This weekend alpaca farms across America will be hosting National Alpaca Farm Days on their alpaca farms. Our farm, Fairhope Alpacas, in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama will be open to the public on Saturday & Sunday, September 24 & 25th both days from 1-5 pm.
To find a farm near you, visit the National Alpaca Farm Days website and check out their farm locator. Go see an alpaca breeder near you this weekend to learn more about these magical creatures!
And if you do go see some pacas, come back and tell us about it in the comments section.

September 19th, 2011 | Tags: Alabama, alpaca breeder, alpaca farms, Alpacas, America, beautiful Fairhope, Fairhope, Fairhope Alpacas, farm locator, National Alpaca Farm Day | Category: Alpacas, Events, Farm Business, The Alpaca Lifestyle | Comments (2)

I have gotten over a dozen emails from CIABA about their unskirted fleece event. It sounded intriguing but I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what it was all about or why I should participate. I had some questions, and I thought some of you might too so I contacted Robin Alpert of CIABA and she was kind enough to enlighten me about this exciting new event!

AlpacaFarmgirl: Is this event the same as the AOBA new Cottage Fiber Show going to be? The guidelines/rules made it look like it was….but then if you don’t have to be an AOBA member or have the alpaca’s ARI…then it seems like no. So that confused me.

Robin of CIABA: Our event is not an AOBA event.  AOBA put out their new cottage classes after CIABA sent them a complete outline with rationale for our event.  You do not have to be a member of either organization to participate nor does the animal need to be registered.

AFG: What is the purpose of this show for exhibitors? Do they win anything? Are there prizes? I see that they will get evaluations…Are there different classes/divisions like a real show or is this mainly for people to send in and get a judges’ opinion on their fleece for end product use?

CIABA: The purpose of the event is to educate alpaca owners about their fiber and give them a place to sell their fleece.   We did divide fleeces into classes for clerical purposes, but fleeces will not be competing against each other.  They will be competing with a standard.  The prize is the information they will receive about their fleece and the chance to sell it.

AFG: What is the purpose of this show – for CIABA? What is their goal? Short term and long term?

CIABA: The purpose of CIABA has been and probably will be to educate alpaca owners about their fiber, introduce them to venues for adding value to their fleece, and helping owners to connect with manufacturers.  We are a nonprofit organization and try to keep costs low enough for people to be able to participate.

AFG: I love what CIABA is doing, and I would really love to help you get your message out there. I don’t think people across the country really understand what this is all about. Some alpaca breeders have had the benefit of hearing people talk about your mission, but there are a LOT of them who haven’t heard the word yet.

CIABA: This event is introducing a totally new way to think about alpaca fleece.  People are bound to be confused.  That is why we loosened the instruction for presenting the fleece.  We want people to learn what they are producing so they can make better breeding decisions.  CIABA wants to be the place people go to find out what is going on in the world of natural product manufacturing.  We started CIABA to help the whole industry.  Our “staff” is all volunteer.  People have put aside their personal interests for the good of the whole industry.  None of us expects to personally profit from the organization any more than all the other members.  I think that’s what makes it work so well.

AFG: One more thing. So for people who send in their fiber, what happens to the fleece after it is judged? I think I saw somewhere there was a discount for processing…? Also you said that you were trying to help them sell? Will there be people buying fleece there?

CIABA: There will be people there who are interested in buying fleece if the person wants to sell it.  Otherwise, the sorted, graded fleece will be sent back to the owner.  The best use part is to let people know what they can do with their fleece — what products are best made from it.  The participating mills area giving a coupon for 5% off on processing.

AFG: So CIABA is trying to give alpaca breeders another way of looking at their fiber. Send your fiber in, UNSKIRTED, (saving you the work & worry if you are new & nervous about how to do it), and their judges will evaluate your fiber and tell you all about it. From the perspective of the fiber industry. Forget the ribbons and the hoop-la of the traditional showring. This is a real-world, livestock production, “how are you going to make the best end-product” perspective.

Thank you, Robin, for answering my questions, and for all the hard work you do for our alpaca industry.

I love it! It is very practical, and a much needed point of view. And I love these ladies who give their time and tons of hours volunteering to CIABA for the love of our industry and alpaca fiber. If you have more questions please ask them below and Robin or Val will answer them. Find out more about the CIABA Unskirted Fleece Event. Entry Forms are here, and I strongly recommend that you consider joining CIABA. Visit their website http://www.ciaba.org

September 17th, 2011 | Tags: alpaca, alpaca fiber, CIABA, fiber, Fiber Event, Naked Truth, Robin Alpert, Unskirted Fleece Event | Category: Alpacas, Events, Fiber Arts, The Alpaca Lifestyle, Weekly Web Finds | Leave a comment

Charlie Wins at AOBA Nationals!

