December 2004
ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL (Albuquerque, NM)
New Mexico's Cash Cows
Kate McGraw
Alpaca breeders say business is thriving and couldn't be more fun. Ellen Simons spent 25 years raising Arabian horses in upstate New York as a sideline to her main job, advertising and marketing. In that quarter century, she said, "I never made a dime off the horses." Three years ago, she bought 13 acres in Edgewood and started breeding alpacas. The alpacas bring in so much income that she could drop her advertising clients, she said. "It's easy and profitable," Simons said. "This is the most fun business I've ever been in. I've got 20 alpacas and four Arabian mares. My 20 alpacas cost less to care for than one of my horses."
THE ADVOCATE (Baton Rouge, LA)
Miss. Woman Touts Alpaca Ownership
Woodrow Wilkins, Jr.
A year ago, Jane Oliver was told to get out of town. Now, the Greenville woman is capitalizing on a business enterprise and encouraging others to join. Oliver has moved to a former cotton farm and established her business. "I changed the cotton store into a clothing store, and the cotton farm is now an alpaca farm," she said. Oliver read an article that said alpaca fleece is five times warmer than wool and softer than cashmere. "I bought an alpaca jacket and was so impressed, I started reading about them," she said. "It's a friendlier animal than sheep...Almost anyone should go out and buy an alpaca..."
MARIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL (Marin, CA)
Knitting Circles Make Comeback
Carla Bova
One by one, Ruth Strock of Fairfax carefully hooked the final few lavender and purple fringes on the poncho she crocheted for her mom, and drew a round of applause when she modeled it for the many knitters who gather at Dharma Trading Co. in San Rafael. As an art therapist, Stock uses knitting and crocheting as part of her work. Strock is not alone. Knitting has made a widespread comeback over the last five years with people who have not knitted in decades taking it up again and 20-30 something women wanting to make the long bulky scarves and bright textured ponchos splashed on pages of fashion magazines. In Marin, knitters lean towards hand-dyed yarns and natural fibers. Alpaca wool is popular.
LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR (NE)
Tech Park in Lincoln New Home to Alpaca Registry
Staff
A company responsible for the nation's largest registry of alpacas, animals whose fleece is used for textiles, has moved to the University of Nebraska Technology Park in Lincoln. The Alpaca Registry, Inc. said it has relocated its national headquarters from McLean, Va. Founded in 1988, ARI said it maintains alpaca breeding and ownership for its 4,800 members in North America. Introduced to the United States during the 1970s, the number of registered alpacas has grown to more than 67,000 today, according to the registry. The Alpaca Registry was started because of the increasing number of alpacas and the importance of keeping reliable genealogy data through blood typing and accurate, traceable ownership records to maintain the value of breeding stock, the company said.
November 2004
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Alpaca Breeders Pin Hopes on a Herd (of Buyers)
Sarah Kershaw
The rancher approached his fuzzy beasts with a bucket of feed. ''Hi, girls!'' he shouted. ''Sophia! Satin Doll! Dotty!'' Then he glanced over the fence at the studs, corralled separately. ''Investigator! Dominator!'' The alpacas, wooly, long-necked cousins of the llama, came trotting forth on their two-toed feet, a few of them neck wrestling one another along the way. The rancher, Randy Coleman, and his wife, Barbara, had heard of fleeting exotic animal and food investment crazes -- jojoba beans, Beefalo, emus, ostriches and llamas -- before giving up their jobs as a mechanic and a secretary to start raising alpacas here at their farm, Wings and a Prayer Alpacas, 20 miles south of Portland. But like many others who have thrown themselves into new endeavors and faddish financial investments, the Colemans and a surging number of alpaca farmers across the nation feel certain their business is sustainable. The Colemans say they have doubled their annual earnings into six figures. The value of alpacas has so far rested mostly on breeding stock, which is tightly controlled, rather than a market for their fleece. Alpaca ranchers and trend spotters say the recent popularity of pursuits like alpaca breeding is also a sign that more Americans are seizing on a simpler life, giving up the grind of the workaday world, whether they be mechanics, doctors or chief executives. The animals, clean, fairly cuddly and a bit cartoonish in appearance, are themselves a large part of the attraction, the breeders say.
ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
The New Cash Cows
Kate McGraw
Alpaca breeders say business thriving, and it couldn't be more fun. Ellen Simons spent 25 years raising Arabian horses in upstate New York as a sideline to her main profession, advertising and marketing. In that quarter-century, she said, "I never made a dime off the horses." Three years ago, she bought 13 acres at Edgewood and started breeding alpacas. The alpacas now bring in so much income, she could drop all her advertising clients if she wanted, Simons said. "It's easy and it's profitable," Simons said. "This is the most fun business I've ever been in. I've got 20 alpacas and four Arabian mares. My 20 alpacas cost less to care for than one of my horses." Simons is part of a growing trend.
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL (LANCASTER, PA.)
