Re: [AlpacaTalk] Re: Let them eat cake.Mary responds to Libby
Hello Mary,
I'm sorry you saw what I said as condescending. I did not mean it that
way and after six years, I was still barely showing so yes, you are doing
spectacularly well. I was just trying to be helpful. No problem.
Libby
Libby Forstner
Magical Farms, Inc.
Litchfield Ohio
(330)667-3233
"Mary Meacher" <memeacher@yahoo.
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11/11/2008 05:00 PM
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[AlpacaTalk] Re: Let them eat cake.Mary responds to Libby
Perhaps it all comes down to timing and luck. I'm very happy with my
breeding program, thank you, Libby. (And yes, I did find it a bit
condescending.
by some of the best in the show ring, Jude Anderson, Mike Saffley,
Amanda Vandenbosch, and not validated by some of the worst in the
ring as well, and I won't name the disappointing judges by name, but
I'm sure you're as familiar with them as I am.
My seconds and thirds, and yes, sometimes even my blues have
substantiated that I am doing things correctly. Could I do better?
Perhaps, but the fact of the matter is, I cannot afford a $7k
breeding fee, and even if I could I don't think I would. And
while you can state you buy from small farms -- and I would say you
buy from SMALLER farms than yours, not small like mine at a max of
13 alpacas but smaller like say 40 alpacas -- I have seen your farm
in particular, buy only the best most of the time unless you are
buying a larger package at a great price.. I know this only
because I'm familiar with some of the banner winners you've
purchased from up here in the north.
As I said, timing, and money. You started 15 years ago. I started
six years ago. Given my income -- which I admit is better than most
out there -- I can't afford to go any more in debt for something so
fragile as a breeding farm, particularly after six years of not
being able to close one sale despite the marketing I have been able
to do. I have taken Jerry's class on marketing at various shows and
while I've learned alot, the first thing I have learned is money
gets you where you want to go. Marketing takes money and money, in
this economy particularly, is something that is scarce.
Robin's business plan mirrors my plan by quite a bit, though I'll
probably stay on AN just for the exposure. And truth be told,
talking and networking with many a small farmer there are many, many
more like Robin and I who are slowly bowing out of the standard
advertising methods. They are expensive, proven to be ineffective in
my marketing plan at least, and in some cases I have to think even a
bit fraudulent. I'll continue to breed carefully and enjoy the end
product that my wonderful animals produce but I and many like me are
scaling back sharply because the advantage is NOT ours.
Mary Meacher
--- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
>
> Hello Mary and Robin,
>
> When we started out 15 years ago, we were a very small farm and we
spent
> the next 15 years borrowing and I couldn't "buy" a ribbon for
years so I
> think I do recall what it's like although after 15 years and lots
of hard
> work, we've made progress. When we started, we didn't realize that
the
> quality of the female is as important as the quality of the male
and for
> years I didn't know what a "great" alpaca was nor how to create
one. Yes,
> you are absolutely correct that it's easier to choose with more
animals to
> choose from but there are many, many, many classes we lose each
year, most
> to small farms, often our customers! We're bought from over 120
small
> farms so look to big farms as customers and not as competitors. I
don't
> know what the answer is but destroying all farms over 30 alpacas
is
> probably not a solution. (I know you didn't say that...just a
comment.).
> If you ever want to visit our farm, Jerry loves to talk to small
farms
> about marketing for small farms and I love to discuss breeding
programs
> and ways to improve them, so there are farms out here to help if
you are
> so inclined and have an interest. I do not mean this as
condescending but
> rather an offer of assistance if you think we have anything to
offer
> which, of course, you might not think we do.
>
> Best wishes,
> Libby
>
> Libby Forstner
> Magical Farms, Inc.
> Litchfield Ohio
> (330)667-3233
>
>
>
> Robin Buettenback <jardbuet74@
> Sent by: AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
> 11/11/2008 03:17 PM
> Please respond to
> AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
>
>
> To
> AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
> cc
>
> Subject
> Re: [AlpacaTalk] Re: Let them eat cake.Mary responds to Libby
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Mary, Very well said...you expressed the feelings of many small
farms. We
> were happy to attend MAAS in Topeka a few weekends ago and I
totally could
> relate to your description of sitting in 3rd (6th place for me)
as the
> "big" farms got the ribbons. However, I would like to add one more
> thing... Their financial advantage aside, I am even more envious
of the
> years they have had in the business to develop such an incredible
breeding
> program. Keep in mind here, I am talking about those old, big
farms who
> have had years in the business, not those who were able to buy
themself
> into a breeding program. I aspire to a breeding program that
would
> produce such an animal. But as you stated, I have 4-6 crias to
choose
> from every year as opposed to hundreds so at those odds (and I am
not a
> math expert) I may get such an animal once every 20 yrs and by
then, they
> will be 100 years ahead of me.
