December 2005
Arizona Republic - Phoenix, AZ USA
December 1, 2005
If you are like most people, you probably have no idea what an alpaca is. Or, if you are aware of the furry South American animals, you probably haven't seen one in person.
Jan Mauck, a former judge's clerk in San Diego, knew little about alpacas until she and a friend were on a tour of the San Juan Islands of Washington and passed a farm where a female was delivering a baby, or cria, right by the road.
Mauck was intrigued by the animals and started researching them, and when she retired a few years later she started raising alpacas in the Prescott area. It turns out there are 10 or 11 ranches in the Prescott area that breed alpacas and sell their fleece, which Mauck compares with cashmere.
Four of them, all run by women, have started a cooperative called Alpacas of Central Arizona to promote the industry, especially among women. Why women?
"A good share of breeders are women because alpacas are very gentle and easy to handle," said Mauck, 62.
Business Wire
December 13, 2005
Baby Boomers Turning 60 Usher in Major Business, Social Changes; Redefine Retirement
The first of America's 78 million baby boomers, who turn 60 in January, will bring sweeping changes to business, careers and lifestyles. New Directions, a career/life transition firm for senior executives, is witnessing these changes first hand. Individuals they work closely with are redefining the very notion of retirement.
Following are key baby boomer trends that New Directions has identified:
-- Starting a business later in life - After spending years in the corporate world, some retirement-age executives are following their dreams and starting businesses as diverse as alpaca farming, lighthouse item sales or hardware chains. They enjoy more time, flexibility and a renewed sense of purpose.
MaineToday.com - Portland, ME USA
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Alpaca farmers find niche market
By VALERIE TUCKER
FARMINGTON -- Alpaca owners have a language that only they understand, but one herd owner in Farmington is happy to share her fascination and knowledge of this beautiful animal.
Pat Welles of Indian Ridge Alpaca Farm in Farmington can reel off this mysterious vocabulary with great aplomb for her international customer list of weavers, knitters and fiber artists.
She knows how to rove, skirt, felt and blend. In her fiber-processing mill, she juggles cell phone calls from dawn until midnight while her herd of alpacas munches hay contentedly.
"I've been doing some sort of fiber artwork since early childhood," Welles said. "It always has been a passion in my life."
When asked the difference between alpacas and llamas, Welles explained that generally llamas have a coarse outer coat and a soft inner coat. Alpacas have a single coat, and each hair has an accordionlike crimped texture. Alpaca hair has been compared to cashmere and is lighter and warmer than wool.
Since it is hypoallergenic and contains no lanolin, it is a clothing fiber of choice for those with allergies and sensitive skin.
Long before Spaniards came to South America, South American weavers called the alpaca's coat the "Fiber of Gods."
"People who raise alpacas think of them as part of their family," Welles said. "Each one has a special personality."
Alpacas and llamas have soft, padded feet with two toes and are members of the camelid family. Welles' 14 alpacas eat grass, chew cud and have three stomachs.
They are gentle, friendly and curious. Baby alpacas are called crias, and the adults share the responsibilities of looking after each other's little ones. The animals communicate with each other by softly humming, tilting heads and twitching tails and ears.
Alpacas have been domesticated for more than 5,000 years and are native to South America's Andes mountain range. Visitors to Peru, Bolivia, and Chile will see the creatures roaming the mountains in herds as Maine farmers might keep cattle and sheep.
They provided both clothing and transportation for the Incas and were imported into the United States in 1984, with an estimated 60,000 registered alpacas now in the U.S.
Red Bluff Daily News - Red Bluff,CA,USA
County 4-H begins alpaca program
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
By CHERYL BRINKLEY
RED BLUFF
Tehama County 4-H now has the option of working with alpacas.
Members of the California Alpaca Association and the State of Jefferson Alpaca Association have offered 20 fiber-quality males to start a county-wide alpaca 4-H group, according to Irene Fuller, owner of Moon Dancing Alpacas in Red Bluff.
Corning 4-H leader Susi Maloney headed up the project. All current and new 4-H members and leaders who are interested in joining Maloney and working with alpacas, can call Maloney at 586-0711. The first meeting will be held at Maywood Elementary School at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21.
For many years, Maloney has shared her love for the fiber arts with her students, Fuller said. She taught her students to shear sheep and do all the wool processing and dying in order to make a usable product. Students also learned how to spin fiber into yard by using a drop spindle made from a dowel and potato.
Lin Murray of Lassen View Alpacas in Cottonwood will be mentoring Maloney as she teaches her students about alpacas and basic textile skills, Fuller said.
Alpacas came to the United States from South America. They are valued for their luxury fiber. The alpaca fiber has no lanolin. It also has a hollow core that traps warmth and makes the fiber three to seven times warmer than wool. Alpaca fiber has a closed scale which makes it smooth to the touch and comfortable when worn next to the skin.
Sacramento Bee (California)
December 27, 2005 Tuesday
METRO FINAL EDITION
Women saluted for special role in state farming
by Hudson Sangree
Before she became an alpaca rancher in 1993, Pat Meade worked as a software developer, though she said the job never really suited her.
"It was for the money and job security," said Meade, 53. "All the time I wanted to be self-employed."
Now she has a more rewarding career - breeding a herd of woolly alpacas with her husband on their Yolo County ranch near Esparto, teaching weaving and spinning classes and selling alpaca products from their ranch store and Web site.
Meade is among 17 women profiled in "Outstanding in Their Fields: California's Women Farmers," a book published earlier this month by the University of California.
GOLD COAST BULLETIN
December 30, 2005
Sheepdog thinks she's an alpaca
by Daniel Meers
SHE is a dog who believes she is an alpaca and even the alpacas think she is is an alpaca - albeit a weird-looking one.
Meet Jazzabelle, a 10- year-old italian maremma sheepdog, who lives, plays and even looks after the star attractions at Canungra's Rosemount Alpaca Stud.
The playful dog spends her days breaking up fights between alpacas, laying by them when they are sick and watching out for any predators lurking in the hills.
Jazzabelle has lived at the stud since she was a puppy and is 'part of the furniture' in the alpaca paddocks and she couldn't be happier.
Tracey Gamble, who looks after the alpacas, is convinced the dog thinks of herself as one of the herd.
''She thinks she is an alpaca and they think she is a strange-looking one,''she said.
''Jazz is with the alpacas 24 hours a day, seven days a week . . . she pretty much looks after them.
''I think she gets on better with the alpacas than she does with people.''
It comes as no surprise that the dog fits in so well with the alpacas. Italian maremmas were bred to guard and muster cattle.
''They look after alpacas, sheep, cattle - pretty much anything you put them with. The only time she is interested in us is when it comes to dinner time.''
These days Jazzabelle has a few more alpacas to look after with the birth of some crias, or baby alpacas. The latest addition is Freda, who was born this month.
The new addition is known has the 'dancing queen' because her mother's name is Abba.