Mount Joy couple finds ideal farm animal in alpaca
Aileen Humphreys
Kevin and Sue Zurin's barn in Mount Joy is surrounded by a patchwork of farmland stretching into the distance in every direction. Nearly 20 rolling acres melt gently into the surroundings, dipping and spilling into the hills. It is a commonplace scene in Lancaster County marked by one major twist: alpacas. The furry, gentle animals tiptoe around the paddock behind the barn. Their wide, droopy eyes peer from bobbing heads. The Zurins' farm is home to a herd of 34 alpacas, llama-like animals with origins in the Andes Mountains of South America. The Zurins operate Eastland Alpacas, a multitiered business that includes breeding and selling the animals, teaching people about them and selling products made from alpaca fiber from a store attached to their house. Two-and-a-half years ago, they started small by buying two geldings, a cheaper investment than a female or breeding male. But they soon were hooked and sold their traditional farm animals - goats and sheep - and decided to stop boarding horses. Now their breeding efforts focus on the funky-looking alpaca.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Wool gathering; Alpaca breeders tell why they're glad they gave fleece a chance
Patrick Kampert
It was Madison Eckhout's 12th birthday, and she knew just how she wanted to spend it. Not shopping. Not at Great America. No, there she was, putting a halter on an alpaca, a cousin of the llama. Then she led the 5-foot-tall, 150-pound animal around a show ring in a metal building at the Lake County fairgrounds during the Northern Illinois Alpaca Extravaganza. "I've never been to the show and I really wanted to go," said Madison. Like Madison, many exhibitors and visitors at the Extravaganza in Grayslake were similarly smitten with the gentle member of the camel family. Some of the alpaca farmers, like fair organizer Ray Rodriguez, fall into this business almost by accident. He and his wife bought a small farm in Long Grove that had a 100-year-old dairy barn, and scratched their heads over how to use the property. "I didn't want to do horses because I'd done that as a kid, and it's more work than I wanted to do," he said. "The farm's too small to raise cattle, and goats and sheep are pretty mundane. So we found out about the alpacas and fell in love with them. It was a good project to do with our children."
THE BUFFALO NEWS (Buffalo, NY)
Home on the Range
Meghan Dougher
Have you ever wanted an alpaca? Perhaps you don't even know what an alpaca is. Well, let me warn you before you read this article that you may fall in love with these South American cousins of the llama. I had the opportunity to see Windy Meadow Alpaca Farm. When we arrived, it was just as I had imagined it! The alpacas were in a fenced area with a backdrop of hills and valley filled with autumn colors. Thirteen alpacas were contentedly chewing on grass and the newborns, or crias, were playing and leaping around. The farm is owned by Rob and Ann McNeill. A veterinarian by profession, Rob is more than qualified to help raise and care for their herd. Ann trains the animals with halters and brings them to visit schoolchildren and the elderly in nursing homes. Their three children help with the chores and get to name the newborn alpacas.
October 2004
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Illinois Style
Nancy Steele Brokaw
Blame it on a billboard. Five years ago, Deborah Barone and her husband, David, were traveling in the Northwest. At the time, Deborah was feeling "a certain dissatisfaction" with her job. She had spent the previous two decades working in child and family therapy and as the director of crisis and intake services at a large mental health organization. When Deborah looked up and focused on the billboard, she read, "Change your life - Raise llamas and alpacas." "Wow, does that sound like a fun thing to do?" Not that she'd ever met a llama or an alpaca. She hadn't. And there was another problem. The Barones then lived in southern Florida. But a few months later, David accepted the position of professor and department of psychology chairperson at Illinois State University. Deborah, a city girl and suburban mom, was moving to central Illinois. "I always wanted to live in the country. My husband was a little less enthusiastic." They began looking for McLean County acreage. "I had decided, based on reading, that what I wanted to do was raise some alpacas." She still hadn't met one. The Barones found six acres near Heyworth. Deborah began checking out alpaca farms in Illinois. At that time, she says, there were two south of Chicago. Now there are more than a dozen. Before she knew it, they were raising alpacas.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Alpacas Creatures of Comfort Couple
Judy Evans
Ask the Revs. James and Vicki Green about their flock, and you may get an unexpected answer. They have served since 1991 as senior pastors of the nondenominational Higher Ground Church in Sunnyvale, where they also operate a Christian day-care center. They also raise alpacas at their 5-acre homestead in Rockwall. It's the latter venture that they hope will provide them a comfortable retirement. The Greens see no conflict between their religion and their quest for earthly treasures. "God gives us creative ideas to gain wealth," Mr. Green said. "You don't have to be holy and broke." It was Mrs. Green who initiated the couple's venture. She was so impressed by a television commercial about alpacas three years ago that she asked her husband for one as a Christmas present.
Hesitant, James decided to learn all he could about alpaca farming. The couple spent more than a year visiting alpaca farms and talking with owners before taking the plunge. They bought nine alpacas last year and "went into this full-force," Vicki said. "When my husband does something, he does it 100 percent."
SAINT PAUL PIONEER PRESS (St. Paul, MN)
Fleece on the Farm
Sheryl Jean
Thirteen-year-old Brianna Holbeck's reaction to the cute, cuddly animals was immediate. "I want one," she said of the 10 alpacas she visited Saturday at Wild River Ranch Alpacas in Taylors Falls. That's the reaction alpaca breeder David Walz said he often gets from visitors since he and his wife, Nancy, converted their cattle farm seven years ago. The Walzes and 10 other alpaca breeders in the Twin Cities area opened their farms to the public for the first time this weekend to help educate people about alpacas -- and to market some of the product made from their alpaca fleece. When Nancy Walz first mentioned alpaca breeding to her husband, he said, "No way, you're crazy." He has since changed his mind. "Life is good. We now take summers off and travel," Nancy said.
