[Alpacasite] Getting More People into the Alpaca Industry

I know this will not be a popular view, but I want to add a cautionary about the need to bring increasing numbers of people into the industry. We have to be very careful in our marketing not to "oversell" our industry. There are many people who would be interested in owning/breeding alpacas but who are not really suited for the job, whether by temperament, economic situation, family issues, etc. but who could easily be sold alpacas. These are the people who will definitely go under! Talk about the statistics for divorce -- imagine if one spouse were sold into the industry and the other was hesitant/skeptical or worse, outright opposed. It sets up a situation where divorce, and probably the dissolution of the herd, inevitable. Also those with very restricted economic resources; we need to be very honest and upfront about the expenses of being in this industry, and the willingness of an owner to "go hungry," if necessary, for the benefit of his/her herd. Long-time farmers are
aware of the need to put the needs of their business before their own; very few new alpaca owners are long-time farmers (although I see that changing in some regions). Let's be very cautious about how we go about bringing new people into the business, and not let our own need to make a sale drive another person into something he/she is not, in the long run, suited for. Please!

Judith Korff
LadySong Farm
2473 Bunker Hill Rd.
P.O. Box 33
Steamburg, NY 14783
(716) 354-6355
A Holistic Management Farm
Conducting a Symphony of Quality, Value and Customer Care

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