''She's very healthy and one of the brightest whites we've ever had,'' said Tracey.
November 2005
Alpacas wear profitable coat for Reno retirees, ranchers
Billings Gazette - MT, USA
November 4, 2005
Associated Press
RENO, Nev. - Webster is an aristocrat with dreadlocks. The auburn fleece that he carries is more rare than cashmere and slicker than silk.
In the world of luxury fibers, Webster is the hottest commodity today.
He's a baby alpaca and the newest member of R.T. Crowe's herd on the Bar C Ranch north of Reno.
The alpaca's fiber and sweet nature have sent retirees from Reno and dot-comers from California to cash out.
Alpaca farming has become big business and the trendy thing to do with one's life and 401(k).
More alpaca ranches have cropped up in the area near the Bar C in the past decade, with a few setting up in smaller lots in Reno. Alpaca ranching has appealed to former dairy and sheep farmers and couples who want to slow down in the country.
Some investors are seeing up to a 70 percent return.
Take the owners of the Lazy K Ranch, Ed and Kay Rodriguez. In 1999, the California couple moved to the area and set up their alpaca farm on a small lot.
“We were planning on retiring but didn't know what to do. Then, one day Kay brought me a magazine and said, ‘I want to do this,' ” said Rodriguez, who retired as an engineer from America Online. “She wanted to raise alpacas. So we did. We bought 17 acres, and that grew into 100. It's been great.”
ABC News
Mass Training Students to Care for Alpacas
With Alpaca Ownership on the Rise, UMass Tries to Meet Health Care Demand
By ADAM GORLICK
The Associated Press
HADLEY, Mass. Nov 20, 2005 — With mops of shaggy hair flopping in front of bulging, alien-like eyes that stare with a mix of curiosity and cluelessness, the latest newcomers to the University of Massachusetts seem like they'd be more at home in the make believe world of Dr. Seuss.
But the herd of alpacas wooly, long-necked natives of South America with a barely 20-year history in the United States are an increasingly popular sight in Massachusetts and on farms across the country.
The problem is that not too many people know how to care for them when they get sick or injured, which is why the creatures have made their way to the UMass animal farm in Hadley.
Thanks to a $500,000 gift from a Vermont family that breeds alpacas, the university has launched what it calls a first-of-its kind undergraduate program devoted to the study of camelids animals such as alpacas, camels and llamas that are a bit like horses, something like sheep and a little like cats.
"There are burning questions that need to be answered in terms of reproduction and immunology with alpacas," said Stephen Purdy, the program director. "If we can train classes of undergraduate students in alpaca care, we'll be able to supply a whole new breed of farm managers. These students will have no problems getting a job when they graduate."
Local Farms Raise Alpacas for Fuzzy Fleece
Julie Huck
WSAW - Wausau,WI,USA
11/21/05
Once a year they shear the alpacas, then they make the fleece into yarn. Finally they weave it into sweaters, mittens, and scarves. This weekend the farmers of
"EnchantedMeadows" and "Falcon Quest" hosted an open house to share information about these South American animals and their soft fleece products.
"It insulates better than wool. It's finer and softer; you can wear it right on your skin. You don't have to worry about the itchiness of wool," says Dan Emmerich, owner of EnchantedMeadows Alpaca Farm.
Online Retailer Reports Strong Demand for Alpaca Products
PR Web - Ferndale,WA,USA
E-Commerce vendor offers Quality Alpaca Products, Easy online shopping, and Excellent service to form winning combination and strong revenues.
Brentwood, CA (PRWEB) November 22, 2005 -- Alpaca Direct (www.alpacadirect.com), an online provider of Alpaca apparel and gifts, today announced strong sales for 2005 and continued growth expectations for 2006. Quality alpaca apparel is lightweight, soft as cashmere and warmer than wool. American shoppers are beginning to discover the many unique benefits of Alpaca clothing. This natural hollow-core fiber is lightweight and thermal regulating, making it a perfect fit for creating versatile sweaters, ponchos and socks that can be worn throughout the year. “The response has been phenomenal! When our clients discover alpaca, they become lifelong customers!” says, Kelley Hobart one of the founders of the Silicon Valley dot com venture. Alpaca apparel has been somewhat of a secret among Alpaca owners since most retailers have not offered natural fiber alpaca products due to its exclusiveness and limited availability.
Missourian News
November 25, 2005
Alpaca fans find soft, furry fleece almost irresistible
The humming creatures to be featured at fairgrounds show.
By KRISTEN JUMP
Attention, alpaca lovers: The first ever Mid-Missouri Alpaca Day will bring 12 local alpaca breeders and their herds to the Boone County Fairgrounds on Saturday.
Twenty to 35 alpacas will be on hand to be met, admired and possibly fed, and their owners will be ready to answer questions. Besides meeting the alpacas and their breeders, there will be alpaca fleece and fleece products, spinning demonstrations and a children’s area with stories, felting projects and alpaca-themed T-shirt making.
Not exactly sure what an alpaca is? The fluffy animals are members of the Camelid family, the same family as the llama, and hail from Peru, Bolivia and Chile. There are two types of alpacas: the Huacaya and the Suri. The Suri are the most rare, and their fleece feels almost like silk when made into yarn and used in projects. Both Huacaya and Suri fleece are incredibly soft and warm. Breeders estimate that alpaca fleece is three times as warm as wool. Breeders shear alpacas just once a year.
Alpacas stand about 36 inches tall and weigh between 150 and 200 pounds. They have a graceful, long S-shaped neck, a crop of curly fleece atop their heads and large bright, dark-colored eyes. Their fleece has 22 natural color variations. Babies, or crias, have fleece about an inch or so long; the adults’ coats grow to be around 3-inches long. They generally live to be 20 years old and give birth to just one baby a year. Alpacas do not have teeth or hooves, making them rather defenseless. They are known for their calm, curious, social and disease-resistant qualities, and they communicate with soft humming.
Alpacas first came to the United States in 1984 and are most popular in Colorado, Washington, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Oregon. Alpacas are still catching on in Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri. There are an estimated 60,000 alpacas in the United States, making them rare. The Licklider family, one of 12 mid-Missouri alpaca breeders, consider the animals an alternative livestock for farmers.
The New York Times
November 30, 2005 Wednesday
This Closer Can Clean Up Mets' Messes
By GEORGE VECSEY.
BILLY WAGNER raises alpacas. It is a restful hobby for a relief pitcher. These cousins of llamas are gentle souls that want nothing more than to graze peacefully.
Caring for 38 alpacas is a fine counterpoint to Wagner's main occupation, that of relief pitcher. The denizens of Shea Stadium are somewhat more vicious than the placid alpacas of Virginia, which donate their fleece to society, but then again, so were the inhabitants of Philadelphia, Wagner's last place of employment.