THE NEWS AND ADVANCE
Alpaca Breeders Add to Virginia Farming Industry
Matt Busse
Cara Mia looked longingly into the lightly misting rain and whistled a short note of restlessness. She expected a baby at any moment, and she seemed like she'd rather be out in the field than pacing around a barn on this gray Tuesday. Finally, her owners, Harry and Marty Leist, walked her out to another barn where she'd have more company and more room to wait out the rain. Cara Mia -- "my beloved" in Italian -- and her herd mates are alpacas, which are smaller relatives of llamas prized for their wool. "Anything you can do with wool, you can do with alpaca, only do it better," Leist said. The Leists' road to alpaca farming began when they sought a change of pace from their careers.
Harry Leist runs Olde Liberty Station restaurant in Bedford. Marty Leist worked as a nurse for 32 years. While looking for a business opportunity that would let them work outdoors, magazine pictures charmed the couple into considering alpacas. "We started visiting farms and found that we liked them up close and personal outside of the pictures," Marty said. The Leists began boarding animals in 1998. They set up a farm of their own after moving to their Goode home in November 2001.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD (Portland, ME)
Alpacas Show Their Stuff at Annual Show
Paul Livingstone
As owner of a successful alpaca farm in Bridgton, Judy Bliss considers herself part of a select group. It's not that keeping alpacas is any better or more respectable than raising cattle, sheep or chickens. It's just a lot different. The farmer reads whatever she can get her hands on, but a lot of what Bliss has learned, from birthing techniques to tailor-made medications, is not written in any book. Bliss started her farm several years ago after acquiring 8 acres of land. "There is a lot of interest in them," said Bliss.
September 2004
PRESS AND SUN BULLETIN (Binghamton, NY)
Fiber farmers find growing market; Alpacas a Shear Delight
Brian J. Gafney
If opportunity for small farmers doesn't knock, maybe it hums and clicks. Curly headed alpacas make those sounds, and a number of Northeast fiber farmers think alpacas could be the solution to the dwindling number of dairy farms in the area. For one thing, alpaca owners say their animals use pastureland more favorably than larger herd animals. "In fact, they need less land (for grazing) because they have pads on their feet. They don't beat up on the ground the way cows do," said Catherine Bente-Hines. "And they don't pull up the whole grass plant, the way sheep do, when they graze." She said better husbanding of land is one reason alpaca farms are gradually growing in areas like Susquehanna County, Pa. "Since 1998, we've seen at least six new farms around here alone," Bente-Hines said. Along with supply, markets for animal fibers are available, and with good reason. "Alpaca is as warm or warmer than wool, but has no lanolin."
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
No Matter the Weather; Honored Guests Will Wear Fleece
Len Barcousy
About 150 people from as far away as Texas, Colorado and Washington will gather in Forward on Saturday, under white tents decorated with chandeliers. Despite outward appearances, they will not be coming to toast a happy bride and bridegroom. They will be in Butler County to take part in the region's first auction of alpacas. "This is the last thing in the world I ever thought I would be doing," said Debbie Hirt. She and her husband, Dave, began raising the animals nine years ago with six females at their farm. Their flock has grown to 80. Hirt is a former industrial marketing manager who was looking for an occupation she could do from home when she and her husband started their family. "I'm 5-foot-4, and this is something I can handle every aspect of," she said. "Alpacas are docile and easy to work with. They are disease resistant -- worm them once a month and vaccinate them once a year. They are good around children." The Hirts' two children, Alexis, 6, and Wyatt, 3, get involved. "Alexis already shows [animals] in the sub-junior class," Hirt said.
SPOKANE SPOKESMAN REVIEW (SPOKANE, WA)
Alpaca Show
M.D. Kincaid
What has four legs, eight toes, feeds on grass, provides fiber for sweaters and dung for fuel? Alpaca breeders from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming and California bring their best alpacas to for the third annual Northwest Alpaca Showcase. Events include seminars, shows, vendor displays, art contests, entertainment and silent auctions. "Most people are just amazed," St. Maries resident and alpaca breeder Nancy Malensky says of the show. She says people learn raising alpacas can be profitable and that a large amount of land is not needed.
CHATTANOOGA FREE TIMES PRESS (Chattanooga, TN)
Chattanooga Weekend Staff Report
The Hamilton County Fair chairman, Kevin Brady said among new attractions are alpacas, more bluegrass bands and four giant inflatables for children to play on. "It's really a fabulous event all geared for the family," Brady said. Ron Priddy, fair director, agreed, "It's one of the few places you can take you children out for the day," he said. "A lot of kids in the city don't see cows or alpaca every day."
August 2004
CBS MARKETWATCH
Kelli B. Grant
Like other couples, Walter and Doris Van Buskirk of Kennebunk, Maine, have retirement investments. Their investments grow steadily, and every year the Van Buskirks choose to keep some and sell others. Although experts usually advise limiting your number of retirement investments, the Van Buskirks have 45...[alpacas that is].
COURIER NEWS (Bridgewater, NJ)
Alpacas Gentle Charm Brightens 4-H Fair
Stefanie Matteson
Thirteen of Christi Melfi's farm 60 alpacas are being displayed this week at Somerset County 4-H Fair by seven members of the 4-H Alpaca Club, the first in the state. Melfi's own story is enough to convert anyone to alpacas. A Tennessee farm girl, she met her husband, Nick, on a trip north to visit the big city. It was love at first sight. A Brooklyn boy, he wanted a farm to satisfy his yearnings for the pastoral and give his four children from a previous marriage a taste of rural life. "When I left Tennessee, I swore I'd never live on a farm again," Christi said. Though she declined to say how much income alpacas bring in, she admitted with a sly smile that they have more than managed to pay for the children's college tuitions. "Alpacas have been the best investment decision we ever made," The Melfis said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Phish drummer leads workshop for Burlington students
Burlington, Vermont
Jon Fishman, the drummer for Phish, arrived empty-handed-but with much to offer the teenagers who attended the weeklong 242 Main Rock Camp last month. He brought rock wisdom, a generous spirit, good humor, and his playing chops. He told the kids that Led Zeppelin is the reason he started playing drums and that he’Äôll always be a musician-even if he's raising alpacas and growing organic vegetables.
