 suri alpacas run from paddock to paddock with their guard llama and three guard dogs, Ace, Zeke and Lucy. Moran is president of the West Virginia Alpaca Organization.
Gov. Joe Manchin met alpacas the previous year, when he proclaimed Sept. 29 National Alpaca Farm Day in the Mountain State in keeping with National Alpaca Farm Days.
October 14, 2008
WOWT NBC
Omaha
Alpacas: Alternative Investment In Turbulent Times
Reporter: John Knicely
Many people invest in gold when the stock market heads south. Others put money in Alpacas as an alternative investment for relief.
The national Alpaca Registry is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and a recent article in the Wall Street Journal indicates nationwide registrations of Alpacas are up 7% this year.
The article mentions that prices have been rising. On October 10, 11 and 12, one of the leading alpaca auctions in the country fetched an average sale price per animal of almost $25,000.
Alpacas are cousins to the llama and native to the Andean Mountain range of South America.
Alpacas are shorn, without harm, every twelve to eighteen months. They produce five to ten pounds of fiber, sometimes compared to cashmere.
For more information visit www.alpacainfo.com.
October 13, 2008
Gary Post Tribune
Gary, IN
Alpaca ranching becomes a family project
By Donna Rettew
LAPORTE -- Some people grow up on farms, so it's no surprise when they choose to raise their children on one.
But Bill Koopman grew up in the Chicago suburbs; his wife, Emi, hails from Windsor, Ontario.
They have traveled an unusual and circuitous route to establishing an exotic animal farm outside LaPorte, but now say they're happier than ever.
The owners of KFF Suri Alpacas recently had almost 500 visitors to their farm for National Alpaca Farm Day. Assisting with the second annual event were two other LaPorte farms, Blue Spruce Alpacas and Angel Heart Alpacas.
October 10, 2008
Nisqually Valley News
Yelm, WA
Alpaca Day exposes this animal’s gentle nature
By Kelly Stonum
No one was spit on, but a few kisses were shared at Alpacas of America in Tenino during an open house last weekend.
The open house was part of a nation-wide recognition of the animal’s growing popularity. The final weekend in September is National Alpaca Farm Day.
The “peaceful and curious animals” communicate primarily through soft hums and introduce each other by smelling each others breath, said Eric Snow, Alpacas of America employee.
That’s why Snow kisses the animals - he wanted to say “hello” in alpaca lingo.
After an informative talk about alpacas from Snow and co-worker Bethany Hendrickson, attendees had an opportunity to see the animals up close, even the baby alpacas, cria, which were just a few days old.
“We came just to see the tour,” said Tina Bryant, who brought along her grandchildren. “We always go to Sand in the City, but you never get to touch them (alpacas).
“They’ll get to touch and it’s free, and there’s not much you can do with your kids for free.”
October 4, 2008
The Hays Daily News
Hays, KS
Family shares alpaca love
By Gayle Weber
Robert and DeAnn Baldwin fell in love with the alpaca industry long before they owned an alpaca of their own.
It took a few years of research after that first encounter before the Baldwins purchased their first alpaca in 2006, but the farm has only grown since then.
Now, the Baldwins are doing what they can to educate people about the animals that originate from the Andes Mountains.
"The whole reason we're raising these animals is for one thing - the fleece," Robert Baldwin said.
Maintaining a consistent diet for the alpacas is essential to getting soft fleece from the animals, he said. As the animals age, their fleece becomes coarser, but with the right amount of nutrients from Crunch, their feed similar to dog food, and monitoring their grazing habits, alpacas' fleece can stay soft.
Alpacas also are used for show with the Baldwins attending two or three shows per year.
"When we go to a show, it is for bragging rights," Robert Baldwin said. "What we're doing is showing the quality and the genetics off."
However, showing the animals can be exhausting for the animals as well as the Baldwins.
"We've all put our sweat and tears into it," said Ranisha Baldwin, 16. Ranisha is responsible for much of the training of the alpacas in the show ring, although sometimes the alpacas that are "ADD-ish" can be trying.
"If I could train them just to lay there and I could lay down with them I would," Ranisha said.
Robert Baldwin said alpacas are very social animals, so taking them into the show ring can be difficult without another animal it's used to running with close by.
"When we pull these animals away from one another, the one left behind is going to experience some separation anxiety," Robert Baldwin said. "They're social creatures and they have to have each other."
The Baldwins used their first Alpaca Farm Day on Saturday to get their animals used to the people, noise and separation they will experience in the show ring at the Mid-America Alpaca Show on Nov. 1 and 2 in Topeka.
October 3, 2008
HeraldNet
Everett, WA
Alpaca times birth to finalize festival
By Kristi O'Harran
Welcome, Braveheart.
Alise Schmitt in Marysville showed alpacas at a farm near Silvana during the recent National Alpaca Farm Days on Sept. 27 and 28.
Visitors with open palms fed alpacas food pellets.
During the same open house event last year, Schmitt says a baby alpaca was born to Chiarella, just an hour into the festivities.
Chiarella was pregnant this year, too, with her seventh baby in nine years.
She waited until the last visitor had left Sunday night to deliver. Schmitt called for help, and Dr. Andrew Stang from Northwest Veterinary Clinic in Stanwood came to their aid.
October 3, 2008
Wall Street Journal
When Stocks Tank, Some Investors Stampede to Alpacas and Turn to Drink
By Jennifer Levitz
…
Peggy Parks, a 49-year-old auditor in Johnstown, Pa., turned to an unusual farm animal. "I've lost a fortune in stocks, and my 401(k) is falling through the floor. I feel comfortable in alpacas," she says. She invested $56,000 in a small herd that she believes has a better outlook than most mutual funds because of the animals' breeding potential.
The national Alpaca Registry Inc., in Lincoln, Neb., says registrations are on pace to rise 7% this year and currently stand at 140,297. Ms. Parks says a female of "medium quality" can fetch $10,000 and that prices have been rising, supporting her hopes that she'll see a profit on her alpaca portfolio in five years.
October 2, 2008
Associated Content
Denver, CO
Alpaca Farming a Hot Farming Trend
Meet Your Friendly Neighborhood Alpaca
By J.D. Harvey
Alpaca farms across the country opened their barn doors to the public last weekend to celebrate National Alpaca Farm Days. Owl Brook Alpaca owners Bev and Bruce Carpenter of Holderness were just one of the many alpaca farm owners across the country hosting an alpaca "meet n' greet" at their farm, allowing curious visitors an opportunity to interact with these cousins of the camel. In New Hampshire, there are 27 alpaca farms registered at Alpaca Nation, the most popular national registry for alpaca owners. Most of the farms have been in business less than ten years. Growing in popularity, alpaca fiber is lighter and stronger than wool. Alpaca farms have exploded across the United States since 1984, when the first alpaca was imported to the U.S. from its native habitat of South America.