Jim and I bought our very first alpaca together. When we saw this little guy, Challenger’s Sir Charles, he stopped us both in our tracks. He was so cute and fluffy. He had so much presence!

Jim and I are supposed to be immune to that kind of charm, right? I mean we are both seasoned alpaca breeders of ten+ years… but I’m telling you…

he had me at hello.

Of course usually the ones that look great on the outside don’t have the fleece to back it up. It’s Murphy’s Law. So when we opened up this boy’s fleece, we both thought, “Jackpot!

Wook at that fuzzy head!

I knew we would have to buy him when, the next day, Jim told me that he had had trouble sleeping the night before. He had been thinking about Charlie all night. I knew Jim had gotten the alpaca fever again, and we would have to add him to our herd as a jr. herdsire.

Jim had previously owned Charlie’s sire, Legend’s Challenger for many years. Each time he did a breeding he wanted the result to turn out to be an alpaca like Charlie. But only occasionally do you get one as nice as this boy, which made it much easier to make the purchase. Jim said that only a handful of the Challenger offspring turned out to be the total package like Charlie is. So we are very thrilled to be partners on this male, Challenger’s Sir Charles, with Dave & Darlyne Spina of 3D Alpacas in Kentucky.

Jubilee Wins at AOBA Nationals!

Not to leave out this little beauty,

We also took Fairhope’s Jubilee to Colorado, and she won a Blue ribbon too (pictured above) in Composite. Jubilee is a beautiful Magnum daughter we have for sale until on special until bred this Fall. 16.9 AFD with incredible bloodlines. She’s a sister to our herdsire, Napster. Check her out.

So – buying alpacas is an emotional decision sometimes. Or is it? What do you think? Do you think with your brain or your heart when making buying decisions? I’d love to hear from my readers on this.

September 6th, 2011 | Tags: alpaca, Alpacas, AOBA, AOBA Halter Show, AOBA National Conference, buy alpacas, Challenger's Sir Charles, Dave and Darlyne Spina 3D Alpacas, Fairhope Alpacas, Fairhope's Jubilee, Fairhope's Jubilee by Magnum, Kentucky, Legend's Challenger, making buying decisions, Murphy's Law | Category: Alpacas, Events, Showing Off! | Comments (2)

Pretty Mya in the beautiful fields out West.

Above is one of the latest additions to our herd. Our farm, Fairhope Alpacas has recently acquired the girls from the Windy Ridge herd. We are so excited to add 20 amazing females to our herd. Later this Spring we will be sending our herdsire SCA Peruvian Magnum to cover most of them. The thought of it just gives me the vapors. sooooo exciting!

Jim and I believe in the future of the alpaca industry, and we are thrilled to have this opportunity to grow our herd. I have worked with Windy Ridge for several years and I know their bloodlines well. They are all about quality, just as we are. When they needed to get out of the business due to health problems, I was happy to be able to acquire their stable of lovely ladies, and one phenomenal boy. (more about him very soon!)

One of the challenges over the years that Jim and I both faced as alpaca breeders of “small farms” was that it was difficult to grow our herds if we were also selling well. Breeding all of these girls this Spring will make for a wonderful growth spurt for our herd in the Spring of 2012.

I can hardly wait! Thanks Windy Ridge and the Tharp family for the opportunity. We luv you and wish you all the best.

February 28th, 2011 | Tags: alpaca, Alpacas, Fairhope Alpacas, farm, Mya, SCA Peruvian Magnum, Windy Ridge Alpacas, Windy Ridge Ranch Alpacas | Category: Alpacas, Farm Business, New Additions | Comments (6)

Elvis TCB Belt Buckle

When I get overwhelmed my friend Anne tells me to “Take Care of Business”. She told me once that Elvis used to give his cronies aka, the Memphis Mafia, these belt buckles and rings and things with the insignia “TCB” which stood for “take care of business”. This sounds like a good mantra to me.

During the first 9 months of this year my mind had been distracted by my personal life. After basically ignoring the business side of things, getting back to it was pretty overwhelming. But I am definitely feeling ready now to get back to work.

So in the spirit of “taking care of business” I have been gearing up for Fall with the first Alpacas 101 in a year to be held November 6th. And a big sale on our breeding stock. Due to my divorce I can no longer care for so many alpacas on my own. And I really need to focus on my kids this year too. So I am offering my alpacas for sale at 40% off list price!