Even in Houston, a kinder, gentler place than New York or Philly, the fans could become surly toward a relief pitcher who let a game get away. Wagner has developed a sense of fatality about his strange vocation, refusing to blame the short fences of Houston and Philadelphia for the home runs he has given up in crucial moments.
''They would have been home runs anywhere,'' Wagner said yesterday, as he was introduced as the Mets' expensive new closer.
On his acreage west of Charlottesville, Wagner encourages his three children to help with the chores.
''I grew up with nothing,'' Wagner said yesterday. He added, ''Shoveling alpaca poop is good for 'em.''
October 2005
Green Bay Press-Gazette (Wisconsin)
Farms of a different breed
By Sean Schultz
Alpaca breeders take an alternative way to market.
First you hear a strange kind of humming, almost like that made by doves. It's the sound of a burgeoning new cash crop of critters in Northeastern Wisconsin: alpacas. Local breeders say the animals are gentle, funny and quiet. But the animals also have the potential to earn their owners lots of money. Alpacas are bred for their lustrous, weavable fleece, which can sell for $2 to $5 an ounce. Cathy Carter of Howard, Kelly Delwiche of Denmark and Vicki Trimberger of rural De Pere each caught what Carter says is "alpaca fever -- when you first get it, you're obsessed," she said. Carter and Delwiche have set up their separate alpaca businesses on a small parcel of his 15-acre property. Trimberger, with 55 of her own alpacas plus another 10 or so housed temporarily for breeding purposes, already outgrew one ranch. She moved in January to a larger barn facility and home built by her husband, Mike. As a busy parent and a former recruiter for a hotel chain, Trimberger said, "I'd always been looking for a business I could do that would get me out of the corporate world and be profitable. "This fit everything I wanted to do," she said. "They don't take a lot of space ... or time to take care of."
The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York)
Wooly? Yes. Bullies? Hardly. Farm showcases gentle alpacas.
By Fred A. Mohr
Kaitlynn Wetzel reached out and gently ran her hand through the newborn's curly reddish-brown hair. "It's so soft and warm," said Wetzel, 11, a sixth-grader at Leighton Elementary School in Oswego. Wetzel was one of several hundred children and adults who spent part of Sunday petting and learning about alpacas at Willow Creek Farm in Granby. Tim and Nancy J. Whittens and Tim's parents, William and Nancy Whittens, held their third annual open house to introduce the public to their 16 alpacas. The alpaca is a smaller South American relative of the llama. The Whittenses bought seven alpacas in 2001 after reading about them in a farm magazine. Their herd has since expanded to 16. "They're easy animals to take care of, and they're so soft and cuddly," said Nancy Whittens, Tim's wife. Unlike llamas, which have a reputation for spitting and other anti-social behavior, "alpacas are peaceful and nice to be around," she said. Alpaca fleece is highly prized for its lightweight warmth and softness, Whittens said. And, unlike wool, alpaca fleece contains no lanolin, which causes allergic reactions in some people. On Sunday, the big attractions were two crias (pronounced CREE-ahs), newborn alpacas, including Nyrobi, who at 1 week old was about the size of a poodle. Alpaca farming has taken off in recent years, with about 200 farms around the state, including Pulaski and Hannibal, said Tim Whitten. The Empire Alpaca Association, which began in 2002 with 16 members, has more than 150 members, according to the association's Web site.
Battle Creek Enquirer (Michigan)
Couple to host alpaca event
By Linda Jo Scott
OLIVET - When you think of Olivet, you think of college students. Or auto parts manufacturing. But there's another industry, just outside of town. It's called Higher Ground, but the owners don't deal with students, car parts or anything religious. They raise alpacas. Tom and Denise Sowles have been in the alpaca business for only about five years, but already they have a herd of 18 breeding females, eight young offspring and three award-winning herdsires. They regularly trade, buy and sell the animals. In addition, they maintain a shop where they sell alpaca products and breed, board and broker alpacas. The Sowles speak of raising alpacas with a passion similar to that of horse lovers. "We eat, drink and sleep alpacas," Denise Sowles said. "We find it peaceful and relaxing, very different from our careers in education and health care." To help other people learn about alpacas, and as an outgrowth of their friendship with other alpaca farmers, the Sowles are holding what they hope will be an annual alpaca event from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. Award-winning fiber artist Michelle Waling of Howell will be at Higher Ground to demonstrate spinning and fiber processing and will have her original products for sale. People will be able to tour Higher Ground and learn more about alpacas. In addition, maps will be provided for visits to the other four participating farms in Colon, Athens, Ceresco and Eckford. The Sowles also organized a secret-bid auction, at which they will offer an alpaca teddy bear and a 100 percent alpaca sweater.
The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News
What's that humming noise? It's the alpacas
By Deb Kiner
From her paddock and pasture on the hill, the 4-year-old alpaca, with her 11-month-old baby, Angel, watches a visitor for a very long time. Curiosity is one of the traits of the mild-tempered alpacas. They know when a stranger is on Michele and Curtis Schroepfer's property in Greenwood Township. Ginger and Angel are two of four alpacas the Schroepfers acquired in April when they formed Iron Mountain Alpacas. Moony is 5. Moony's 7-month-old baby, called a cria, is Kiss. The Schroepfers' interest in alpacas began with a television commercial about the native animals of the Andes Mountains. "We wanted to do something with animals for the kids' sake," Michele Schroepfer said. After visiting about a dozen alpaca farms around the state, the Schroepfers decided to buy their own. "It's an investment that you can hug and love," she said. "They are just so cute. They are just like big teddy bears." Alpacas are members of the camelid family. They resemble llamas but are smaller. Alpacas weigh from 120 to 150 pounds. Schroepfer said they are in high demand because the herd in the United States is very small. According to the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, alpacas were first imported to the United States in 1984. Today, there are 60,000 registered alpacas in the U.S. There are two types of alpacas. The Huacayas, which the Schroepfers raise, have a very dense fleece, providing the reference to teddy-bear alpacas. The Suri alpacas have long spiral fleece. The alpaca's fleece is warmer than wool and feels like cashmere, Schroepfer said. Their fleece also has no lanolin or guard hairs, the stuff that can make a wearer itchy or allergic. Alpaca fiber is also naturally fire retardant. Alpacas are shorn each spring. The Schroepfers send the fleece from their animals to Georgia where it is processed into yarn. That yarn, along with products made with alpaca fleece, such as sweaters, coats, scarves, mittens and teddy bears, will be sold in a shop they plan to open soon. Eventually the family would like to have a herd of 20 alpacas. She said they are easy to care for, inexpensive to feed and a lot of fun. "They are quirky. The crias run sideways and tilt their heads to the ground when they are playing. It's just how they play. They run back and forth and chase each other," Schroepfer said. The life span is 20 to 25 years. Females stop breeding around age 16. Since the animals have soft padded feet, no horns, no hooves and no top teeth, they show their anger by spitting at each other. But that only happens when they fight over food, and the animals don't spit at humans. When they fight, Schroepfer said, "they pout. Their lips hang down. They can't eat or drink until they are done being mad. It's the funniest thing."