Because they are known for their gentle nature, the Carpenters felt comfortable allowing children to reach out and feed their alpacas. "Experience that warm & fuzzy feeling," is the motto at Owl Brook Alpacas. The alpacas, however, see it differently and remain skittish when people try to touch their soft coats. Bev showed visitors her spinning wheel and presented a sample of raw fiber, soft as a cloud, for touching. The Carpenters have a rustic shop set up in their barn with knitted hats, yarn, mittens, and other alpaca products for sale.
October 1, 2008
Jacksonville Daily News
Down on the Alpaca Farm
Hubert resident has a herd of special friends who are shear delights
By Aniesa Holmes
Barbara Dameron doesn't find the stares from the curious passersby of her home unusual. In fact, inquiring minds are welcome. The questions they ask are about the unique choice of livestock that graze and frolic on her Hubert farm.
"Some people will drive by and stop and ask questions," she said.
"What are they?" or "where did they come from?" are questions commonly asked about the loveable yet mystifying herd of alpacas that inhabit Alpacas on Shore, which Barbara owns and operates.
This weekend Alpacas on Shore as well as hundreds of other alpaca farms across the country are answering those questions and more for National Alpaca Farm Day, where visitors are introduced to the alpaca breeding industry and its benefits.
"I will have alpaca products for people to view and fiber that's been processed," Barbara said. "I'll let them feed them, pet them, (I will) explain what they're like, and give them information about Alpacas."
September 2008
September 29, 2008
Biddeford Journal Tribune
Biddeford, ME
Alpaca owners open farms to the public
Visitors get a closer look
By Dina Mendros
BIDDEFORD — Yes, alpacas do spit, but only at each other, according to Marcia MacDonald who, along with her husband Desmond Williams, owns a farm with about 40 alpacas in Buxton. MacDonald said the question is frequently asked by visitors who come to the farm during the annual Maine alpaca open farm weekend.
Despite the damp weather, people of all ages visited the farms participating in open farm weekend throughout the state - which was about half of Maine’s estimated 70 alpaca farms - on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The purpose of the event was to create greater awareness about alpacas and educate people about them. Some who visited the farms had just a general curiosity. Others were themselves interested in investing in alpacas and wanted to find out about the ins and outs of the business. Still others were more interested in buying sweaters, scarves and gloves, hand-knitted with alpaca fur yarn.
MacDonald said she started out with six alpacas in 2001. She said she had always wanted llamas so purchasing alpacas, which are similar looking but smaller than those animals, “was an easy jump.”
Like many who own alpacas in the United States, MacDonald breeds the animals which she buys and sells. The animals are valued for their fiber which, like fleece on sheep, is shorn from their bodies every spring. The fiber can be spun into yarn which alpaca owners liken to the softness of cashmere. It can also be felted and made into hats or used in fiber arts.
September 28, 2008
Chambersburg Public Opinion
Chambersburg, PA
Soft, cuddly animals have their day
By Roxann Miller
With their gentle dispositions, cute faces and luxurious fleece, alpacas drew local curiosity seekers to area farms during National Alpaca Farm Days on Saturday.
Page and Craig Nitterhouse's alpaca breeding farm, Shasta Springs Alpacas on Falling Spring Road in Chambersburg, was one of six Franklin County farms open this weekend for tours.
Page Nitterhouse has been raising and breeding alpacas for about 10 years. She has about 100 alpacas on 25 acres of her 35-acre spread.
"We do this because there are lot of people in the community that don't know about alpacas. They have seen the farm, but aren't comfortable coming unless they have a day, and this gives them a chance to have a community day to learn a little bit about them," said Nitterhouse.
September 28, 2008
WTHI - TV
Terre Haute, IN
Alpacas at SMWC
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - A unique type of animal was on display at one area college Sunday.. the Alpaca.
They kind of resemble a llama. They come from South America, but Sunday were out at Saint Mary of the Woods in West Terre Haute.
It was part of National Alpaca Farm Day. Visitors got to pet, feed,and learn about these camel like animals.
"Our purpose is to try and teach a respect for the animal, and teach people about their intelligence, and what wonderful companions they can be,"Sister Paul Baunk, manager of alpaca care said.
In case you didn't know, alpacas are best known for their fur. That's why a spinner was on hand to teach visitors how they use the fur.
September 28, 2008
KMVT
Southern Idaho
Woolly Business
By S Casey
This isn't your grandma's llama.
In fact, it's not even a llama at all, it's an alpaca.
This weekend is national alpaca farm days, and four magic valley ranches have teamed together to celebrate the alpaca and it's uniqueness to Idaho.
Cathy Walters and alpaca rancher says “It's a chance for us to educate the public about alpacas, and let them come out and actually feel an alpaca, see an alpaca, and learn about the advantages of being alpaca owners.”
The price for the alpaca's wool indicates its desirability.
“Each fiber is hollow, and that makes it really warm and lightweight at the same time. It's also softer than cashmere.”
Raising the South American, native beasts posts quite a challenge for ranchers in the gem state.
September 27, 2008
Central Maine Morning Sentinel
Augusta, ME
Alpaca Farms Might Be Good Getaway From Rain
Normally, the kind of farm you'd visit on a brisk autumn Saturday would be an apple farm. You'd climb up one of those pointy apple ladders and pick your fill of Macintosh, Macoun, Cortland, Northern Spy.
But the hurricane season is upon us and it's likely that instead, the rain's coming down and standing in the branches of tree while in the middle of a downpour isn't high on your list.
If you still want to head out to a farm, though, there's another choice.
Today is Alpaca Open Farm Weekend in Maine, where there are, believe it or not, 43 alpaca farms. Who knew?
In any event, one of them is in Benton, where Jill McElderry-Maxwell breeds, raises and shears the hair from her Suri alpacas. The animals are just about as cute as an animal can get, looking like a cross between a camel and a sheepdog. They'd provide a lot of amusement for kids who have been cooped up inside. And besides ogling the beasts, you and your children also can learn about alpaca fiber, which is as soft as cashmere and feels absolutely delicious when knitted into gloves that you then pull on to warm your hands on a cold winter's day.
September 27, 2008
Herald Times Reporter
Manitowoc, WI
Getting a feel for alpacas
By Kristopher Wenn
MANITOWOC - Susan Senglaub was hooked when she felt the soft, white fleece of an alpaca through her fingers.
"I’d love to take one home, but I live in the city and that’s a big no-no," she said Saturday. "They seem gentle, kind of like a big dog."
Senglaub brought her daughter, Kristen, and her daughter’s friend, Payton Pritzl, to an open house at RobAsia Alpaca Ranch outside of Manitowoc to get to know more about alpacas.