Don’t forget our ALPACA FARM IS FOR SALE.

We also have 45 acres of beautiful land for sale in Tennessee (below).

Tennessee land for sale

Contact Katy for more information.

So join us or tell a friend, and spread the word. Help Alpaca Farmgirl

Take Care of Business!

October 26th, 2010 | Tags: 40% off, acres, alpaca, alpaca breeding stock for sale, alpaca farm for sale, Alpacas, Alpacas 101, Elvis, land for sale in Tennessee, Memphis Mafia, take care of business, taking care of business, TCB | Category: Alpacas, Business Matters, Events, Farm Business, Marketing/Sales, Moving the farm | Leave a comment

Saturday, November 6, 2010

An educational seminar designed to provide you with all the information you need to know to start your alpaca farm.

This seminar will be held at Fairhope Alpacas in Fairhope, Alabama, home to more than 40 huacaya alpacas. It will be hosted by Katy Spears who has been successfully breeding high quality alpacas full-time for the past eleven years.

Topics will include:

The history and utility of alpacas

Investment opportunity

Tax benefits

Development of business plans

Purchase selection

Herd management including parasite prevention & basic nutrition

Simple daily care of alpacas

Managing alpacas in hot, humid climates

Fleece and what to do with it

Marketing and selling your alpacas

Bring all your alpaca questions! There will also be an opportunity to get “hands-on” experience working with the alpacas in the afternoon.

So join us on Saturday, November 6 from 9:00am-5:00pm (Central Time) for this educational alpaca event. Cost is $45 per person or $80 for two people from the same farm. This includes breakfast, lunch, the seminar, handouts, “hands-on” experience and a suggested reading list to take home with you. Class size is limited so register today to reserve your place.

Contact Katy Spears at 251-583-5251 for more information. Click here for registration form.

See what past attendees have said about Alpacas 101. Visit our farm’s website. Our alpacas are on SALE for 40% off for a limited time. Visit our sale list!

October 25th, 2010 | Tags: Alpacas, Alpacas 101, business plan, Fairhope Alpacas, farm, history of alpacas, huacaya alpacas, investment opportunity, nutrition, purchase selection, Sales list, tax benefits | Category: Alpacas, Events, Farm Business | Comments (4)

As a newly divorced mom of 4, I really want to focus on my kids right now so I’m offering many of our alpacas for sale at 40% off for a limited time. This will allow me lighten my daily workload. My customers will benefit by getting some awesome alpacas at great prices. Many of these alpacas are our foundation girls or offspring from our foundation stock. Several are due in November! There is already a three in one package. Plus there are great starter packages, including a Blue Ribbon Starter package. Please do visit our Fairhope Alpacas sales listings and add some of these alpacas to your herd today!

*Take 40% off price listed. except packages where
discounts have already been factored into package
pricing.

October 21st, 2010 | Tags: 40 percent off, alpaca, alpaca breeding stock, alpaca breeding stock for sale, alpaca breeding stock sale, alpaca starter packages, Alpacas, alpacas for sale, awesome alpacas at great prices, blue ribbon starter packages | Category: Alpacas, Farm Business, Marketing/Sales | Comments (3)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

April 13th, 2010 | Tags: Alpacas, alpacas on Today Show, baby boomers, retirement | Category: Alpacas, Farm Business, Notes from a Newbie, The Alpaca Lifestyle | Comments (15)

This is a new weekly feature with a tidbit of wisdom picked up along the way after ten plus years breeding alpacas. A nugget of knowledge that you don’t have when you are new to alpacas, but years down the road seems like a pretty important piece of info worth sharing.

Not to Pick The Most Handsome Male Stud

or

Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover When It Comes to Choosing A Herdsire.

It pays to look past the flash of good looks and ribbons and look at the science behind the male you are considering breeding to your female alpacas. Look at his offspring, his histograms, his skin biopsies, production records, etc. The “look” of a pretty face can set you back years behind the competition if you aren’t careful.

For more specifics read How Do You Know Which Sire To Hire by Alpaca Farmgirl Katy Spears

February 22nd, 2010 | Tags: alpaca farmgirl, Alpacas, breeding alpacas, Choosing a Herdsire, Fairhope Alpacas, herdsire, histogram, How Do You Know Which Sire To Hire, Judge, Katy Spears, newbie, production records, skin biopsies, ten years breeding alpacas, wisdom | Category: Alpacas, Business Matters, Farm Business, Good Breeding, Words of Wisdom | Comments (6)