The Navasota Examiner & Grimes County Review (Texas)
Camelids - Up Close And Personal
Alpacas, silky fleece-bearing members of the camelid family, were cherished by ancient Incans and played a central role in their revered civilization - much like the buffalo's importance to Native American tribes. Clothing made from alpaca fiber was the exclusive garb of Incan royalty; one touch and people understand why such a luxurious fiber was off-limits to anyone outside the royal family. While alpacas are indigenous to the high Andean Plateau and mountains of South America, today they are raised worldwide. In fact, Navasota has the largest concentration of alpaca herds in Texas. Shorn annually, the alpaca's extraordinary fiber has become a staple in high fashion lines of European and American designers but alpaca garments are no longer the exclusive domain of the wealthy. Clothing made with alpaca fibers have recently been featured by Ralph Lauren and in Land's End catalog.
The Associated Press State & Local Wire (Hadley, Mass.)
With Alpaca ownership up, UMass tries to meet health care needs
By Adam Gorlick
With mops of shaggy hair flopping in front of bulging, alien-like eyes that stare with a mix of curiosity and cluelessness, the latest newcomers to the University of Massachusetts seem like they'd be more at home in the make believe world of Dr. Seuss. But the herd of alpacas - wooly, long-necked natives of South America with a barely 20-year history in the United States - are an increasingly popular sight in Massachusetts and on farms across the country. The problem is that not too many people know how to care for them when they get sick or injured, which is why the creatures have made their way to the UMass animal farm in Hadley. Thanks to a $500,000 gift from a Vermont family that breeds alpacas, the university has launched what it calls a first-of-its kind undergraduate program devoted to the study of camelids - animals such as alpacas, camels and llamas that are a bit like horses, something like sheep and a little like cats. "There are burning questions that need to be answered in terms of reproduction and immunology with alpacas," said Stephen Purdy, director of the new UMass program. "If we can train classes of undergraduate students in alpaca care, we'll be able to supply a whole new breed of farm managers. These students will have no problems getting a job when they graduate."
September 2005
Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio)
Pack bags for a tour of alpacas; Pronking camelids' charms appeal to growing numbers
There's nothing like a field of pronking alpacas to smooth out the wrinkles in your day. Pronking is one of the mysteries of alpaca life, an urge that takes hold at sundown. Taking a cue from the angle of the great orb as it slides into the horizon, the creatures bounce on their spring-loaded legs, traveling in huge loops around the pasture. It's a sweet vision for husband-and-wife team Don and Carolyn Marquette, owners of the 12-acre AlpacaRosa Farm in Mogadore, one mile from Hartville, home to 40 of these gorgeous camelids -- ruminant mammals of Peru. The Marquettes are throwing open their gates today and Sunday in celebration of the Great Ohio Alpaca Tour, an annual event designed to introduce the charms of alpaca breeding to people seeking new directions, and there are many. Ohio is the No. 1 alpaca farming state in the nation, according to Cindy Berman, spokesperson for the Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association. Its 4,000-plus membership represents more than 60,000 registered, purebred alpacas. Alpacas are the smaller cousins of llamas at about half their size, weighing 140 to 180 pounds. They are sweet, even personable and very gentle, appropriate for family farming and are desired for their fiber.
Baker City Herald (Oregon)
Alpaca raisers consider their animals to be "livestock" rather than exotic breeds, Dennis Teskey said.
By LISA BRITTON
Alpacas are members of the camel family and look like a smaller version of llamas. They originated in South America and Teskey said there are about 100,000 animals in the United States today. The Teskeys bought their first alpacas about three years ago. "That was my husband's idea," Darlene Teskey said with a laugh. "I looked at them for quite some time, and I hadn't raised animals other than dogs before," Dennis Teskey said. "It's a change of lifestyle from work - less stressful and more fun," he said. The Teskeys own Gray's West & Company Pioneer Chapel in Baker City. These days they have 15 alpacas, plus one on the way. Increasing an alpaca herd takes some time due to their gestation period of 11 months. "It's a slow process, but they'll live for 20 years," he said. Alpacas produce six to eight inches of fleece in a year and can yield six to 12 pounds of fiber at the yearly shearing. These animals come in more than 20 different colors from white to black and every shade in between. "You never know what you're going to get," Dennis Teskey said.
Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico)
WOOLLY WONDERS; Alpacas can be confused with llamas, but have their own charms
By REBECCA ROYBAL JONES
While pigs oink, sheep baa and cows go moo, alpacas hmmm. And for those who haven't seen an alpaca before, be warned: They are cute. Alpacas, native to South America, come in two breeds: the suris, which sport dreadlock-y fleece with tufts of bangs sprouting on the tops of their heads; and the huacayas, which wear fluffy hairdos. Both are bred for their valuable and silky soft fleece. For the third year, alpacas from around New Mexico and neighboring states will show off their fluffy stuff at the New Mexico State Fair on Sept. 24-25. Last year, about 125 alpacas were on hand. "These are the most lovely animals," says Amanda Evans, owner of Sagebrush Alpacas on the northern edge of Santa Fe. She is the president of the New Mexico Alpaca Breeders Association, the organization sponsoring the State Fair show.
Spokesman Review (Spokane, WA)
A real lifestyle change; No more 9-5; now it's 24-7 with alpacas;
By Shannon Amidon
When Craig and Rochelle Fairfield moved just south of Coeur d'Alene and started their farm, Mica Glen Alpacas, their grown children were very surprised. "We moved here from Denver, and my wife is originally from L.A., so this was a lifestyle change for us," said Craig Fairfield. "This is our third year with alpacas. We just decided to build a barn and raise some interesting animals. We thought this would be a good way to enjoy our country lifestyle. There are so few alpacas in North America, and here we are, sort of pioneers trying to develop the growth of the herd and working to get mills to accept this fiber." And the Fairfields are not alone. "Alpaca farming is becoming more popular," said Carrie Hull, coordinator for the Northwest Alpaca Showcase which begins on Friday. "More and more people choose alpaca farming because of the lifestyle. A lot of people are leaving the corporate world and their 9-5 jobs for this. They enjoy being outside, caring for the animals and they also benefit from the therapy of owning the animals themselves." She added that alpacas are one of the few farm animals who don't have to be killed in order for the industry to be sustainable. Hull points out that alpaca farming offers "vertical integration. Owners can care for animals, produce or sell products from a farm store" while using their personal expertise and background.