Pritzl said she liked one of the black alpacas because "it’s fuzzy."
Ranch owners Rob and Joanna Stephens had their 30 alpacas on display as part of National Alpaca Farm Days. The event gave people the chance to visit local farms to view and learn more about alpacas.
September 27, 2008
The Santa Barbara Independent
Santa Barbara, CA
Who needs Christmas when it’s National Alpaca Day?
By Elena Gray-Blanc
There’s a holiday for almost everything these days — and weeks, and months, too, depending on the occasion. September, for example, is National Chicken Month, Mold Awareness Month, Be Kind to Editors & Writers Month (Indy readers: please take special note of this one), Metaphysical Awareness Month, and National Potato Month, among many, many others.
One of the more obscure national holidays, however, is getting some special attention on Saturday, September 27. Canzelle Alpacas, an alpaca farm in Carpinteria, is celebrating National Alpaca Day with a free open house and celebration of everything relating to this somewhat obscure fuzzy quadruped.
Although they’re close relatives of llamas, which are known for their ill-temper and unfriendliness (and who also have their own National Day in December), alpacas are some of the sweetest and most gentle creatures around. Not only are they incredibly cute, they’re also good pets and pleasant companions. Carol-Anne Lonson founded Canzelle Alpacas in 1999 with her mother, who is now 83 and, according to Lonson, “still very involved in birthing and showing the alpacas!” The two of them are incredibly enthusiastic about the animals they care for and lucky enough to make a living doing something they love.
And making a living from alpacas, strange as it sounds, is a pretty good proposition. Like cashmere, alpaca fiber is soft, warm, and durable, and can be knitted or woven into any type of fabric. Unlike wool, however, fabric made from alpaca fiber - which is structurally more similar to hair than it is to fur - is hypoallergenic, ideal for consumers allergic to wool. With 22 natural fiber colors available, dye-sensitive wearers can also have a variety of alpaca clothing without sacrificing color.
September 23, 2008
Glasgow Daily Times
Glasgow, KY
Alpacas celebrated
Dubre alpaca farm is participating in ‘National Alpaca Farm Days’
Cumberland County alpaca farm owners, Don and Sharon Wise and Matt and Kerri Whitaker will participate in National Alpaca Farm Days Sept. 27-28.
Their farm, Alpacas of Cedar Ridge, at 600 Ferris Fork Road in Dubre, will be open on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m.
Gov. Steve Beshear has signed a proclamation regarding National Alpaca Farm Day recognizing the alpaca as bona fide livestock. The governor also noted the emerging value and increasing numbers of livestock and breeding farms in the Commonwealth of Kentucky dedicated to the raising of Alpacas.
Alpaca farming allows farmers to maintain green space and keep the family farm in existence while anticipating the emergence of a national Alpaca textile industry. There are currently more than 90 alpaca farms in Kentucky and more than 4,000 in operation throughout North America.
September 23, 2008
Journal and Courier
Lafayette, IN
Get up close with alpacas
By Jennifer Christos
They are smaller than llamas, and their fleece is softer than sheep's wool.
National Alpaca Farm Days, which will be recognized locally on Saturday, celebrates alpacas, which are growing in popularity among farmers.
"I am seeing more and more alpaca owners in Indiana who are raising them and having their fleece processed for fiber for themselves," said Lisa Gilman, owner of Frontier Fiber Mill near Warsaw in northern Indiana.
Tim Sheets, who owns Heritage Farm in Flora, has raised alpacas for five years. He sends his fleece to be processed into yarn and roving, which are long, narrow and twisted bundles of fiber, at Frontier Fiber Mill.
Heritage Farm will be open to the public Saturday in honor of National Alpaca Farm Days, which has been designated as the last weekend in September.
"We want to introduce the public to alpacas," said Sheets, who said close to 400 people visited his farm last year. This is the second year of the event.
September 10, 2008
The Cadiz Record
KY
Alpaca Farm Day last weekend in September
By Hawkins Teague
It’s almost time again to head out to Rick and Kathy Tinkham’s farm on Old Rocky Point Road for the second Alpaca Farm Day.
The Tinkhams have been breeding and raising alpacas since 2003, and held the first farm day last September in conjunction with the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association. The organization started the event last year and encouraged alpaca owners across the country to open their farms to the public. The public is invited to come out on Sept. 27 and 28.
Kathy Tinkham said the event drew a lot of people out last year. She said people enjoyed meeting and learning about the adorable creatures, and that kids enjoyed the alpaca coloring book they gave out. They will be selling a few alpaca fiber products as well, she said. She said that her son, Kyle’s, classmates at the high school are always coming to him with more requests of alpaca clothing, especially since the farm day last year. They will be selling Teddy bears and socks, among other things.
September 9, 2008
SunJournal.com
Lewiston, ME
Alpacas aplenty in Maine
More than half of the 70 members of the Maine Alpaca Association will be open to the public Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 27-28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This is an opportunity to see these intriguing creatures, meet the owners and learn about the business of alpaca farming and the attraction of the alpaca lifestyle.
Most farms have a farm store where visitors can purchase alpaca yarn, garments and accessories made from alpaca fiber, the quality and softness of which has been compared to cashmere.
Native to the Andes Mountains in South America, alpacas have been around for 5,000 years and were first imported into the United States in 1984. There are now nearly 2,000 alpacas on more than 100 farms in Maine.
September 6, 2008
The Express Times - LehighValleyLive.com
Lehigh Valley, PA
Program uses alpacas as tool in preventing youth violence
by Precious Petty
Who knew that visiting with a camel's cousin could help urban children steer clear of violence?
Darryl Goodrich of Angel Wood Alpaca Farm in Mansfield Township says violence is an outgrowth of fear. If children unaccustomed to farm living can overcome their fear of alpacas, he reasons, they can bypass fear, and thus violence, in the future.
Ten middle school students from big cities will get the chance to test his theory today thanks to a Project USE program called Natural Courage with Alpacas.
"This program with alpacas is innovative and opens new opportunities for the children we serve," said Tom Arnold of Project USE.
Each of the children will eventually lead an alpaca through an agility course then learn how to braid alpaca yarn into belts for themselves.
August 2008
August 27, 2008
The Plain Dealer
Cleveland, Ohio
Golden fleece - Ohio's alpaca farms have some eyeing a milling industry for the state
By Evelyn Theiss
Spring and summer means shearing-time on Ohio's 983 alpaca farms.
As the state with the highest number of alpacas - about 18,000 of the animals live here - that means a lot of alpaca fleece coming off these long-necked, doe-eyed creatures.
One alpaca might give up 4 or 5 pounds of the fluffy stuff from around its midsection. Because each alpaca must be shorn once a year, that's about 75,000 pounds of high-quality fleece annually.