> Our business plan for 2009 includes keeping the $'s on the farm;
local
> marketing, maybe one good outside breeding (to a small farm),
taking good
> care of my animals and their needs and developing their incredible
> product. No AOBA, no shows (unless we get that 1 in 100 cria this
Spring),
> no AN, no glitzy ads in the big-time magazines, no sponsorships of
> big-time events. We will hang in there because we got into this
business
> for the love of the animal and it's incredible product...I will
gladly
> spend those AOBA $'s on product research and development and that
is one
> reason I will stay with the Suri Network. Thanks again, Mary, you
said it
> well. Robin
>
> Ace & Robin Buettenback
> B4 Alpacas LLC
> 3742 S Locust
> Grand Island Ne 68801
>
> --- On Tue, 11/11/08, Mary Meacher <memeacher@.
>
> From: Mary Meacher <memeacher@.
> Subject: [AlpacaTalk] Re: Let them eat cake.Mary responds to Libby
> To: AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
> Date: Tuesday, November 11, 2008, 11:33 AM
>
> Actually, Libby, while I don't agree with Heather's terminology
> because I find it inflammatory, I agree with her concepts. When I
> started out six years ago with alpacas, I too was interested in I
> Love Alpacas. However, as most small farmers who ventured into
> alpacas with their small fortune in hand, I can attest that the
> price was considerably out of reach once I'd made my initial
> purchase and it has not become any more reachable now. And while
the
> larger farms can state that advertising is "good for everyone," I
> have yet to benefit from ANY advertising -- mine, the rancher's
> guide, yours, or anyone else's and it certainly isn't for a lack
of
> trying. It is incredibly difficult for farmer's like myself to
even
> begin to make a sale when we're competing with farms and ranches
the
> size and likes of yours, Greg Mecklam's, etc., etc.
>
> I wish you could understand the frustration involved in those of
us
> who can NEVER achieve the size and status of your farm. It is
beyond
> frustrating to stand in a show ring at the Empire or the north
> american, being a very small farm in upstate New York and know
that
> my one and only lovely light fawn female will never take first
> because you have the ability to choose from your 1500 hundred
> animals several lovely light fawn females -- I, because of my farm
> size, have only one to choose and there she is, standing third to
> Magical who comes all the way up from Ohio and/or Maplebrook Farms
> who while more regional to the area also can choose from several
> hundred alpacas their MANY best, or even worse for those in the
> Northeast, Some large ranch from out west like Crescent Moon, or
> Hummingherd.
>
> I consider myself fortunate to have created a lovely SMALL herd
who
> does, on many ocassions place second or third to the larger farms
> out there. But as many of us small farmers grouse about together,
a
> second or third place ribbon -- not even speaking of the fifth or
> sixth place ribbons -- mean nothing to the novice alpaca
researcher.
> They want the best and biggest. It means nothing to them that I
can
> compete in a ring with breeders who schlepp their animals across
the
> entire continent or at the very least several hundred miles. It's
> the breeder that can offer them in their minds those blue ribbon
> winners or their offspring twice removed and can offer a larger
> choice because of their bankroll or farm size.
>
> Over the past six years, I have seen many good smaller breeders
dive
> out of the business simply because they can't compete. Breeders
who
> knew they could never either afford money or space for more than
10
> or 12 animals but had high hopes they could at least sell animals
> because, "advertising is good for all of us."
>
> I've grown quite jaundiced over the past several years standing in
> that second or third spot. Having potential breeders who have
> contacted me apologize because they thought they could get a
better
> selection at ____________ fill in the name of the large ranch or
> farm here.
>
> I know you and Heather have had a history for contentious
arguments
> on this board. Personally, I don't like the confrontational
attacks
> or counter attacks and find them very unprofessional. However, I
do
> feel compelled here to comment on what I believe is the underlying
> cause of this particular incendiary remark. I don't think you have
a
> good idea of the frustration and sometimes outright resentment of
> the small farmer who seeks to do well but can only do SO well
> because of farms like Magical. At some point, the larger farms
will
> win out. It's happening right now actually. More and more farms
are
> bowing out, they spent their equity on animals with $$ in their
eyes
> and the advertising singing in their ears about how they too could
> earn a fortune in alpacas. Well, as a small farmer, I, and many
> others can tell them and you, unless you do it for the fiber or
the
> fun, or have an abundance of space and a large bankroll -- or in
> some cases a husband or wife with a bankroll it just isn't so.
>
> Mary Meacher
> Walnut Valley Alpacas
> Ballston Lake, NY
> 518.878.1061
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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