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO
Mel Brooks discusses the successful run of "The Producers" and his life in comedy
Renee Montagne
While promoting the run of instant-hit "The Producers", Mel Brooks, long-time comedian reflects on his earlier days as a tummler or fun-maker. His job was to entertain guests who were sunbathing by the pool. As his standard wardrobe, Brooks wore an alpaca coat and derby.
July 2004
SPRINGFIELD NEWS-LEADER (Springfield, Montana)
Small Businesses: White River Alpacas
Claudia Beasley
At Stacy Heydt's alpaca farm, her primary source of income is in breeding and selling the animals [alpacas]. Heydt worked in advertising and wanted to get out of the corporate world and onto a farm. She knew she wanted to raise some kind of livestock but nothing she would have to slaughter. Her mother recommended alpacas. "I went to a fiber fair in Marshfield, and I feel in love with the alpacas," said Heydt. She and her husband bought a farm and an entire business. Heydt credits her successful business to her marketing and advertising history. "My hobby is art," says Heydt; art in combination with her marketing experience helped her develop a variety of avenues for income. Heydt says she loves her business. What she finds most rewarding is, "Two things, I love the animals, they are such stress relievers. And, secondly, giving lessons to someone spinning to weaving and seeing that they get it," said Heydt.
DAYTON DAILY NEWS (Dayton, Ohio)
Well-Bred Flock to County Fair
Carol Scott
New to the Shelby County Fair were alpacas, whose proud owners are Annette and Rick Paulus. "We've raised goats, sheep, rabbits, and chickens, and these [alpacas] are just the best. They're quiet and peaceful," said Annette. She also said the animals-which lie still when the couple transports them by minivan-have a soft, soothing hum. "Hopefully, next year there will be more than just us here with the alpacas," she said while showing newly shorn alpaca Nugget to a crowd of children. "The kids just seem to love them."
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Floor art; Rugs from a coterie of women designers anchor rooms with walk-upon design
Anglica Pence
Rosemary Hallgarten and the women of Elson & Company, are fast-gaining an international reputation for taking centuries-old weaving materials and infusing them with modern, chic aesthetic. Their cues are drawn as much from the masters-Picasso, Giacometti, Kadinski and the like-as they are from celebrated architects, furniture designers, and the world of haute couture. San Francisco's Hallgarten last year began working with artistsans in Peru to create a collection of rich floor coverings, sumptuous embroidered pillows and throws made from alpaca. "The excitement is twofold," says the British-born artist. Alpacas' "texture is extraordinarily soft and bouncy, with a silky smooth finish. And the colors, because [the wool is] hand-spun and dyed by knowledgeable artisans, retain their vibrancy and irregular patterning even after being knotted."
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Simple, beautiful; Plain-woven textiles at museum Joanna Shaw-Eagle
Of the 21 plain-woven textiles on display, an alpaca "Shawl" from Bolivia is especially eye-catching. Although its "warp" vertical stripes and bands are among the simplest of plain weave designs, the piece exudes great sophistication.
June 2004
The Kansas City Star
Small Farm is Where It All Began for Smarty Jones
Wright Thompson
Just when the Smarty Jones saga seems as if it can't get any weirder, you can take a ride south from Philly. Drive through the suburbs into the country, over gently rolling hills. Go past the Brandywine Battlefield, out to where the horse was born. When Roy and Patricia Chapman owned the place, before the old man got too sick to enjoy it, they called it Someday Farm. The new owner changed the name, but the farm still sits at the junction of Route 841 and Belmont Court. A block away is Derby lane. The barn Pat designed herself is just off the blacktop driveway, which is shaded by trees. The grass has grown up. The metal wire that covers the fence has rusted. A speed-limit sign is falling over, gravity winning its battle. Then there are the alpacas. That's right. The fields where America's most famous horse, Smarty Jones, first played are now occupied, among other things, alpacas.
Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine)
Alpaca wool: and industry ready to grow
Edward D. Murphy
Daphne Marinopoulos resisted her heritage for a while, but eventually the pull was too strong. Her grandparents-immigrants from Greece-worked in textile mills near Massachusetts. Her father was a textile engineer for DuPont. At first, Marinopoulos chose a career in Internet direct marketing. But by starting the Fibre Co. tucked away in a small part of a Fore Street industrial building, Marinopoulos has returned to her roots. "It's in the blood", she jokes over the low roar of her "mini-mill" machinery. Marinopoulos hopes someday to look back and see that she's created another heritage through her company, which focuses on the wool produced by alpacas. Marinopoulos said the mill is already making money and should become more profitable as production steps up. She hopes that her mill and efforts to create the exchange will put Portland and the Fibre Co. in the center of that new market. "We don't want to be just a broker for the raw alpaca fiber, we want to help produce the North American alpaca industry," she said.
