Re: [AlpacaTalk] Let them eat cake.
Hello Heather,
Yes, it is expensive to show and time consuming as well but there are
great people and great animals to see at shows so that part is fun. I'm
genuinely sorry that you are so unhappy with things. I'm at a loss as to
what to say or do to help as when I try, I'm seen as condescending.
So...let's see...you are bitter and I'm condescending.
are!!! (smile) Perhaps they are right. Perhaps...well.
go out and just eat lots of chocolate!!! Better than eating worms!
(smile)
ALSA (Alpaca and Llama Show Association for the new people in the
audience) doesn't do any advertising for it's members and the last I heard
(might have changed), their judge's training doesn't compare with AOBA's
for alpacas. (For the new breeders: ALSA was the show system for AOBA
until problems arose and AOBA set up its own system in the early 2000's.
ALSA is just a show system so they don't have to raise money for anything
else. Unfortunately for the llama industry, their national llama
association went out of business and no one marketed llamas for its
members so prices of llamas fell. They also didn't close their Registry.
There is a huge difference between ALSA and AOBA and what they do for
their respective memberships including alpaca Judge's training.) Anyway,
I truly believe that if llama breeders marketed their llamas the way
alpaca breeders do, we'd have some serious competition for buyer's dollars
as they too are lovely animals.
Believe it or not, I honestly do not care how AOBA raises its marketing
dollars for the membership as long as they raise the dollars and spend
them on behalf of the membership. I don't care if big breeders aren't
allowed to donate. I just care that marketing dollars are raised and
spent on behalf of the membership. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are
not easy to raise which is why AOBA's marketing committee came up with
many different ways of doing it such as animal donations and some of the
fund-raising programs that you don't like. But, honestly, if the new
Board comes up with alternative ways to raise the marketing budget dollars
that involves money from small farms only, I'm totally cool with that. No
problem here...
Yes, I read the e-mail that the national conference is now lifting the
stalling restriction and I admit that I'm surprised. I don't know the
reasons as Jerry is no longer on the Board but you might ask Jess Bowers
or Ian Watt the reason. I'm curious as well and might e-mail them myself.
As I recall, the reason it was limited in the past was to try to allow
more small breeders to participate. However, if the stalls haven't been
selling, they might have done it for financial reasons. I just don't know
and I better not guess. We usually take only 3 or 4 full fleeced alpacas
to the national show (have done this for years now) and a handful for
composite classes since they've had trouble filling composite classes.
I've always been surprised that composite classes didn't do better,
especially for summer shows. I believe it is a wonderful, kind way to
show...showing an alpaca and its fleece separately. I think that Bare
Naked show concept is great. Sounds like great fun. Maybe those are
shows where composite classes could better thrive?
Phew...sure am glad WE weren't the farm who brought animals to Portland to
sit in an air conditioned trailer to sell! I'd probably be hung up by my
toes! (smile!!) I also didn't think that practice was allowed at any
show, especially at AOBA where they seem to watch that pretty carefully. I
must have missed something that year. If I remember correctly, that was
the year the AOBA fleece show superintendent didn't show at the last
minute and they asked me at the last minute to be the show superintendent
and I was tied up very busy doing that so I was probably too busy to see
what happened in the parking lot.
Heather, you and I have had some pretty entertaining disagreements
(fights?) over the last year or so but you never tossed me off the site
and for that I admire you. I wish things could be better. I can hardly
wait until this economy turns around!
Anyway, have a great night.
Libby
Libby Forstner
Magical Farms, Inc.
Litchfield Ohio
(330)667-3233
Heather Zeleny <alpacatalk@westwind
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11/11/2008 06:12 PM
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Re: [AlpacaTalk] Let them eat cake.
Hi Libby,
I really didn't set out to say anything about any farm or someone's
marketing program. I was talking about the high cost of showing our
alpacas in AOBA certified shows. ALSA shows generally cost us a
fraction of AOBA certified shows. I don't think there's a real, valid
reason for that.
I think AOBA is giving its members less and less for their dues. I just
got a call from someone who was a $1500 benefactor a few years ago, and
said that even those benefits weren't worth it. She said she received
outdated databases, with some addresses that she knew were at least two
years out of date, even as shown in the membership directory.
She mentioned that there is no limit to number of pens one may purchase
at Nationals. I didn't read that far. But that just further puts the
little guy at a disadvantage. Those of us who can't afford to buy pens
for nationals before the holiday season will be stalled out in the
boonies, in the darkest least travelled corners of the facilities.
She told me about a large farm who had rows of stalls at Nationals when
they were in Portland last time, who also brought an air-conditioned
semi-trailer full of alpacas for sale in addition to their animals
inside in the stalls, brought potential buyers outside to look at the
animals. Wow, I thought it was prohibited to house one's alpacas in
trailers in the parking lot.
I'm very sorry that people find my words inflammatory and maybe bitter.
The things I'm speaking out against are real.
Heather
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