[AlpacaTalk] Re: The more i research the more upsetting

 

Dar, Well put!!! I must say the farms that I deal with are always
working a job plus the farm plus some sort of activity in regards to
promoting the alpaca and the uses of the fiber, they do well enough to
pay for the bills, no couch potatoes, and in alot of cases make a profit
every year. The farm store is well sought after around here.
I learned the skill of shearing to cover the cost of shearing for some
nice fleeced males I acquired. Now I teach shearing on these males and
they more than pay for themselves being the subjects, and the sale of
the fine fleece. I also shear and collect nicer fleece along the way and
that goes to AFCNA.

Mary Jane Fox
Kirtland, OH
216-272-8887

--- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com, Darlene Long wrote:
>
> Really?
>
> I'm in Ontario. I've had a herd of Suris and agisted huacayas for 8
years.
> I am part of a Breeder's Collective that teaches skirting, sorting,
> shearing and herd health to farmers. We work together to process our
fibre
> and create products that are sold at our shows and at our St. Jacob's
> Farmer's Market store. Part of our group includes a fibre mill - and
we
> can't buy enough fibre from across Canada to keep up with the demand
for
> alpaca socks and our hand painted sock yarn. One of our members has
just
> had a 100 yard run of Suri fabric done, and has a designer interested
in
> using it. Her second run is almost ready. We are investigating having
high
> end mens ties made from the fabric. We are about to start dyeing our
> specialty sock yarn in spring colours. The requests for shows for 2013
are
> rolling in.
>
> I guess my point is this:
>
> An alpaca is not an ATM.
>
> You don't put hay in one end and have money come out the other. Like
every
> business it takes marketing, creativity and hard work. The business
model
> that works is the one that utilizes the renewable product from the
alpaca -
> the fibre. Don't start off with an idea that the income will come from
> selling animals. That's what I tell the 3 or 4 people a week who
contact me
> about buying alpacas. The money is in the fibre... producing high end
goods
> and getting them to market. There are several groups in Ontario doing
this,
> if you rely on animal sales as your revenue stream then you are
raising
> pets or hobby stock. I am excited because the market is really
starting to
> take off. Not the livestock market - selling an alpaca or two
occasionally
> to the right person is a bonus.
>
> Dar Long
> Serenity Suris
>
> On Wed, Jan 9, 2013 at 8:24 PM, cateyes221981 wrote:
>
> > **
> >
> >
> > I keep researching but people keep telling me things like "i would
stay
> > away from alpacas I got 3 for 500. Very sad i love these animals so
> > beautiful and cute. But it seems to be the truth.
> >
> > THings like beef cattle or diary are things that just never go out.
I wish
> > i could have some alpaca herd but it just does not seem realistic.
WHat a
> > dream though wow. Maybe just a small herd? I still will continue to
> > research the ontario area to see the demand but even in my area it
looks
> > like no demand anymore.
> >
> > JJ
> >
> >
> >
>

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