The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Alpacas charm owners in new livestock trend
Andrea Brown
For 20 alpacas, it was a bad hair day. For their owner, it was a good haul. Fleece is how alpacas earn their keep on Dick and Sharon Hegeman's Black Forest Farm, and Tuesday was the day of the herd's annual haircut. It took professional shearer Andrew Moriarty about 10 minutes to clip a year's growth from each alpaca. A few squealed, but most were silent as Moriarty's swift blade peeled a blanket of thick fiber, laced with pine needles and hay, off their middles. "They look like aliens, like ETs with long necks," Sharon Hegeman said. "They are much cuter full-fleeced." It was her idea to start raising alpacas four years ago on their 5-acre homestead. "They are truly my passion", Sharon said.
American Livestock Magazine's Fall 2004
issue features alpacas: There's No Business Like the Alpaca Business
Western Farm, Ranch and Dairy Magazine
features alpacas in their fall issue: How to Buy an Alpaca
May 2004
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Farmers find benefits
Whether they're rustling up some extra income during retirement or simply exploring a lifelong interest in an unusual animal breed, one thing seems clear - a number of people, have stepped into the arena of exotic animal farming. Among them are Kathy and Clark Bromley, who operate an established alpaca farm. The Bromleys, Colorado residents with Indiana roots, found the price of Indiana farmland more to their liking to establish Kathy's dream of a home-owned business. "Everybody wants a piece of the Rockies," Clark said. "We got the same thing here for $100,000 less. We've been real pleased with it," he said, looking around at his 20 acres, barn and three-sided sheds in fenced pastures in LaGrange County's rolling Amish country. They relocated with three bred females in 1998. A retired stockbroker and trader, the couple read an ad about alpaca farming and decided to take the plunge. However, they committed a year to research, including clinics, farm visits and national conferences, to ascertain they could make alpaca farming work, Clark Bromley said. Their flock burgeoned to today's 35 head of alpacas, and the couple discovered many money-making avenues for their business.
HOBBY FARMS MAGAZINE (July/August 2004 issue)
Alpacas: Dollars and Sense
Patricia Barraza Voz
THE NEWS TRIBUNE (Tacoma, Washington)
Happy Hair Raisers; Alpaca ranchers sing praises of investing in gentle south American Animals
C. R. Roberts
A few of these long-necked fuzzy-faced creatures might cost as much as a four-year degree at Harvard. Most run in the range of a new car. In the world of alpacas, it's all about money. Yes, they're cute. Yes, their fiber makes a fine sweater. But they aren't for packing cargo. And they're not meant for food. These days, they're an investment of increasing popularity. Ask Randy Snow. He began a career in the exotic animal business with rare and endangered parrots. He bought his first alpaca ten years ago. Two year later, he took over as manager of Alpacas of America, a Tenino ranch. "I'd watch the market since 1984," he said. "I watched the market ten years before I bought. If I could buy an animal for $12,000, I could sell the offspring for $12,000. The price caught my interest." Alpacas now seem to be catching the interest of other investors, as new ranches and small holdings appear around the country.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Experience required Designers move beyond mere looks and focus on interaction with new creations
"Mosaic rug"
Rosemary Hallgarten
A trip to Peru 1 1/2 years ago changed Hallgarten's life. For the last three years, the British-born, California-based textile designer has been hand-hooking her own modern rugs (along with her studio crew) out of New Zealand wool. But in Peru, "I came across alpaca and I came across some people making rugs in the alpaca. I just fell in love with it as a fiber. . . . It's like cashmere," says Hallgarten, who ditched her New Zealand wool routine and, at ICFF, unveiled her new hand-tufted and hand-knotted alpaca rugs, as well as hand-embroidered alpaca pillows and woven, long-haired alpaca throws. All are made by native craftspeople in Peru who interpret her modern designs.
PRESS & SUN BULLETIN (Binghamton, NY)
Alpacas get a summer cool-off; Fur from sheered animals warmer, softer than wool
Rebecca Schuelke
On a recent Saturday afternoon, Lori Marcin joined her husband Mark, family and friends to help to shear the Marcins' 17 alpacas. "I've got fleece in my eyes," said Lori Marcin of Greene. The wind seemed intent on scattering the winter coats the alpacas were happy to lose, but the Marcins had plans for their fleece. Alpaca hair combines the softness and luxury of cashmere with a durability and warmth that surpasses wool, its advocates claim, helping to create an American cottage industry in alpaca socks, sweaters, gloves and scarves. "Feel that," Lori Marcin said as she examined a patch of fleece from a male Suri, the rarest of alpaca breeds in the United States. The animals have long, silky hair that grows in loose dreadlocks. "It's like angel hair," Mark Marcin said as he wiped fleece from his nose. The Marcins, who started Thunder Ridge Farm two years ago, are among the growing number of people across the country who are discovering alpacas. "I was looking for an investment, something I could leave and let grow. It has become an obsession," said Lori Marcin, a computer technician by profession. Mark Marcin is an environmental chemist. People driving past Thunder Ridge on County Road 3A slow down to look at the animals. Some even turn back around for a better look, Lori Marcin said.
April 2004
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Alpaca Allure: Couple Banks on South American Fleece Bearer
Jan Biles
About three years ago, Nancy Sines was looking for a tax break and something to fill her time. She and her husband, Bob, had just sold the Hiawatha Inn, the Gateway Inn and the Heartland Restaurant and decided to check out investment opportunities. Their search led to an unlikely investment -- three female alpacas. "We saw an ad on alpacas and were shocked at their prices," Nancy Sines said. "But we decided to take a trip. In 10 days, we drove 4,400 miles and went to 20 farms. The next weekend, we went to about a dozen farms in Nebraska and on north." When they arrived back home, the Sineses immediately started planning the layout of a barn and pasture. And then they went shopping. "We got three females from California that we purchased in New Mexico," Nancy Sines said. "Two gave us babies, and we sold the other before she had babies." Today, their herd numbers 20 and their business is known as CedarHollow Farm Alpacas. They breed the animals for their fleece intake. The Sineses, who also co-own a ham processing company in Nebraska, are in the alpaca business for the long haul. The animals not only provide a tax break but also are 100 percent insurable.