And right now, much of that Ohio fleece is simply piled in barns because of a lack of mills to make it into fabric, or the fleece is given away to artisans. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Lawmakers, farmers and at least one local fashion designer see this nascent business as an industry opportunity for Ohio, which as recently as the 1970s was home to several dozen wool mills.
"My dream is that we create a cottage industry, where we once again have some mills that can ultimately turn some of the best alpaca fleece in the world into fabric for garments made in this state and in the U.S.," says U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, whose staff is working with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center to further that cause.
August 19, 2008
Sun Journal
Lewiston, ME
Girl, 12, helps raise alpacas
By Donna M. Perry
KINGFIELD - Zoe Grant stood among the alpacas and llamas Monday at her family's Good Karma Farm trying to coax one closer to her.
Grant, 12, helps her parents, Amy and Jim, take care of the 23 huacaya and two suri alpacas, and llamas they are raising.
Dolly and Roger are guard llamas that protect the alpacas in the fenced-in area. They put out a repetitive alarm sound when something is amiss that alerts the Grants.
Each alpaca, a member of the camel family, has a name with the females named after rock and roll songs and the males named after places and things in Spain.
"It's fun," Zoe Grant, 12, said. "The babies are definitely the best part of it."
The babies, or crias, jump around and are generally more friendlier than the older alpacas.
"You can pick up the babies," she said, as she demonstrated with 2-week-old Iggy. "They don't really play. They're more curious to see what you're doing, "
If you bend down, Ochux gives you kisses, Zoe said.
August 17, 2008
The Gazette
Colorado Springs
TV producer to Alpaca breeder
By Meredith O’Neil
When Meredith O'Neil gave up work as an MSNBC television producer, she sold her New Jersey home at a peak price and began her search for a job that she would love even if she wasn't paid.
"I retired at age 29," she says of her unusual odyssey that began seven years ago.
She crisscrossed the West in a travel trailer, "looking for somewhere or something worth stopping for." She cleaned salmon in Alaska, picked apples in Washington, sold Christmas trees in central California.
Four years ago, she was visiting a Denver alpaca farm with a friend. "It was cold and muddy and mucky and the animals crowded all around me for treats, their faces inches away, the same height as me. The game was over."
She says, "Alpacas are not only cute, but intelligent, calm and gentle and you can hang out with them. They have this hum that settles you."
She also liked their business potential.
Alpacas, from South America, have been here about 24 years.
There are about 50,000 in the U.S. and since the national alpaca registry is closed to further importation to protect the national herd, there has been a steady breeder's market. The demand for alpaca fiber in textiles, fashion and new-product innovations is in its infancy.
O'Neil spent five months at the Denver-area farm doing chores and learning the business, then searched for farmland. She had spent much of her youth in Evergreen and thought southern Colorado would be good. Someone steered her to Westcliffe.
"I saw beautiful mountains, a grocery store and even a movie theater. I was in heaven."
Question:. How did you get started?
Answer:. I purchased a house on 42 acres of land. My family came from Savannah to help build the barn and put up fencing.
I'm immersed in the green environmental movement. Alpacas are easy on the land. I'm off the grid. I have a well. I use solar and wind power. I have a green house and a garden.
Q:. How many animals do you have?
A:. I have 28 alpacas and one baby is due. I have seven goats, eight chickens, four Akbash livestock guard dogs, one house dog, a foster dog and three foster kittens.
August 5, 2008
CNYLink
Central New York
Camillus: Alpacas find home in CNY
By Ami Olson
Cynthia Carr loves her alpacas.
When she decided to start, she said she began looking for an animal that she could manage herself and that would not overpower her.
Carr was hooked on the idea of an alpaca farm after visiting Peru with her husband and experiencing wild alpaca on the Alto Plano, a region of the Andes. The couple purchased a former horse farm in Camillus and Carr renovated the property into Gossamer Farm, home of Zen Alpacas.
Carr started her foundation herd in 2003 with three females, and aside from two males she purchased later, the rest of the herd of 11 were born on the farm - all of them male.
July 2008
July 18, 2008
Canon City Daily Record
Cannon City, CO
Local family displays their work with alpacas at Farmers Market
By Charlotte Burrous
FLORENCE — When they moved into the community in 1999, it was with the idea of raising miniature goats.
But when that didn’t work out, they discovered alpacas.
“They’re so beautiful and the fleece is very, very soft,” said Liz Beckman, who owns Phantom Canyon Alpacas with her husband, Ron.
The couple brought two of their alpacas along with a variety of merchandise to display during the Florence Farmers Market on Thursday at Pioneer Park.
Several years ago, the couple purchased a pair of female alpacas from a farm in Coaldale. Since then, the Beckmans have purchased one or two others with several that were born on the farm, sired by a nationally famous alpaca named “Avatar,” Beckman said.
“Every year, we shear them and use the fleece to make yarn,” she said. “We make rugs and quilt batting. From the yarn, we can make hats, blankets, scarves and sweaters.”
July 10, 2008
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Pittsburgh, PA
West Deer alpaca breeder left corporate living for 'huggable investment'
By Kristy Locklin
Chewbacca is a stud.
The champion alpaca struts around Silvercloud Farm, where he's apparently loved by the ladies and envied by other males.
"We have about a dozen of his babies now," breeder Jim Humphreys said, watching the lanky animal head across the pasture toward a herd of females.
A decade ago, Humphreys never imagined he'd be playing matchmaker to livestock. The North Allegheny graduate toiled in advertising for a while, always dreaming of a simpler life in the country.
In 2000, Humphreys and his wife, Helen, moved out of their suburban townhouse and bought a 10-acre parcel in West Deer. A large, empty barn sat on the property, waiting to be occupied.
After researching alpacas, the couple toured the country, visiting farms that raise the South American creatures for their luxurious fleece -- known in ancient times as the "fiber of the gods."
A few months later, they bought their own 15-head herd. That number now hovers around 60.
July 7, 2008
New Brunswick Home News Tribune
New Brunswick, NJ
Lebanon Twp. couple trade careers for alpaca farm
By Tammy McKillip
LEBANON TOWNSHIP —The availability of a tract of land led couple Susan and Wayne Robinson into a vocation they had never considered.
A microbiologist by trade, Susan Robinson was consulting for a pharmaceutical company and working mostly from home after the birth of her second daughter when the plot of land directly behind their home became available in 2000. Her husband, Wayne Robinson, director of project management for a biotech company, quickly made an offer on the lot, which was already tax assessed as farmland.
