Hi Vida,
Nice post.
Didn't see you as grumping. I was wrong about it and it's fine that you
say so. Honest.
I hope the Board rethinks the pre-qualifying concept for the nationals. I
just don't think it's needed yet. Guess we'll know over the coming months
what is going to happen.
Have a great day!
Libby Forstner
Magical Farms, Inc.
Litchfield Ohio
(330)667-3233
"Vida Palmer" <kuskapaku@earthlink.net>
Sent by: AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
11/20/2008 12:46 PM
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[AlpacaTalk] Re: Let them eat cake.
Mornin,
Like I said, I am behind on reading all of the post..
I got that far and knew that that issue was motioned and passed by
the old board..
I do NOT think it is right to insist farms pre qualify by attending
regional shows.. Many small farms may save their whole years budget
to attend the one big one! Certainly they should be allowed to do
so..
Insisting a farm must attend so many shows a year would be unfair
especially with the cost involved in attending!
Thus it would make it a more money you have, better chance you could
attend thing.. That would definitly be wrong for our industry and
wrong for the small farmer.
Another issue on this is several regions do not hve as many shows as
others.. There is only 1 show within 10 hours of my farm. Thus
allowing us only 1 show a year that is close.. So obviously not able
to attend as many shows as a northern farm and not as many as I would
like to enjoy.
I am not grumping at ya Libby!!
I just saw the post on the other issue first and knew that blaming
the new board for that, when Steve himself made the motion was out of
line.. Especially when I saw his comment that he was "shocked", when
he himself made the motion...
I agree with this other issue and would ask why on earth we would try
to keep the smaller farms from attending?
There are many farms that either do not show, or show very little
that have wonderful animals that would certainly be an asset to the
conference.
All should be welcome!
Vida Palmer
Kuska Paku Farm
Moss Point, Ms
have farms --- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com, libby@... wrote:
>
> Dear Vida,
>
> I sure will. Was not aware of that or I obviously wouldn't have
posted
> it. I'd rather see fewer stalls per farm and more farms
participating.
> However, AOBA has to pay the bills so perhaps it was lifted because
AOBA
> didn't sell out at Utah? I'll have to let someone else answer.
It's a
> delicate balance but if sold out, I'd like to see more farms be
able to
> participate.
>
> However, this IS one for Jess and Ian and Dave and the rest: What
about
> the new policy being proposed that requires farms to qualify their
alpacas
> at regional shows before they are allowed to show at AOBA???? Do
you see
> this as discouraging participation? I sure do.
>
> Libby
>
> Libby Forstner
> Magical Farms, Inc.
> Litchfield Ohio
> (330)667-3233
>
>
>
> "Vida Palmer" <kuskapaku@...>
> Sent by: AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
> 11/20/2008 04:27 AM
> Please respond to
> AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
>
>
> To
> AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
> cc
>
> Subject
> [AlpacaTalk] Re: Let them eat cake.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Libby, according to the July 19, 2008 AOBA BOD minutes, rather
> than "ask Jess Bowers of Ian Watt the reason", you should ask Jerry
> Forstner or Steve Hull, or other members of the previous BOD. See
> the minutes below or view them on the alpacaowners.com website.
>
> Meeting Minutes
> Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association
> Board of Directors Meeting
> July 19, 2008
> Present for the meeting were board members:
> Amy McCroskie, President
> Scott Young, Vice President
> David Barboza, Secretary
> Jerry Forstner, Treasurer
> Kim DeVos, Director
> Steve Hull, Director
> Tim McCarty, Director
> 7. Conference Report
>
> Steve made a motion to accept a guitar autographed by Pat Badger
and
> members of Extreme from the New England Alpaca Tours as a fund
raiser
> for Socks for Solders. This will be auctioned at the 2009 AOBA Gala
> Event held at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH,
seconded
> by Scott. Question called, none opposed. Motion passed.
>
> Steve made a motion to remove stall limits for the 2009 AOBA World
> Conference, seconded by Tim. Question called, none opposed. Motion
> passed.
>
> Libby, when you find out why JERRY and the PREVIOUS Board voted
> to "remove stall limits" for the 2009 National Conference, be sure
to
> post the answer for all of us.
>
> Until then lets keep the facts straight neither Jess Bowers nor Ian
> Watt were on the board that approved this change!
>
> Vida Palmer
> Kuska Paku Farm
> Moss Point, Ms
>
> --- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com, libby@ wrote:
> >
> > 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...what a
pair
> we
> > are!!! (smile) Perhaps they are right. Perhaps...well...maybe we
> need to
> > 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@>
> > Sent by: AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
> > 11/11/2008 06:12 PM
> > Please respond to
> > AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
> >
> >
> > To
> > AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
> > cc
> >
> > Subject
> > 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
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [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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