The Cincinnati Enquirer (Ohio)
Loveable livestock pay off
By John Eckberg
Alpacas a boon for 'porch swing' farmers
OWENSVILLE - Thanks to a dozen gentle but skittish alpacas that scoot, skip and graze through their days, a cottage garment industry is growing on the 33 Clermont County acres that make up the Farm at Brushy Fork. Every spring these perky animals, which were first bred in South America 6,000 years ago, are shorn so the resulting fiber can be spun into a yarn, which is in turn knitted into shawls, hats, gloves and socks by owner Frances Johnson. Her farm and five others are offering a tour Sunday to showcase yearlings, breeder alpacas, spinning and knitting demonstrations and farm business models. Through breeding her herd and selling them, as well as boarding for other owners, Johnson already has paid off her initial investment. These animals, which live in three-sided sheds and spend their days grazing on native grasses, are full of personality. At feeding time they cavort and mew, then bump and kick to get the best bowl. Alpacas gaze at anything new in their pen, like a visitor, with brown eyes the size of golf balls. They crane their necks like people, and the unaware visitor might catch an alpaca sniffing at an elbow before it disdainfully scoots away in mock alarm. "I tell people that an alpaca is like a cat - very smart, curious and affectionate, but it's always on their own terms," said Johnson, 54, who started raising the animals four years ago.
August 2005
The Santa Fe New Mexican (New Mexico)
Down the Street: Woman Loves the Magic of Alpacas
by: Julia Bell
When I called Julia Berry, owner of the White Stone Farm, she told me that she was expecting a child soon and would be available any time. I was expecting an alpaca farmer with a very pregnant glow, but I was surprised. "Oh, I did it again, didn't I?" Berry said. "One of my alpacas is expecting and I am on cria watch. A cria is a baby alpaca and Canberra is due any day now. I am so caught up in this event that sometimes I forget that I often sound like I am pregnant." For Berry, 59, the birth of a cria is an incomparable, magical event. Alpaca mothers are called dams and the baby gestates for 11 months and upon birth, it starts walking immediately. "Alpaca fathers are called herd sires and protect the whole herd," Berry said. "If they sense danger, they will make a sound like a bugle. "Alpacas have a charming and magical effect on adults and children," she said. "What I noticed most is that adults have this enchanting way of morphing into children when they visit the farm. I think this is because alpacas are such unique-looking animals that communicate with a soothing humming noise. They are actually very timid and don't get too close to people unless you have a handful of food."
The Bellingham Herald (Washington)
4-H club gets insights on alpacas;
By Linda Kendall Scott
Camelot Ranch assists the 14 club members Alpacas are cute, and 4-H leader Carol Boswell says they are also gentle and seem to like kids. Boswell and her husband, Les, moved to Custer from the San Francisco Bay area in 2001. In addition to regular jobs - she's a registered nurse and he works in construction - the couple started Camelot Ranch with four alpacas. They now have 12 alpacas that they breed and sell and show nationally. They also process the fiber for knitters and spinners. When Boswell first attended the Northwest Washington Fair four years ago, she noticed there wasn't an alpaca 4-H club, so she started Alpaca Tracks. The club now has 14 members. This will be members' third year showing alpacas at the fair.
Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
Farm tour highlights state packed with alpacas
By Carl Matzelle
Grafton - Brenda Masten was thinking about her future in 2002. Both of her parents had died recently. Her children were grown and on their own. She found a new direction right down the road from her house at an alpaca farm. She started out buying five alpacas. Now, Masten, 45, runs Alpacas of Sweet Creek in Grafton. She owns nine alpacas and boards eight others. She also breeds them and works as an alpaca midwife. "One look and I was sold," Masten said. "They're very gentle, extremely curious, each with a unique personality."
July 2005
The Detroit News
Alpaca farm provides owners shear delights; Iosco Township residents are smitten with gentle, llama-like beasts -- and their wool.
By Judith Cookis Rubens
The growing alpaca business is considered a smart investment because the domestic supply is limited. Offspring, therefore, are in high demand by the more than 4,000 alpaca farmers in the U.S. More than 140 of those farms are located in Michigan. The Laitys, both in their early 50s, tested the market by buying two gelded, or neutered, males. They wanted to be sure they could handle the large animals, the upkeep, the feeding. But after one full season, the couple bought more. Their well-mannered, colorful herd -- now numbering close to 20, including babies -- often socializes with children at local parades and festivals. "They're gentle. They will sniff at you and play kissy-face," Affleck-Laity said. Jerry Miller, spokesman for the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, said alpacas are easier on the land and demand less food than other livestock. This makes them attractive to novice breeders or those in it part time.
The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York)
Take a Peek at Alpacas at Erie Canal Celebration; Farm Owner Will bring A Couple of Animals, Finished Products and Some Yarn.
By Dick Clarke
Chris Gilman said raising alpacas is simple: Know your animals. One of Gilman's missions within the industry is to acquaint the general public with the bushy, cartoon-like animals. The public will get a chance to see some of her animals first-hand Saturday when they make an appearance at Jordan's Erie Canal celebration. "The animals are all so different, so unique," said Gilman, of Riverside Alpacas on River Road in the town of Elbridge. "They are so stoic, you can't tell when they are hurting." It's particularly important this time of year when the females are delivering babies. "We bought our first male from a farm in Rome," Gilman said. "She told us about when we bought our first female (which came from Ohio). ""How do you know when they're in labor?' she asked, answering, "You have to know your girls,"' Gilman said
June 2005
Salt Lake Tribune
Well-groomed, too; With roots in the Andes, alpacas like the Rockies; Alpacas take to the Rockies
By Rosemary Winters
Don't call them llamas. Alpacas are smaller, gentler and much more enjoyable to raise than their genetic cousins, says Bluffdale alpaca farmer Dan Merrill. "People have a big misconception of what they are," he says. "They are completely different than llamas." Merrill, owner of Wasatch Moon Alpacas, is at the South Towne Exposition Center this weekend for the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association's (AOBA) annual conference. Nationally, the organization has more than 4,000 members, including about 30 alpaca farmers in Utah. This is the first time Utah has hosted the convention. It's a chance for Merrill to show off his Suri alpacas, meet potential buyers and clear up any questions about the Camelid family, which includes camels, vicunas, llamas and alpacas. Domesticated by the Incas in South America more than 5,000 years ago, alpacas were not imported to the United States until 1984. There are two types: Suri alpacas have long, silky hair that bunches into dreadlocks; Huacaya alpacas have short, crimpy hair that gives them a fluffy look. Today, there are more than 60,000 registered alpacas in the country, according to the AOBA.
Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)
Alpacas pack 'em in
By Elaine Jarvik
SANDY -- They are, apparently, the perfect animal: unflappable, intelligent, polite, and, as one brochure says, they have "highly efficient digestive systems." On top of that, their fleece is as soft as cotton candy and they're cute, sort of a cross between a llama and a teddy bear. "We're such a young business and a unique business." DeGroot, along with his wife Sylvia, owns Double Dutch Farms in Odell, Ore., one of 282 alpaca farms represented at the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association's National Show, which runs through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The show is all alpaca all the time, including alpaca fleece judging, alpaca obstacle course, alpaca auction, and 88 booths selling alpaca scarves, hats, ponchos and jewelry shaped like alpacas. All events are free and open to the public. Some 65,000 square feet of sod have been laid down in the expo center for the show's 1,016 alpacas, who stand calmly in their pens, softly humming, some of them cooling off their thick fleece in front of floor fans. On the Huacya breed the fleece is fuzzy; on the Suri breed it looks something like dreadlocks. Alpacas resemble llamas but are shorter and weigh about 200 pounds less. They also are less likely to spit, says Heather Arenas, who owns the Long Skinny Ranch in Wiggins, Colo. And alpaca fleece is finer than llama fleece, so it's better for clothing that touches the skin, she says.
