Re: [AlpacaTalk] Less expensive way to process fiber!

 

Judith,

     Can you tell us approx how much the dividends were per pound contributed?  I am interested in becoming a member of AFCNA at some point, when money situation looks a little brighter.  Is the membership still $250?

Laura

On Sun, Jan 13, 2013 at 12:37 PM, Judith Korff <judithkorff@gmail.com> wrote:

 

I have to admit that I love Chris and Shelly from NEAFP. They're wonderful people and have developed a fiber system that many people love. 

I do want to point out a couple of ways in which AFCNA differs from NEAFP however. Like NEAFP, we collect fiber at many locations to try to save our members the cost of shipping. We pool that fiber and make products here on the USA. Contributors receive (if they wish) sort/grade reports on the fleeces they contribute, which is valuable to those of us who can't afford to have fiber samples tested. The emailed contribution forms containing the sort/grade reports also serve as confirmation of receipt of the fiber. 

The two major differences between AFCNA and NEAFP from a contributors standpoint is that AFCNA is a member-owned cooperative which means that members share in the annual profit through a dividend check paid out approximately 18 months after the contribution (it takes a year for the contribution to go through the processing steps and be sold, generating the profit that is distributed). Dividends, then, are a direct payment for your fiber, which means farm income whether you buy product or not. Then members may buy product at member discount (50% of retail) which they can then use or resell at retail for a profit. Last year, members bought and resold approximately $1.6M in products. That's a hefty addition to a farms income stream. 

The difference is that NEAFP only sells products in select packaged amounts whereas AFCNA will sell a member whatever quantity they want, so if you only need 1 pair of socks, that's all you buy. 

Perhaps that will give you another option to consider. 

Judith Korff

LadySong Farm

Randolph, NY

(716) 499-0383

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