Re: [AlpacaTalk] Re: Sent to Alpaca site...held, not posted by site...

Can I come too Jennifer?? ;)

~Pamela Hunter
Weston CO

On Sun, Nov 23, 2008 at 12:27 PM, Jennifer J Powers <
jpowers@bentstarproject.org> wrote:

> Richard,
> your post from November 14 is copied in it's entirety below. No where do
> you offer ideas on what you would believe to be a positive and workable
> model. In fact after rereading all of your posts to this site I find no
> examples of your offering any sort of positive feedback. In every posed
> instance of someone working a successful model you have come back with a
> negative. There are always folks willing to stand on the sidelines and say
> "that's impossible" and "that will never work" while others are busy
> succeeding.
>
> It is obvious you have a formed opinion and your goal is to share that
> opinion. Fair enough. What I am asking of you is to offer your ideas on a
> positive model. Now your seeming to not do so could be attributed to the
> nature of email and tone getting lost in translation. Or you are simply here
> to criticize and berate.
>
> Most years we have sold our fleeces to hand spinners and the like at a
> number that has gone on to cover feed and vet bills and expenses for the
> year. This year we chose to sell our clip at a lower rate to help support a
> new yarn business's efforts. This was done with an eye to the future. The
> monies paid for this years fleeces are still significantly higher than the
> whole sale numbers frequently quoted.
>
> If you are ever in Northern California we'd love to host you for a day to
> show you how we are working our particular model. There will be steaks on
> the grill and a bottle of your choice of vino to share.
>
> Bluest Skies
> Jennifer
> Aero Ranch Suri Alpacas
> Browns Valley, CA
>
> Nov 14th you wrote:
> Allison, it seems that fiber isn't ever going to be viable on
> its own, with its wholesale value limited to only a few $s/lb. Even
> assuming everyone could get the fiber processed and sold as their own
> yarn, you are looking at perhaps this sort of scenario:
>
> Process 5lbs/head and get 3.3lbs yarn back, output say $85/lb x 3.3
> = $280/head less processing 5 x $32 = $160: margin per head (before
> other costs)= $120. That wouldn't cover annual keeping costs, let
> alone allow for capital costs and overheads.
>
> So some sort of economic model is needed that gives some basic
> production value for an alpaca. That is why folk are casting about
> for other potential products: perhaps not so much as an alternative
> to fiber, but in addition.
>
> I don't know if alpaca meat is going to be an acceptable product in
> principle for consumers (and clearly it would be anathema to many
> alpaca producers), but if it did ever take off, the requirement would
> be for animals no more than about 2 years old: of course the younger
> the animal, the better the fiber too. So a possible model to consider
> might be one rather more akin to sheep (albeit with a slower
> turnaround rate): rearing production animals, that are taken to about
> 2 years old, for fiber + meat + hide, and sourcing them from
> breeding flocks (which could be in the same ownership, or separate
> ventures).
>
> The trouble is that if anything along those lines were ever to be
> viable, you would have to be looking at sale prices for production
> and breeding stock closer to that of sheep as well - the typical
> alpaca can't be worth $000s on any rational agricultural basis.
>
> Richard
> Maidstone Kent
> UK
>
> --- On Sun, 11/23/08, suekodu <humhojl120@hotmail.com<humhojl120%40hotmail.com>>
> wrote:
> From: suekodu <humhojl120@hotmail.com <humhojl120%40hotmail.com>>
> Subject: [AlpacaTalk] Re: Sent to Alpaca site...held, not posted by site...
> To: AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com <AlpacaTalk%40yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Sunday, November 23, 2008, 3:37 AM
>
> --- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogro ups.com, Jennifer J Powers <jpowers@... >
>
> wrote:
>
> >
>
> > Richard,
>
> > Like any other business there are many paths to success. All involve
>
> > dedication and hard work. One only need look a the rate of
>
> attrition in
>
> > any other small business (restaurants spring to mind) to know it
>
> isn't
>
> > easy nor guaranteed. The US is full of successful businesses
>
> fullfilling a niche. My stance is that we ignore the multi million
>
> dollar cottage industry at our peril.
>
> >
>
> > You are obviously comfortable dismissing successful models out of
>
> hand.
>
> > Folks who are selling their fleeces (from whatever species)at
>
> profitable levels. Folks selling high quality alpaca products at a
>
> price point that illustrates that consumers will pay top dollar for
>
> quality... And you obviously have an opinion on a successful model
>
> for the US alpaca industry. We are all ready to read your suggestions
>
> and model for success in the US market.
>
> >
>
> > Please illuminate us.
>
> >
>
> > Blue Skies
>
> > Jennifer Powers
>
> > Aero Ranch Suri Alpacas
>
> > Browns Valley, CA
>
> I think the "comfortable" , "dismissive" and "out of hand" remarks are
>
> unfair. I have questioned the viability of these models in some depth
>
> and included (unchallenged) figures, sourced from within the alpaca
>
> industry itself, in support.
>
> With regards to "illumination" , we are rather going round in circles –
>
> it was my musing on a possible structure for the industry (posted
>
> November 14th), and your response, that started this particular
>
> discussion.
>
> Richard
>
> Maidstone Kent UK
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

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