The Ledger Independent
Alpacas: South American animals now calling Bracken County farm home
By WENDY MITCHELL
Arrival of a newborn can be stressful - even more so when the future of your business hinges on it. Farmers Jim and Deborah Baird spent the last few years getting their Bracken County farm ready to accommodate a small herd of the Peruvian bundles of fleece called alpacas. Dilapidated barns were salvaged and converted into a compact setting that affords the Bairds a view of their fleeced charges and an efficient flow of fencing and gates that allows them to quickly move them to safety in a storm or from the coyotes they hear in the hills surrounding the farm. Getting to a point where the herd was large enough to begin to be profitable, yet small enough to manage on their own, meant a decision for the Bairds. "It takes 60 to 100 or more alpacas to have a herd large enough to be a fiber herd (a herd that is raised just for its fleece); we wanted a herd we could afford and manage on our own, so we decided to have a breeding stock herd," said Deborah Baird. Doing the work themselves also means giving inoculations and assisting with the birthing process. Experience with horses helped prepare Baird for that. The Bairds have been anxiously anticipating the birth of three more baby alpacas.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Alpaca farmers find shear enjoyment
By Mary Delach Leonard
It all made for an unlikely scene in the Midwest, where pastures are usually grazed by familiar-looking cows and horses, not these adorably exotic creatures that look like a cross between a Teddy bear, a giraffe and a camel, topped with perky ears and big, brown E.T.-like eyes. Alpaca breeders will tell you that spending time with these gentle animals is good for the soul. Each alpaca produces up to 10 pounds of cashmere-soft fleece in a year - and who knows how many human smiles. "You can really be troubled by something, and you come out here and it's gone," said JoAnn Flegel, who owns and runs Dos Donas with her daughter, Kristina. Nearly 70 farms - about half of them in Missouri and Illinois - belong to the Midwest Alpaca Breeders and Owners Association, whose members share information on such diverse issues as birthing and tax-deferred wealth building.
May 2005
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)
A soft life on the farm Alpacas produce smiles and wispy fleece
Mary Delach Leonard
Hummmmmmmm.
Cupid curiously eyed the visitors to her spring-green pasture at the Dos Donas Alpaca Farm in north St. Louis County on a recent May morning. She stretched out her fuzzy neck and took a warm, wet sniff of a human ear and then bounded back to the safety of the herd where most of her pals contentedly munched on tender grass, still moist with morning dew. Except for Porchia. She was butting into this alpaca and that one, causing comical collisions of long necks and fleece. At times, someone in the group would break into a low hum. It all made for an unlikely scene in the Midwest, where pastures are usually grazed by familiar-looking cows and horses, not these adorably exotic creatures that look like a cross between a teddy bear, a giraffe and a camel, topped with perky ears and big, brown E.T.-like eyes.
Hummmmmmmm.
Alpaca breeders will tell you that spending time with these gentle animals is good for the soul. Each alpaca produces up to 10 pounds of cashmere-soft fleece in a year -- and who knows how many human smiles.
Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)
Utah pair love alpaca ranching
Carrie A. Moore
Five years ago, Carla Llewellyn and her husband were living in Murray and looking to buy a condo in downtown Salt Lake City. The Murray residents figured downtown real estate would be a good investment, particularly with the 2002 Winter Olympics in the offing. But something unusual happened to the couple. They heard about an investment opportunity that offered moneymaking potential by owning and raising rare animals. The more they learned and read about raising alpacas -- native South American animals that resemble llamas -- the more appealing the idea became. Though neither of them had any agricultural background and both were government employees, they were taken with the prospect of raising and breeding the animals. "Within a year we had sold our home in Murray and purchased a six-acre ranch in Summit County," which is now home to 14 Suri alpacas, three of which are expected to give birth this year.
Western Morning News (Plymouth)
Alpacas prove popular with young and old
Peter Fish
Some of the more unusual animals at this year's Devon County Show also proved to be among the most popular with visitors. While goats, pigs, sheep and cows are expected to be found at an agricultural show, it was the small collection of alpacas which captured the imagination of young and old alike. The animals - related to the llama and native to Peru, South America, are part of the herd at Hayne Barton, owned by Paul and Teresa Cullen.
Sunset
Gotta getta alpaca; WESTERN WANDERINGS
Peter Fish
If alpacas have not been on your radar screen, here is a primer. The alpaca is a smaller relative of the llama, from South America's Andes Mountains. There are two alpaca breeds: the huacaya, with thick fleece and a teddy-bear face; and the suri, which resembles a walking shag carpet. Until the 1980s, there were no alpacas in the United States outside of zoos. Today the U.S. alpaca population runs in the tens of thousands. And if there is one part of the nation that--in terms of numbers of animals and ranches--seems particularly welcoming to the animal, it is Oregon, where alpacas are becoming as ubiquitous as Pinot Noir grapes.
The Denver Post
Herd of alpacas? Ranchers from Mora, N.M., sure have
Cynthia Pasquale
When a friend from Australia mentioned that many people there were switching from sheep ranching to alpacas, the Weisners looked into the prospect. In 1992, the couple imported 10 of the animals from Chile and Peru. Now the herd has grown to more than 200 and the couple's retirement oasis is one of the biggest alpaca ranches in the southwest. Members of the camel family, alpacas live mainly in the South American Andes. Alpacas first were brought to the United States in 1984, and since, the number that are boarded and bred in the country has increased yearly to more than 60,000 registered. Alpacas produce fiber that is soft as cashmere, but less expensive. It's lighter than wool and contains no lanolin to exacerbate allergies. Animals are bred for color - about 22 of them - a boon to weavers and knitters who either want to dye their own yarn, or who prefer the natural look.
April 2005
Monterey County Herald
Look, but don't 'pronk' at alpaca event in Monterey
Kevin Howe
Alpacas are raised for their soft fleece prized by clothiers for sweaters, hats, shirts, socks and mittens. "Pronk" refers to when an alpaca leaps into the air, a movement associated with play. Alpacas are members of the camel family and move with a graceful, upright carriage, padding silently on cushioned feet similar to a dog's paws. Norm Andresen said alpacas are "very easy keepers, easy on fences. They trailer quite well; they just lie down." Because alpacas don't have upper teeth just a bony upper plate they don't destroy pasture by stripping it up by the roots, he said, or crib on gates and fences.