"We had bought our original lot from the farmer, and he agreed to continue farming the land until we figured out what we wanted to do with it," said Susan Robinson. "It was through the process of elimination that we were led to alpacas. We knew we were not going to be able to do crops because it was a small piece of land (five acres,) and it would be too hard to have all that equipment and stuff. We knew we needed something for us that we wouldn't need to slaughter. We needed something small enough that we could take little children into the pasture without worrying about their safety, and - the biggest thing of all - we needed something that could be self-sufficient. I had a 2-year-old at the time, and I could only get out there if and when she napped, so they needed to be able to take care of themselves pretty well. All those things led us to alpacas."
The Robinsons began their herd with two male and two female alpacas in 2002. Six years later, they have, at any given time, between 35 and 50 head on their five-acre lot, and what began as somewhat of a lark is now a thriving family business, named after their two daughters, Emma and Elise - Emelise Alpacas.
June 2008
June 19, 2008
Staunton News Leader
Staunton, VA
Alpacas inspire artistry for Middlebrook resident
By Nicole Barbano •
MIDDLEBROOK — A cloud of dust rises up from Fly Boy's coat as Lynn Coyner brushes her hand against him.
"Feel how soft," she says, and I press my hand against the alpaca's side. It is certainly soft, and my hand sinks deep into the fiber. Despite the fact that Fly Boy was sheared in April, the subtle raised lines left behind by the clipper's path are still visible, even as his coat has grown back.
"This was going to be our retirement," Coyner says as a breeze passes through the fenced-in outdoor pen. "When Kenny picked alpacas, I said 'What?' But we didn't want anything we had to slaughter."
So the nine alpacas Coyner and her husband purchased in 1999 has now turned into more than 50. And although Kenny died of pancreatic cancer in 2001, Coyner has continued on with the farm and started a small business with her herd.
Sitting on her back porch, facing the mountains and the pens where her alpacas graze and play, Coyner remembers two years ago when she began making pins and other accessories with her alpaca fiber.
June 9, 2008
Leader Vindicator
DuBois, PA
A day in the life of a fiber mill operator
WEST DECATUR - There's nothing like a warm scarf or blanket when the weather is cold. However, few people think about where the yarn or batting to make a scarf or blanket come from.
Fiber mills, such as Dream Catcher Farm and Fiber Mill in West Decatur, are responsible for taking raw wool and animal fibers and turning them into yarn or batting. Dream Catcher Farm is owned and operated by Tammy Bush. In addition to processing wool and fibers, which are sent to her from all over the state, Bush owns and raises 12 alpacas and processes their fibers. She then spins the fibers into yarn. It takes many steps to change the fuzz on the back of an alpaca into a scarf.
Bush said she began raising the alpacas in June 2007. She said she is a member of a spinning club and has always enjoyed working with yarn. She decided to raise alpacas and produce the fibers she uses on her own after learning about the animals from a family member. She began purchasing male alpacas and later purchased mill equipment in October of that same year.
…
"They're really neat animals and they're easy to care for," Bush said.
She said alpacas do not need any special grooming but she does trim their teeth, toe-nails, and gives them shots to prevent worms.
Bush said she sheers her alpacas once a year, usually in the spring.
Once the fibers are cut, they must be washed and spread out to dry. Alpaca fibers come in all colors, from white and gray, to red-brown, chocolate brown, and black. Some alpacas can have white markings or colored spots. Bush said the United States recognizes 16 different alpaca colors. Bush also said it takes approximately 20 minutes to sheer one adult alpaca.
Bush and her assistant Nancy Crittenden use a special fiber wash to clean the dirt and debris from the fibers without causing any damage. The fibers are boiled in large tubs then spread out on tarps to dry. Once the fibers are dry, they must be processed before they can be used to make yarn or batting.
The first step in processing the fibers is to run it through the picker, a machine which separates and fluffs up the fibers, and also removes any left-over debris. Bush and Crittenden go through the material by hand to remove any fibers which are unsuitable for processing and any other matter, which may harm the finished product. After being run through the picker, the fibers are collected in a closed-in bin.
"Sometimes we'll open the door and it'll be piled up waist high," Bush said.
June 8, 2008
St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg, FL
Alpaca farmers describe a labor of love
By Chandra Broadwater
BROOKSVILLE - Her name is Ruby Two Shoes Begonia. She has shiny black hair and big, dark inquisitive eyes. She's got great legs, and comes from a good family. And she's got the kind of personality that induces kisses and hugs.
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"Hey, how are you doing there this morning, Miss Ruby?" Belinda Chapnick called to the animal during a recent morning feeding at Southern Oaks alpaca ranch. Never one to refuse attention, Ruby snuggled her face close enough for a kiss from Chapnick.
"She's our special girl," Chapnick said.
The 57-year-old Chapnick and her husband, Rod, 61, own a herd of 45 of the South American llama look-alikes. Located just off the serene shady oak-lined Griffin Road, the Chapnick farm is one of six registered breeders in Hernando County with a total of about 150 alpacas. It's also one of more than 30 registered breeders in the central region of Florida.
Native to the highlands of Peru, alpacas have been domesticated there for centuries. Since arriving in the United States in 1984, they've gained popularity across the country.
A valuable fleece, hypo-allergenic alpaca fiber is used to make just about everything from socks to sweaters and expensive suits. Similar to wool, the silky material wicks away moisture but is warmer than sheep fleece. It's also flame-resistant.
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Like most alpaca owners, the Chapnicks discovered the animals when they retired. After 30 years of owning an industrial screen printing business, the couple left the busy life in Seminole and headed north for more quiet and space in 2001.
But they were not quite ready to kick back in their easy chairs. That's when they came across some of the camelids at the state fair.
"They're easy to take care of," Rod said, making the breakfast rounds one morning with Belinda. Creatures of routine, the recently shorn animals stood around their troughs, waiting to be fed.
"It's been a great choice for us," he said. "This is the life."
May 2008
May 25, 2008
The Salt Lake Tribune
UT
Gentle Alpacas that kiss kids a sight to see in Sandy
Show continues Sunday
By Jennifer W. Sanchez
SANDY - Colleen Dimmitt and her two grandchildren had never seen an alpaca, so they decided to stop by the National Alpaca Show on Saturday.
As they walked around the South Towne Exposition Center, they watched hundreds of alpacas relaxing in pens lined with hay. Dimmitt's grandson, 5-year-old Kai, liked the alpacas' long necks but wasn't impressed with their strong barnlike smell.
Still, he, along with other kids and adults, stood outside of the pens with their hands behind their backs and faces inside the fences waiting for a kiss from the shy, friendly animals. Kai eventually received an infamous alpaca smacker. "It feels like their nose is furry," Kai giggled.
The Dimmitts were some of the hundreds of visitors who attended the 17th annual event sponsored by the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association.
Dimmitt, a Sandy resident, was glad she stopped by to learn more about alpacas.
...