BALTIMORE SUN (Baltimore, Maryland)
Alpacas: Pennsylvania farm owners make a business out of breeding the animals, which they find to be 'shear' fun
Mary Ellen Graybill
Amid rolling hills here, there lives a hardy herd - descendants of the Huacaya and Suri alpacas that were once hidden from the Spanish conquistadores in the high Andes by the Incas. The new residents - long-necked creatures - are romping on about 30 acres at a farm called Alpacas of Willow Spring. Nicola Roth and Christopher Neumann own 13 alpacas on the farm. When Roth and Neumann bought their scenic 30 acres in 1988 with a log cabin on Kilgore Road, each had a job and a long commute to Washington from the La Plata area of Charles County.
Literature from Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association inspired them. They paid a visit to a farm south of Annapolis, and then to the farm of Tilly Dorsey on Black Rock Road in Butler, Baltimore County. Now they have 13 brown and sable alpacas with topknots flapping over their eyes, lining up to wind their way when called back to the lean-to shed.
ROANOKE TIMES AND WORLD NEWS (Roanoke, Virginia)
Fine Fleece Flies on Open Farm
Don Simmons, Jr.
Harvest day comes early on the Fuller family farm. About four months early. But then, the Fullers raise alpacas, not crops. In the small barn behind their Mount Tabor Road home, Les and Pat Fuller gathered Wednesday with their daughters, Elliston alpaca farmer Matt Ward and a small group of curious observers for the annual shearing. Ten-year-old Kelsey and her sister Meghan - who usually pitch in as barn manager and poop patroller - skipped school. Kelsey said she would have been studying the animal kingdom and algebra anyway. And this was a hands-on lesson. Four years ago, the Fullers decided to dive head first into the alpaca business. They learned about alpacas from the Peruvian missionary who blessed their house, according to Pat Fuller. A few years earlier, she had given up a bank marketing job to raise her daughters and thought alpacas might prove a fun way to spend time with her children and earn a little extra money. She was right.
AMERICAN SMALL FARMS MAGAZINE
Alpacas: the Ideal Livestock for a Small Farm
Blame academia for Dr. Steve Hull, Ph.D.'s burnout. Says Hull, "Professors don't make a lot of money in medical school, but they put in a heck of a lot of time." The alpaca industry, which Hull calls the "people-oriented profession", was simply more appealing. Hull, of Edmond, Oklahoma, entered the alpaca industry seven years ago, the first three years part-time, while still a professor at the University of Oklahoma, College of Medicine. He tended to the animals mornings, evenings, and weekends. But that wasn't enough. During school hours, people called him mid-day, asking to visit his farm and learn more about the industry. He had to choose: academia or alpacas? He abandoned academia and alpacas became a full-time commitment. Says Hull, "My only regret is that I didn't go full-time at the very beginning. I wish I had now, in retrospect, and I'm absolutely serious. I should have quit being a professor ten years ago to do this. It was a return, really, to kind of how I grew up on a small farm in New England. It was a way of using my property as a viable, profitable industry", says the professor turned alpaca owner.
WESTERN FARM, RANCH, AND DAIRY MAGAZINE
Alpacas Produce World-Class, Luxurious Fiber
With the steady, twenty-year growth of the alpaca breeding industry in North America, the demand for alpaca fiber and garments steadily grows, too. The unique qualities of alpaca fiber make it both luxurious and practical. Alpaca fiber is as soft as cashmere and stronger, warmer, and lighter than the finest sheep's wool. Making it even more desirable, alpaca contains no lanolin, thus making it hypoallergenic. In today's marketplace, alpaca is used to create long-lasting fashions that are both useful and desirable. This year, at the Second Annual Fiber to Fashion Conference in Reno, Nevada alpaca enthusiasts discussed the many ways alpaca fleece can be enjoyed and profited from. The largest alpaca fashion show to date, which showcased a wide range of fashions from casual to high couture, was a conference highlight. "It was wonderful seeing alpaca's many uses. Every year, the products become more diverse," says Kim DeVos, conference coordinator. "We showcased casual items, from lightweight summer sweaters to rich embracing apparel for the coldest climates. We debuted everything from elegant dresses and eveningwear to workplace attire for men and ladies, consisting of contemporary pantsuits and blazers. Even outerwear and accessories were fashioned with style for every age. There was something for everyone, regardless of age, status, or profession. Alpaca knows no bounds!"
WILD FIBERS MAGAZINE
In their inaugural Spring 2004 issue, the staff at Wild Fibers wrote the story: Fiber to Fashion: Exotic Fibers From East to West
March 2004
RECORD EAGLE (Traverse City, MI)
'Alpaca' wins student trip to D.C.
Patrick Sullivan
It took nine rounds to winnow 34 spellers to two and several more words before an eight-grader from Traverse City won the Grand Traverse Regional Spelling Bee with the word, "alpaca". "I prepared a little bit, not really too much. We just get out the sheet and have fun with it," said bee-winner Alan Tilley, from Traverse Bay Community School. Alan said he didn't think he'd win Sunday. But now he's earned a trip to the 77th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in June, and he plans to study a bit harder. "I'll definitely be looking at them (word lists) probably every night," he said.