The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York)
Breeding Success; Alpaca Farm In Elbridge Snaps Up Top Honor
Dick Clarke
Chris Gilman insists her alpacas are not pets. "They are livestock," Gilman said. "They are herd animals. They like to be together." But then you watch her for a few minutes. She calls them by name, asks them how they are doing and then offers some affectionate hugs and pats. She refers to them lovingly as boys and girls. Pets? Maybe not. Part of the family? Possibly. "You fall in love with them," she said, while giving a tour of the Riverside Alpacas farm on 71/2 acres along the Seneca River in the town of Elbridge. The alpaca farm recently won a top national honor - the Golden Circle Award - from the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association. The award is given for diversifying within the industry, said association publicist Jerry Miller. "Some only breed the animals, some focus on the fashion end," Miller said. "Chris won for expanding her breeding business to include both."
South Bend Tribune (Indiana)
Alpacas come for a lesson; 4-Hers meet exotic animals in veterinary science class
Lisa Kochanowski
How much does a mature alpaca weigh? Do alpacas live more than five years? These questions -- along with their answers (110 to 170 pounds and 15 to 20 years) -- were among the many things youngsters learned in a recent 4-H veterinary program. The nine-week course included more than 90 children ages 10 through 18. They were divided into three groups -- beginners, second-year students and advanced learners. "Our goal is to introduce kids to veterinary medicine," said Pam Mahlie, the registered veterinary technician at Western Veterinary Clinic who oversees the program. Jennifer Beck, of South Bend, brought three alpacas to a recent meeting. "People love the garments (made by alpaca hair) because they're nice and warm but they breathe," Beck said. She brought socks and scarves made of alpaca for them to touch and feel compared to the animal itself. When asked if they are stupid animals, Beck replied they are highly intelligent. "They're like cats, highly intelligent, but you have to watch their personality," she said. Alpacas generally do not like to be touched or crowded and have very strong personalities that dictate their behavior.
Seattle Times
Curiosity about alpacas is growing, and so is the industry
Sherry Stripling
With a shock of topknot hair, excellent posture and a face right out of "Whoville," alpacas are sprouting up in the Pacific Northwest, with more on the way: The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association had 435 inquiries for purchasing animals in Washington state last year. Alpacas, known for their cashmere-like fleece, were first imported to this country in 1984, other than those placed in zoos. But it's only in the past decade that their growth has looked like the return trip on a bungee jump: Membership in the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association increased from 626 in 1994 to 4,188 last year. There are 61,879 alpacas registered with The Alpaca Registry in the United States and 6,578 registered in Washington state, the second-highest number in the country. The biggest farm in North America, Alpacas of America, is in Tenino, Wash; with more than 1,600, it skews Washington's numbers, since most farms have fewer than 20 animals on just a couple of acres.
The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington)
Fleecy friends; Alpaca lovers celebrate the animals at the annual Alpacapalooza. Owners say alpacas are easy to care for
Daniel Thigpen
(Nora) Weisenhorn's Alegre Alpacas exhibit was one of dozens from across the Northwest featured this past weekend at the seventh annual Alpacapalooza at the Western Washington Fairgrounds. The event, organized by the Alpaca Association of Western Washington, was a chance for breeders to showcase their finest specimens and for other alpaca lovers to catch a glimpse of their favorite long-necked mammals trotting daintily about with complacent stares on their faces. Alpacas were first imported from the Andes Mountains of South America into the United States in 1984. Related to camels, they were domesticated long ago for their coveted, cashmere-soft fleece.
March 2005
Des Moines Register
You're fooled if you think you're looking at llamas
Jessica Graham
Bob Blodgett's herd of animals on the outskirts of Newton may look like llamas, but they're not even related to llamas. "People that see them from a distance will say, 'They've probably got llamas,' because they're used to llamas," he said. Blodgett, 56, and his alpaca herd moved to Newton from Nebraska in June 2004. Blodgett said they moved because his wife, Vicky, got a job as a nurse anesthetist at the Skiff Medical Center. "They're all over the country; there are over 3,000 alpaca breeders in the United States," he said. Blodgett said alpacas can adapt about anywhere. If they're living in a warm state, breeders typically keep their fleece sheared, and if they're living in a cold state their fleece is allowed to grow. Iowa, Blodgett said, is home to about 16 alpaca farms. "They're real easy keepers," he said.
The number of U.S. alpaca breeders has doubled since 2001, said Jerry Miller, partner, Brown & Miller Inc., an advertising, marketing and public relations firm. The first alpacas came to the U.S. in 1984 and there are now 4,000 breeders. "After 9/11," Miller said, "we had a huge upsurge of people inquiring about alpaca and starting farms." The interest came from people who wanted to move from cities to the country, and had learned that alpacas are gentle and easy to raise, he explained. There are currently about 2,000 farm stores in the U.S. "It's in its infancy," Miller said.
Daily News Record
Shedding Its Image; At Atlanta Convention, America's Fast-Growing Alpaca Industry Gets Ready To Go Commercial
Brenda Lloyd
ATLANTA -- Is alpaca the next hot luxury fiber?
Poised to shed their cottage industry connotations, some 40 alpaca breeders, fiber processors and garment makers gathered at the downtown Atlanta Hilton last month to exhibit at the AOBA (Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association)/ARI (Alpaca Registry Inc.) Fiber to Fashion Conference: "Alpaca: Natural Luxury at Its Finest." The five-day event also included seminars, a shopping extravaganza open to the public on Saturday, Feb. 26, and a live fashion show that highlighted golfwear, men's and women's casual and corporate apparel, children's apparel and -- yes -- alpaca evening gowns.
The number of U.S. alpaca breeders has doubled since 2001, said Jerry Miller, partner, Brown & Miller Inc., an advertising, marketing and public relations firm. The first alpacas came to the U.S. in 1984 and there are now 4,000 breeders. "After 9/11," Miller said, "we had a huge upsurge of people inquiring about alpaca and starting farms." The interest came from people who wanted to move from cities to the country, and had learned that alpacas are gentle and easy to raise, he explained. There are currently about 2,000 farm stores in the U.S. "It's in its infancy," Miller said.
The Tennessean
O'More student receives honorable mention
O'More College of Design fashion design and merchandising senior Diane Finley received honorable mention in the Fashion Design division of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA) Student Design Competition. AOBA invited more than 200 design schools in the United States and Canada to compete. This competition requires that students use exclusively alpaca fiber. Alpaca is a fiber being both rare and fine. This all-natural fiber is as light but warmer than wool. When asked about alpaca's uniqueness, Finley said, "What I like about alpaca is that it's very easy to manipulate. I'd like to work with alpaca again."
The Arizona Republic
Alpacas' Soft Fleece Winning Fans In Ariz.