In Utah, the number of alpacas has almost tripled since 2002. Today, there are an estimated 1,000 alpacas on about 31 alpaca farms statewide, said Dan Merrill, president of the Intermountain West Alpaca Association.
Merrill, who used to raise horses, bought his first alpaca in 1999 when he moved to Utah from California. Now retired, the Bluffdale resident plans to stay in the growing alpaca-breeding business. He said alpacas are his stress reliever.
"These are animals that make you feel good," he said.
Tonya Otterness has been showing alpacas since she bought her first one in 2000. She said the extra income she earns from raising alpacas on her 66-acre ranch outside of Park City allows her to stay home to raise her two young kids. Plus, she said, the animals are easy to handle and train. "They're affectionate," she said.
For some visitors, the free event was also a great time to learn more about the products made from alpaca fiber.
Kim Devos runs an online store, Inca Fashions, based in California. She designs and sells alpaca-fiber scarves, vests, jackets, bathrobes and teddy bears. She said alpaca clothing is more expensive than wool but cheaper than cashmere. For example, a woman's polo-shirt cost about $100.
Lisa Williamson was trying on several sweaters from Inca Fashions' sale rack. she first heard about alpaca products about five years ago and bought a pair of socks last year.
"They're so soft, durable . . .and very warm," she said. Still, she couldn't decide on the green or striped brown sweater.
May 22, 2008
KTVX ABC 4, Salt Lake City, UT
Alpacas Invade Utah
It looks like a cross between a sheep and a camel, and this weekend, Sandy will be overrun with alpacas.
The National Alpaca show began Thursday at the South Towne Expo center. It's the largest gathering for alpaca lovers in north america.
They also have competitions that are split up over color, age and gender.
Organizers say alpacas are great pets because they're profitable and don't require a lot of effort and resources.
The alpacas will be at South Towne through Sunday.
To find out more log on to www.alpacainfo.com.
May 22, 2008
KUTV CBS 2/ WLTX.com
Salt Lake City, UT
Alpaca Shows Light Up Utah
Watch out Westminster Dog Show - there's sure to be a little competition from the newest animal judging event held in Sandy, Utah this weekend.
The animals in the judging arena were alpacas - the judging was part of the largest Alpaca show in North America.
Organizers say alpaca owners and breeders from all over the US came to showcase their animals.
Alpacas are similar to Llamas - they came to the US from South America in 1983.
Owners say the animals are low impact, low maintenance and are very valuable for their fiber, which make high end garments.
May 22, 2008
KSL NBC Ch 5
Salt Lake City, Utah
Alpacas on display at South Towne Expo Center
The alpacas have arrived!
Alpacas and the people who love them have gathered for the largest alpaca event held in North America.
The National Alpaca Show kicked off today at the South Towne Exposition Center.
Local breeders and breeders from around the country are showcasing over a thousand of these furry and intelligent animals.
There are currently over 30 alpaca farms in Utah.
May 19, 2005
Deseret News
Salt Lake City, UT
Alpacas weave their way into couple's lives
By Carma Wadley
BLUFFDALE — Love at first sight? Absolutely! Dark eyes, curly locks, whimsical expression. What's not to love?
For Dan and Rebecca Merrill, all it took was one TV commercial.
At the time, the Merrills were living in California. In the past, they'd had horses, but they were at a time in their lives when they were going to make some changes. "We were going to leave California. We'd been around animals all our lives, but we didn't want to stay with horses," says Dan.
That's when they saw an ad on TV for alpacas. The more they looked into raising the animals, the more it appealed to them. And so, in 1999, they moved to Bluffdale and bought their first alpacas. It's been nothing but love ever since.
"We love the lifestyle they offer. We love them," says Rebecca.
The Merrills raise suri alpacas, one of two kinds that are popular in the United States. The huacaya are more plentiful, explains Rebecca, "but we were attracted to the suri. We like the luster of their fleece. It glistens and shines, and it's twisted into locks that hang down. They are aristocratic in carriage; they're very elegant looking."
The Merrills raise breeding stock, shear and market the fleece and show their animals around the country.
Alpacas have become increasingly popular in this country, they say. There are approximately 120,000 registered animals, of which only 20,000 or so are suri, says Rebecca. Alpaca shows are held from coast to coast.
This weekend, the National Alpaca Show will take place at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy. Sponsored by the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, the four-day show will feature class competitions as well as demonstrations and exhibits of how the fiber is used, and vendors offering handcrafted alpaca items. The show is free and open to the general public.
The Merrills will be showing five alpacas at the national meet. Animals are judged by class according to color, age, type, gender. "They are judged 50 percent on confirmation and 50 percent on fiber quality," says Rebecca.
May 2, 2008
Belleville News-Democrat
IL
Experienced shearers only: Llamas, alpacas line up for summer cuts
By Laura Girresch
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS --
Dozens of llamas and alpacas waited turns for a summer haircut Wednesday at a llama and alpaca farm off Bunkum Road.
The mission: shear, vaccinate and trim the nails of about 175 alpacas and llamas - one by one - by Sunday. The weight of their thick winter coats is too dangerous in the summer.
"It's as if you were to wear all your winter clothes all summer long," the farm's owner, Julie Wier, told a child spectator at the shearing.
Deb and Les Wellinghoff of Columbia watched the shearing Wednesday to learn about alpacas. The retired couple soon will move to North Dakota, where they'd like to raise animals. Deb Wellinghoff likes alpacas because they're "peaceful," she said. In addition, their padded feet don't tear up pastures, they are low-maintenance eaters, and their fibers can be used to make nice things.
Interest in alpacas, which are bred for their fibers, is growing, Wier said, thanks to retiring baby boomers who often purchase land and want to raise manageable, peaceful animals that serve as investments.
April 2008
April 22, 2008
The Free Lance-Star
Fredericksburg, VA
Springtime brings a harvest of hair
By Karen Bolipata
In 2004, Debbie Woodcock was looking for something to do at her 20-acre family-run farm in Spotsylvania County.
She was visiting another farm with a friend when she came across alpacas. The application Web developer in Richmond liked the animals' gentle and curious disposition. And they were smaller than cows and horses.
"I just kind of fell in love sort of with their cuteness right off the bat and the fuzzy teddy-bear look," she said.
But alpacas, a cousin to camels and llamas, aren't just cute. Their fiber is warmer than wool and can be sold to make socks, blankets and sweaters.
Predominantly located in the animal's native South America, the alpaca fiber industry is trickling into other parts of the world.
The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association has more than 4,000 members in North America. One is Woodcock, whose farm is now known as Pigeon Creek Alpacas.
April 14, 2008
CKX - TV
Brandon, MB, Canada
Alpacas Hold Strong in Canada
The unique and gentle creature called an alpaca is raised in the South American mountains, and it’s gradually calling canada home.