COURIER NEWS (Bridgewater, NJ)
At Melfi Farm: Fun, Fibers and Love of the Alpaca Lifestyle
Staff
Nick is originally from Brooklyn, N. Y. and his mother said he brought home every stray animal he'd find throughout his whole life. Cristy is from Tennessee. When she decided to leave Tennessee, she swore she would never live on a farm again. Guess what, she lives on a wonderful farm! We looked into different aspects of farming and decided alpacas were the best for us. It would be a great investment for our four children. Farm assessment and the part-time labor involved are some of the reasons for alpacas. Our main goal was to supplement the income for our family. The kids loved doing "chores" and halter training with the alpacas.
NEW YORK POST
Strange Bedfellows-New Yorkers Nosh in Unlikely Places
Cynthia Killian
Yarns are a feast for the eyes at Knit New York, the city's first knitting café. Skeins of thick and thin yarns in hand-dyed wool, alpaca, metallics and silk provide the décor for this homey eatery-cum-knitting school, but you can nosh here, too, on turkey, brie and apple sandwiches on bread from Balthazar Bakery, mini cupcakes from Yura and vegan brownie bars.
THE DAILY NEWS OF LOS ANGELES
The Alpaca Attraction; Local Breeder Keeps 25 of the Woolly Camel Cousins
Nicholas Grudin
Halle has long, silky, caramel-colored hair and wide dark eyes. She's one of about 25 alpacas - South American members of the camel family - living on a four-acre plot in Sand Canyon, where breeder Sonia Marygold earns as much as $25,000 a head. "You can't believe the interest there is - I've been spending all afternoon responding to e-mails about them," Marygold said Friday, as she took the day off work as a nurse in East Los Angeles in expectation of an alpaca birth in her front yard. Marygold's interest was sparked after reading about the animals in an airline magazine. "We literally fell in love with them."
THE TIMES
'Even softer than cashmere'
Donna McArde
Sometimes, deep trauma reshapes your destiny. Breast cancer and Sept. 11, 2001, pushed Janet and David Monasterski over the edge. "I decided I needed to simplify my life a little bit," said David Monasterski. After watching his wife win a battle with breast cancer, his resolve was even stronger. He quit his job at Merrill Lynch in Manhattan, giving up his daily 4:30 a.m. wake-up call for the commute from his Hamilton home. The couple bought a 20-acre horse farm and mini-estate in rural Burlington County and opened StanPete's Alpaca Ranch. In doing so, they joined a growing number of New Jerseyans eager to raise alpaca, a South American animal prized for fibers some say are more luxurious than cashmere.
CALAVERAS ENTERPRISE
Ag Day Shows Students Ways of the Ranch
Mike Taylor
From beekeeping to horse shoeing, alpaca grooming to raising cattle, fourth and fifth grade students in Calaveras County got a taste of life on the farm at Agriculture Awareness Day, Thursday, at Frogtown. More than 900 students passed through the fairgrounds' barns to hear from more than 25 volunteers who discussed specific aspects of agricultural production. The Calaveras County Farm Bureau organized the event, and the bureau even paid for students' transportation to the fairgrounds. The total fare was estimated at $1,500. "We feel so strongly about offering this experience to our youth that this seems a small price to pay to assist in their understanding of agriculture in our county and even our state," said Lorey Oliver, the bureau manager. The children were particularly interested in Rick Brady's alpacas, Franco and Garibaldi. Andrew Michels, a Copperopolis fourth-grader, said he had never seen an alpaca before and he was surprised at how soft the animals' fleece felt. "It kind of feels like cat hair," Michels said.
February 2004
TV AND NEWSPAPERS FEATURE ALPACAS DURING 2004 FIBER TO FASHION CONFERENCE
During the AOBA/ARI 2004 Fiber to Fashion Conference in Reno, affiliate networks of ABC, NBC, and CBS featured local alpaca breeders live on the morning shows and on the newscasts throughout the week. Breeders highlighted the conference, alpacas, and alpaca fiber. In addition, three newspapers covered the conference. Media witnessed the hands-on spinning/knitting/weaving seminars, educational sessions, the all-alpaca fashion show, and the vast array of alpaca related merchandise.
M2 PRESSWIRE
Manhattan
Two Kansas State University students in apparel marketing and design received awards at the recent Fashioning Our Alpacas' Future 2004 Fiber to Fashion Student Design Competition, sponsored by the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association. Melesa Lorett, senior in apparel marketing and design, Manhattan, was awarded first honorable mention for her design in the competition. Kendal Goodheart, senior in apparel marketing and design, Olathe, was awarded first place for her design in the competition. The awards were presented during the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association conference Feb. 4-8 in Reno, Nevada.
ALPACAS FEATURED ON VH1 "BANDS REUNITED"
Pat Badger, member of the 80's band Extreme, sought a new way of life after his band fell apart. An alpaca television advertisement, containing AOBA's web site address, led Badger to learn more about all aspects of raising alpacas. Years earlier, Badger had seen an airplane magazine article featuring alpacas but paid little attention. Music was his life. Today, Badger's priorities have changed. He and his wife happily own and raise alpacas on their Boston farm and expect their first child soon.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES PITCHER RAISES ALPACAS
Comcast Sportsnet television interviewed Philadelphia Phillies' new pitcher, Billy Wagner, at his Virginia home/ranch. They were surprised to discover Wagner's other passion: alpacas. Skeptical at first, Wagner quickly changed his mind after hearing about a high selling alpaca. Wagner researched. He invested. Now, he and his wife are fully involved in the alpaca business. And on the day of the interview, Wagner had one more surprise: he delivered a new cria (baby alpaca).