Maggie Galehouse
One-third the size of llamas, with cashmere-soft fleece and bodies that look startlingly Dr. Seussian, alpacas have arrived in Arizona. On Saturday and Sunday, nearly 400 hoofed it to Rawhide Western Town, where breeders from this half of the nation gathered for the Southwest Regional Alpaca Show. Across Arizona, the number of breeders is climbing, with more than 50 members in the aptly named group Alpaca Breeders of Arizona. All about alpacas: Weight: Grown males average 150-200 pounds, females 130-170 pounds. Height: Adults reach 36-40 inches at the shoulder. Breeds: Huacaya and Suri, the latter growing fleece that hangs in clumps like a Rastafarian's hair. Life span: Up to 20 years. Important fact: Alpacas are herd animals, so they like company. You cannot have just one alpaca. Alpaca news: In February, an Idaho breeder sold a top male at a Phoenix auction for $580,000.
Courier-Post
Alpacas Cultivate Serenity, Profits
Matt Katz
Alpacas remain a good investment partially because they are a rare commodity in America. One alpaca female gives birth to only one cria, or baby, every 11 months. And in New Jersey, where property taxes are the bane of everyone's existence, alpaca owners enjoy a farmland assessment. Plus, prior farming experience is not needed. Caring for a small herd can take as little as 30 minutes a day. And whereas horses need one acre each, 10 alpacas require only one acre. They mostly eat hay, and they're clean. Weisband said they even go eliminate their wastes in the same place every day.
February 2005
Acreage the magazine for rural living
Alpacas From Fiber to Fashion in 2005
"Alpaca: Natural Luxury at its Finest," will be the theme of this year's annual Fashion to Fiber Conference, co-sponsored by the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA) and the Alpaca Registry, Inc (ARI) is coming up Feb. 23-27. This year's event will be held in Atlanta, where organizers expect an even larger crowd than last year's 1,000 alpaca enthusiasts. The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association and the Alpaca Registry, Inc. want to let you inside the versatile world of alpacas. These beautiful, intelligent and curious creatures can offer a relaxing and rewarding lifestyle or provide another opportunity for a business venture on your acreage.
Iowa Farmer Today
Alpacas Appeal to Couple's Rural Side
Alpacas are a gentle animal. They're relatively easy to handle, compared to some other kind of livestock, due to their size. Originally from South America, the United States first commercially imported alpacas in 1984. Alpacas need plenty of fresh water and only a small bucket of hay daily. They don't require a lot of land - 15 alpacas can be pastured on 15 acres. In Iowa, there are 25 AOBA breeders. National numbers also have increased. There are over 55,000 registered alpacas in North America and more than 4,000 members of the AOBA.
The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario)
Escape to Alpaca-trazz; Warm Fuzzies
Colin Hunter
Alpacas are part of the camelid family native to South American mountains, and were revered as national treasures by the Incas for their lustrous, crimped wool. Now 47, (Dianne) Kirk-Benincasa is adjusting happily to the slower pace of life that alpaca ranching affords her. Alpacas are extremely low-maintenance animals. "Once the chores are done," she says, "there's not much to do but sit on the porch, sip a glass of lemonade and watch them. They're very soothing to be around." The alpaca business is different, Kirk-Benincasa insists. The animals breed slowly -- just one baby a year -- and imports from South America have been stopped. Most of Canada's 15,000 alpacas live on farms out west, so Kirk-Benincasa isn't concerned about competition.
The Santa Fe New Mexican (New Mexico)
Alpaca Country
Brandon Garcia
Alpacas were bred for their fleece for more than 2,000 years, unlike their llama and camel cousins which were bred for packing. Alpaca fleece, said Evans, is warmer than wool and, due to their scarceness, worth more to ranchers. The fleece is so valuable, she said, alpacas might be the only livestock in which it's not economical to kill the males. Many sheep-producing countries, said Evans, are considering switching to alpacas because they are more friendly to the environment than sheep. Alpacas only eat the top of grasses and don't compact the soil as much. The major drawback is, with each pregnancy, alpacas only birth a single cria, so replacing millions of sheep will take time.
January 2005
Western Farm, Ranch & Dairy Magazine
How to Begin Your Alpaca Business Successfully
Alpaca farming is a growing industry. It's easy to see why. The animals are gentle in nature, require minimal land, and can provide the potential for profit. Educate yourself and take advantage of the many alpaca resources available. Your alpaca business will benefit immensely. Join the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA). Be amongst the warmest and welcoming community of more than 4,000, with members in all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.
Chicago Tribune
'The Alpaca Thing'; Amid Subdivisions and Shopping Malls, A Dupage Family Has Turned its Backyard Into A Barnyard
Kevin Mckeough
Raising alpacas is a small but growing business--about 60,000 of the animals, which are related to llamas and native to Peru, are raised by some 4,200 farmers in the United States--but very few of them, if any, are found in suburban backyards. Half a dozen or so alpaca farms are in the Chicago area, mostly near outlying areas such as Wayne and Woodstock. Although the animals eventually will be raised for their fleece, breeding currently is the focus of the fledgling U.S. alpaca industry. Importing alpacas has been banned due to fears of hoof and mouth disease, so the domestic supply is limited. That makes new offspring in high demand by the growing number of people attracted to alpaca farming as both an investment and a lifestyle change. Alpacas have a one-year gestation period, and three weeks after they give birth they're able to breed again.
The Capital (Annapolis, MD)
Business Bulletin:
When Maryland first lady Kendel Ehrlich attended the presidential inauguration Thursday, she was sporting some of Annapolis' own. She wore a Suri Alpaca cape from Alpaca International, according to owners Zia Boccaccio and Pete Cotgreave.
The Lebanon Daily News (Pennsylvania)
Farm show opens with ribbon victory
Sandi Lynn Brown
Darwin Kell, a member of the (Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association) and owner of Bent Pine Alpaca Farm in Carlisle, said the association attended the show to educate visitors on the animal and to help promote the industry. Kell said alpacas are not to be confused with their much larger cousin, the llama. Both are part of the camel family, but the 400-pound llama is a pack animal, while the 150-pound alpaca is raised for its fibers only. The llama is also used as a guard from predators such as coyotes and fox. Kell said he himself owns a llama to protect his herd of 11 alpacas.
Charleston Daily Mail (West Virginia)
Old MacDonald had an ... alpaca?
Cheryl Caswell
Old MacDonald had an ... alpaca?, Putnam County couple hoping to turn small herd of llama-like animals into a thriving enterprise. There's simply no verse in the song "Old MacDonald" for what Linda and T.J. Meadows have on their Putnam County ridge top farm. Behind the fence, munching happily on hay and grass is a small herd of alpacas, llama-like animals native to Peru, Bolivia and Chile. The four females and two males are the beginning of what the couple hope will be a thriving enterprise. The animals are easy to care for. They eat less than horses or cows and are easier on pastures and fencing. And they are adaptable to different climates - they don't seem to mind the cold, rain or snow. Alpacas are shorn annually, and their thick fleece is used to make yarn and fabrics that are especially soft, warm and durable.