“They’re beautiful, calm animals, beautiful fibre, and the showing is fun. You get to meet lots of other breeders and see their animals,” says Richard Bonser, one of the winners in this year’s show.
This is Brandon’s 8th annual alpaca show. It used to be a part of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair but with 240 animals this year it had to break off from the fair 3 years ago because it was getting so large.
“We’re seeing a lot more people starting to get into the industry,” says show chair Todd Burton. “People still consider them an exotic animal, although I really don’t, but what we’re starting to find is that it’s one of the animals that people are maintaining in value.”
“It’s one of the few animals where their value is alive,” says George Bayes. “You don’t eat them or have to destroy them to see the end result of them. We want them alive.”
April 2, 2008
Morgan County Citizen
Madison,GA,
Alpacin' Local residents care about camelids
by Kathryn Purcell
It's a common question, one asked by more and more people each year: What to do after retirement? Some people travel; some volunteer; some even take part-time jobs.
Morgan County resident Judy O'Rourke, however, chose to pursue a slightly different answer to that question.
The idea to start Tuckaway Farm Alpacas began with simple curiosity. O'Rourke and her husband, Jim, took a trip to a north Georgia alpaca farm, just to see the animals. It was there that her interest was peaked, and her passion for the animals ignited.
After the visit, O'Rourke started consuming every book, magazine and Web site on the subject she could find. Then, she came up with a business plan. At the same time, the couple elected to put their house, located next to Morgan County Primary School, on the market and move somewhere a little smaller. They didn't need the space anymore, O'Rourke said, now that their children were grown and moved out from under their roof. "Halfway down the driveway, I fell in love," O'Rourke said, of the couple's current Buckhead Road home. "I said 'I hope there's a house down there.'"
The previous owners had horses, which meant plenty of land for a potential alpaca farm. The former horse barn was re-worked, fences erected and the farm laid out. All that was left, then, was to find the beginnings of their herd.
The answer to that question came to the O'Rourkes during a trip to another north Georgia alpaca farm. At one point during the visit, O'Rourke was standing at a fence, leaning down to see a newborn alpaca. As she came back up, she found herself on the receiving end of a big, wet kiss.
"When I saw her, I knew I had to have her," O'Rourke said. "They said she wasn't for sale, but I got her."
The O'Rourke's ended up leaving that farm with "Kiss" (who O'Rourke lovingly calls a "floozy" given the fact that she bred before she was supposed to), their first alpaca and the dominant female of their current herd.
The herd continues to grow and grow, and the O'Rourkes now have 17 alpacas.
"We thought about horses, cows, goats, sheep," O'Rourke said. "Then, I saw an alpaca. Once you see one, you want one. And once you get one, you want more."
March 2008
March 12, 2008
Florida Times-Union
Jacksonville, FL
Just seeing an alpaca is enough to get them to start a farm
By Patti Levine-Brown
On a lazy Saturday afternoon, Mandarin residents John and Pat Moneyhan decided to take a drive around the Westside. The couple ended up off Normandy Boulevard near Cecil Field, where John Moneyhan previously had worked as the fire chief of the now-closed Naval Air Station.
Moneyhan, who retired in 1999, said he just wanted to see what was happening around his old stomping grounds when he noticed a sign in front of the Equestrian Center about alpacas.
It was advertising the Florida Alpaca Breeders Association, an organization that sponsors shows around the state to educate new breeders and alpaca enthusiasts about the alpaca industry in Florida. Neither Moneyhan nor his wife had ever seen an alpaca up close so they decided to take a look.
That look changed their lives.
"We both fell in love with these gentle animals," said Pat Moneyhan. "Almost immediately we began doing research and investigating what it would take to start an alpaca farm."
This year when the Breeders Association returned to the Equestrian Center, the couple also returned and purchased their first two alpacas, Danae and Vicuna Image.
March 10, 2008
Investment News
New York, NY
An alternative fleece
By Andrew Coen
If hedge funds are becoming too commonplace, Michael Goldston offers jaded high-net-worth investors an alternative investment whose distinctiveness will knock their socks off and keep their feet toasty at the same time.
Through his seven-year-old High Meadows Alpacas LLC in Franklin, Tenn., Mr. Goldston buys, sells and raises alpacas, the llamalike animals that are native to the Andes and whose fleece is prized for its warmth and light weight.
"Alpacas are a bit out of the mainstream, but investors are looking for opportunities to get back to the land, and the industry is thriving with upscale investors entering it," he said, adding that the value of alpacas tends to increase when stocks go down.
Mr. Goldston, whose other business, Brentwood, Tenn.-based Cambridge Equity Advisors Inc., manages $225 million in assets, bought 15 alpacas in 2001 and now owns more than 300. In addition to operating a 150-acre Tennessee alpaca ranch, he has helped investors establish 20 farms and serves on the boards of several national organizations.
March 10, 2008
Bend Bulletin
Bend,OR
The fine fiber of the alpaca
Sisters couple has one of only a handful of alpaca shops in U.S.
By Penny E. Nakamura
When Steve Segal and his wife, Annie, set up shop in downtown Sisters in early November, they had no idea what to expect from their retail store, Alpaca by Design, which sells products made from alpaca fiber.
The store’s strong showing on “Black Friday,” the big shopping day following Thanksgiving, stunned the Segals.
“We sold out on so much product, I was almost down to the bare walls and studs,” said Steve Segal, who operated an alpaca farm in Colorado with Annie before moving to Central Oregon.
After rush orders to replenish his supply of alpaca clothing, hats, scarves and rugs, Segal figured he had plenty to last through the holiday season, but he said he practically sold out again.
“It was our first season, so I didn’t know how much would sell,” Segal said. “I had to tell customers I didn’t have any more. I won’t let that happen again.”
February 2008
February 24
Longmont Times-Call
Colorado
Alpaca breeders put on show at county fairgrounds
By Scott Rochat
LONGMONT — The soft, high-pitched sound rose again at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. The alpacas were humming. “They’ll do it when they’re nervous, or curious, or just being friendly,” one woman explained as she listened to it, a sound almost like a softer version of a baby’s cry. “There’s a lot of reasons.”
On Saturday, there was no better place to hear the hums. The annual Alpaca Extravaganza was in full swing at the fairgrounds, with vendors and breeders from Longmont to Albuquerque eager to promote the woolly animals.
“They’re gentle animals,” said Rod Brunson of Longmont, who started Green Acres Alpacas with his wife Dorothy as an investment for retirement. “They’re easy to handle. They’re easy to raise. They’re pretty low-maintenance. It’s a good industry.