GWINNETT DAILY POST (GA)
Raising Alpacas Grows in Popularity
Jackie Watston
SNELLVILLE - Nance Sturm has 118 alpacas on her 42-acre Snellville ranch, and she knows each and every one by name. The exotic animals, which resemble lamas, are peaceful and gentle creatures. Sturm had no idea when she purchased three alpacas 11 years ago that she would become so enamored with raising them. "When I first got into alpacas, I misjudged how much I enjoyed them and how much I'd care for the animal. You can't help but like them," she said. Raising, breeding and selling alpacas has made her farm, Creekwater Alpacas, the largest of its kind in the southeast...Sturm receives a slew of visitors at her farm. Most are curious passersby who happen to notice the odd-shaped animals grazing. Some come for school tours and alpaca seminars. Others come with the intent of buying alpacas to start their own farm. People seem to be drawn to the serene animals and their natural humming sound, said Sturm. This has made raising alpacas an increasingly popular pursuit. The number of alpaca farms in Georgia is steadily climbing.
PALM BEACH POST (FL)
Investment warms up woman to fuzzy alpacas
Tanya Wragg
You've seen them on your television set: commercials advertising furry four-legged, long-necked creatures that strikingly resemble llamas. But they're smaller. And furrier. They're alpacas. And if you've waited until today to go to the South Florida Fair, you've missed your chance to get a little closer to these curious creatures. Four alpacas from Peg's Palm Beach Alpacas, a 5-acre farm in Loxahatchee, recently made an appearance at the fair's Agriplex. Animal enthusiasts met George, a 4-month-old alpaca baby who looks, according to owner Margaret Broz, like a "stuffed toy that has gone through a washing machine." Fairgoers also locked eyes with George's look-alike mother, Savita, and their two ivory-and-brown pals, Suri del Sol and Paul. Broz, a criminal law attorney, started building her alpaca collection in 2001, a year or two after she saw packs of llamas grazing everywhere, including at a post office, during a visit to Colorado. Her curiosity followed her back to Florida, where she got on the Internet and began researching llamas. She ran into alpacas instead.
ALPACA HITS NEW YORK RUNWAYS, AGAIN!
During Olympus Fashion Week's fall 2004 runway presentations, designer Ralph Lauren's Southwestern theme included a Navajo-patterned alpaca wrap dress.
January 2004
THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN
Alpacas Become Popular Livestock Among Kern County, Calif., Ranchers
Jennifer Plotnick
Lebec, Calif - Gil galad's big brown eyes stared gently into the eyes of Rachelle Black as she petted his thick winter coat. He repeatedly made a short humming sound and peacefully shared his pen with another male. Gil galad is an alpaca at the Black Magic Alpaca Ranch, where the Black family is breeding the docile animals to glean high-quality fleece, called fiber. Fiber from the alpaca, a smaller cousin of the llama, is used to make various clothing products. It [alpacas] seems to be a hot commodity right now..."Property is still affordable and land is zoned for livestock," said Marianne Bradley a fellow Kern County alpaca breeder. Wyatt and Rachelle Black started their ranch in 1999 to help pay for their kids' church mission trips and college educations. With about 15 animals now and several babies expected in the spring, their goals include breeding top-quality black alpacas with fine fiber...The Bradleys started about four years ago and now boast a ranch of more than 30 with more than a dozen babies expected from March through November...Their main purpose is breeding.
RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH
Building an Industry; Farmers Trying to Create a Market for Alpaca Wool
Greg Edwards
Scampering around a small eastern Henrico County farm is a woolly deer-size animal with a neck as long as its legs and the face of an Ewok, the huggable "Star Wars" movie character. Crosswinds Farm LLC, which sits close by the Charles City County line, is one of a growing number of Virginia farms that has welcomed a South American transport, the alpaca. Mendy Royster, a real estate broker, and husband, Tommy, a custom-home builder, own an 80-acre farm. They bought their first alpacas three years ago, when they were looking for an investment opportunity as an alternative to the then faltering stock market. The Roysters bought nine alpacas to begin with... "It was a learning experience for all of us," recalls Tommy, who along with his wife owns a herd of 72 animals. The Roysters' plan was to build their herd for the first two years through breeding and additional purchases before selling their first animals.
NEWS-TIMES (Danbury, CT)
Adorable Immigrants; Far from their Andean homeland, alpacas find their niche in the heart of local breeder
Robert Miller
In 1987, Joan McCurry left the high pressure, New York City advertising world. She bought a house on a dirt road in Woodbury, arrived at the place at sunset, looked around, and panicked. "I thought 'What in the name of God have I done?'" McCurry said. Soon enough, however, McCurry found the key to happiness. Not through meditation. Not through exercise. Through alpacas. Today, McCurry has a herd of 90 alpacas-all quiet and curious and clean, bearing a fleece finer than any sheep-to keep her body and soul warm. On winter days, she wears an alpaca jacket. On summer days, she'll get out a beach chair, sit among her boys and girls at her farm-named the Alpaca Connection-and read the newspaper, while they come over to nibble at her breakfast... "I'll tell you, I'm much healthier today than I ever was back then," McCurry said of her rat-race days.
