Re: [Alpacasite] Getting More People into the Alpaca Industry

Hi Judith et al,
I follow this thread with interest as it has been one of my
long-time concerns. Our marketing committee does a really good job
of getting people interested in alpacas--and there has in the past
been some discussion in the committee about the problems that may
result. However, marketing is primarily concerned with marketing
(duh....) so the responsibility for education and "pre-qualifying"
buyers falls mostly to individual breeders. Deb Hill and the
Education committee are doing their best and the handbook is, I
gather, almost ready for publication. It will be a tremendous help
for breeders who need to educate new buyers.

All that said, I have one more comment regarding getting new
people into the industry. I think in two cases in the last few
months we have had new people enter this list and refer to being
interested in the "alpaca lifestyle". That's a marketing phrase ( or
was).

I hope the breeders that they visit will be forthright with
them and clear about the requirements of being owners of alpacas. It
is a rigorous responsibility you take on when you purchase or breed
animals who are completely dependent upon you for everything. It's
not something that you can do when you feel like it or decide, well,
I don't feel like going to the pasture today, I'd rather go shopping
(or whatever). Just like the farmer with the cow who needs to be
milked regularly, our animals need to be fed and cleaned
regularly.....and they will be much the worse for not getting that.
After eight years of caring for the animals I can't envision life
without my daily treks to the pasture, but not e

And one final note. Even if you can afford to hire help for
your animals, you still need to be there regularly. No paid
caretaker is going to have the same amount of concern for the animals
welfare as you. Someone who is looking at the animals with one eye
and the clock with the other is not likely to spot problems early
which is the only way to succeed with any problems.

Sorry, another soapbox,

Jan Sherrill
Celestial Alpacas

>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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--
Jan Sherrill
Celestial Alpacas
Central Coast of California
Templeton
mailto:pacamom@lightspeed.net

805/238-2628

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