February 21
Business Gazette
MD
Alpaca farmers carving a niche in rural Prince George’s
by Andy Zieminski
Ben Rosche lay on his stomach in the pasture of his family’s farm Friday afternoon. Nine alpacas stood together a few yards away, eyeing him cautiously.
After a moment, a white-fleeced alpaca left the group and stepped close to the motionless 9-year-old. It lowered its long neck and sniffed at him.
Then four more of the animals slowly gathered around Ben and did the same. ‘‘They’re really gentle,” Ben said after he had finished playing with some of his family’s 28 alpacas.
The Rosches, who live in Upper Marlboro, are among a handful of families in Prince George’s County who have taken to raising the South American animals, which are related to llamas.
They bought their first alpacas in 2001, said Sue Rosche, Ben’s mother. ‘‘Our children were much younger at the time, and we wanted a farm animal for them that was not only fun and gentle, but profitable also,” Rosche said.
February 18
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Alpacas right at home here
By Denise Hollinshed
SPANISH LAKE — The home of Michelle Zumwalt and Bill Silkwood, seen from the front, appears normally suburban.
At the rear, though, the property is an animal kingdom, where Zumwalt and Silkwood have a small herd of alpacas, a few miniature horses and, as a protector against other wild animals, a llama.
When Zumwalt, 45, and Silkwood, 70, bought the two-acre spread in the 11000 block of Poggemoeller Road two years ago, their vision was small. "We wanted just a little patch of land and just one or two animals," Zumwalt said.
After getting an alpaca, they learned they were herd animals, and "do better the more there are," Zumwalt said.
Now the couple have up to a dozen alpacas, two miniature horses and the llama.
February 5
Havelock News
NC
A home where alpacas roam
By Ken Buday
Traveling through eastern Craven County, you’ll run across farms where corn is grown, fields where cows graze and one particular home where the alpacas roam.
Yep, alpacas.
Ken Bradley has seven next to his home on Becton Road, and he’s looking to build a herd of 12 to 15 of the animals rarely seen in eastern North Carolina.
“It will do a little to supplement my retirement,” said Bradley, who along with his wife, Bunnie, operates Little Creek Alpacas.
January 2008
Tahlequah Daily Press
OK
January 15, 2008 03:45 pm
Spinning tales of love
By BETTY SMITH
Margie Ray twists the light-colored alpaca fiber before her small spinning wheel takes it up and forms it into yarn.
“I’m spinning from Annie’s wool,” she said. “I don’t have Annie any more, but I bought her when she was four or five days old, up around Kansas City.”
Whether the fiber comes from a beloved animal, such as Ray’s, or was purchased, members of the Illinois River Fiber Arts Guild put hours of love and creativity into their craft. Guild members have varied interests and many practice a variety of skills, from weaving pieces of fabric to knitting or crocheting.
Some creations achieve the status of art, while others are has homey and practical as a cap or dishtowel.
While working, they share stories.
Ray, who has 150 alpacas and keeps 15 “retired” llamas on her farm between Gore and Braggs, at the old Sourjohn School, told of her adventures with Annie.
She purchased Annie as a youngster, and went to pick her up when she was weaned. Annie had lived in a large pasture until then, with little human contact. So her first experience with people involved having burrs pulled from her lush coat. Needless to say, Annie wasn’t overjoyed to see Ray and her husband, although their intentions were good.
They placed Annie, then the size of a large dog, into the back of a station wagon for the trip back to Oklahoma. Along the way, they had a flat tire. They spotted a small park, and decided Ray would rest there with Annie while her husband got the flat fixed.
But Annie didn’t want to cooperate. She planted her small hooves on the pavement, only finally being cajoled as far as a picnic bench, where she was tied until repairs were made.
Back in Oklahoma, Annie eventually became a friendly part of the family, producing her share of fiber.
In early April, a professional shearer will come to Ray’s place and perform his services. He can shear about 100 alpacas a day. Each provides about 5 pounds of fiber. Ten pounds is exceptional; Ray’s never had an alpaca produce that much.
The Janesville Gazette
WI
Jan. 9, 2008
Alpacas offer both income, pleasure
By CARLA MCCANN
ELKHORN — When Frank Raidl told his golfing buddies that he planned to raise alpacas after retiring, they laughed.
The former Chicago businessman and his wife, Jean, already owned a farm north of the city of Elkhorn and planned on retiring there.
"I had the barns, fields and fences," Raidl said.
And he was looking for an investment opportunity.
Today, Raidl is the one smiling.
The alpacas living on his 40-acre farm nestled along the southern edge of the Kettle Moraine region have brought him joy and a promise of becoming a profitable venture.
By next year, the Sugar Creek Alpacas herd will be established and large enough to become a presence in auction arenas, he said.
Most alpaca breeders are in the business for the long haul. It takes time to build an award-winning herd and earn respect within the industry, Raidl said.
Alpacas also reproduce slowly, with a pregnancy lasting from 11 months to 12 months.
Raidl and partner Earl Paddock started the County H operation in 2004 with four alpacas, three of which were pregnant. The herd since has increased to 15, and seven of the nine females are pregnant.
The partners are confident the alpaca industry will continue to grow and prosper well into the future, Raidl said.
Alpaca hair is as soft as cashmere and warmer, lighter and stronger than wool. Once reserved for Incan royalty, the fleece is coveted by spinners and weavers universally, according to information on the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association Web site. The fleece comes in about 22 basic colors with many variations and blends.
Raidl's herd is guarded and patrolled at all times by two great Pyrenees. The dogs take their job seriously. When the herd made a recent group appearance in the barn, they were accompanied by their guardians.
Among the alpaca herd is gentle Princess Leia and charismatic Luke Skywalker.
Those two are among several named after "Star Wars" characters by Raidl's grandchildren, he said.
On this farm, the alpacas are enjoyed by three generations, which includes five children and seven grandchildren.
"We stepped away from the fast-paced corporate way of life and found alpacas were a great addition to our established rural farm setting," Raidl said.
One of the benefits of raising alpacas is that they require a relatively small amount of acreage and little care, he said.
Provincetown Banner
MA
January 3, 2008
Alpaca farmer tends her flock of fine woolly friends
By Melora B. North
“Home spun” is an expression you often hear in reference to something home-made. In this day and age, it isn’t often that one can say in all honesty that they have made something start-to-finish from scratch, but in the case of Kathy Mealey of Brewster, it is an absolute truth. Not only does she spin wool to knit hats and sweaters, she raises and breeds the stock from which the wool comes.
“It’s more exciting when you know who you are knitting or wearing,” she says with a laugh. And she’s serious. With a herd of approximately 35 different animals, she has names for all the stock except three Cormo sheep which she simply refers to as the three blind mice and describes them, laughing, as “the dumbest sheep ever.” Which may be so, but they serve a purpose as well - they love to eat grass.
