AdoraBella News

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AFCNA transportation solution

Getting fiber to market is a large problem for AFCNA. It’s also a large additional expense for alpaca fiber producers.
One idea is have each state have 1 collection site. That way shipping to a closer area would be cheaper than shipping to Tennessee, unless you live and have alpacas in the next county over. Then alpaca transporter, who are members of AFCNA would work out schedules and pick-up dates from only those designated sites. I’m sure transporters would be cheaper than cargo/freight companies especially with the slow down of alpaca sales throughout the country.

Think it might fly??

Our First VocationVacation client

This year’s shearing brought us Nancy Laussade, a Las Vegas resident, a VocationVacation client and a potential new alpaca business enthusiast.
Nancy spent 3 days with us getting mentored about the ins and outs of alpaca ownership and the industry’s future. We had her as a helper shearing day, of which was a great help.

Alpaca fleece… the perfect natural bedding filling
In comparison with other natural fibres, alpaca fleece offers the perfect fibre for bedding products. Apart from its unique attributes that make it so much in demand for fashion and apparel articles, it has several outstanding features which make it so well suited for bedding that it is surprising that it has only recently been fully developed.


Softness
Alpaca fleece is very soft to the hand due to its unique fibre surface. Under a microscope, alpaca fleece has a very smooth surface with very low cuticle-scales which are one quarter of those of wool. This means that alpaca fleece feels "slippery" and beautifully soft when compared to a similar micron (thickness) wool fibre. The luxurious softness is one of the fleece's outstanding features. With experienced preparation and processing, pure alpaca quilts are dramatically softer than any other natural fibre.

Softness is important as it feels good over your body but also it is important for its warmth. Ideally your quilt should "snuggle" or wrap around your body to trap air that is naturally heated to keep you warm. A stiff quilt filling or quilt casing can create larger air pockets around your body which take time and energy to heat to keep warm.


Lightweight & Warm
Alpaca fleece is very unique in that it has a semi hollow core which the species have developed over thousands of years to protect the animal from the extremities of its alpine origins in the Andes mountains, where it can be very cold in winter with extremes at up to 3,000 metres and very warm in summer months with high radiation for the sun. Thus, alpaca fleece has very unique thermal properties designed to keep the animal warm in winter yet cool in summer.

Compared to other natural fibres, alpaca fleece offers an outstanding warmth to weight ratio ie lightweight yet warm. In several independent laboratory tests we have received reports that confirm that in bedding quilts, alpaca fleece is warmer than wool and other natural fibres. Alpaca fleece is amazingly warm and feels so light in weight. It is ideal for sufferers of Rheumatism, arthritis and other health related concerns.



Thermal balance
Studies have consistently confirmed that sleeping comfort is highly dependent upon the body achieving its own unique optimal temperature balance for a restful and revitalising nights sleep. If during the natural sleeping cycle, the body is too warm or too cold, the human body will either consciously or subconsciously adjust its position in bed, thereby causing a disruption to the natural sleep cycle. The optimal bedding filling adjusts itself to the body and its external conditions.


Moisture Absorbency
It is also well recognized that the average person will lose up to 400millilitres of moisture per night through perspiration. It is very important that this moisture is wicked away from the body to the outer bedding cover to keep the sleeper dry during the night. Alpaca fleece naturally absorbs moisture, up to thirty percent of its own weight, to keep you dry and warm in winter and cool in summer.


Loft & Resiliency
As noted above, a quilt works by trapping air around the body which is heated by natural body warmth. Ideally a quilt should be filled with a fibre that is thermally efficient and with a good loft level. This is to avoid not using a lot of energy or time to reach a sleeper's optimal temperature. A high loft quilt filled with an inefficient filling can be just as cold as a quilt with insufficient fill. Alpaca quilts have an excellent thermal efficiency and do not require a high loft fill weight to be warm.


Strong & Durable
Alpaca fleece has high tensile strength, compared with other natural fibres and in bedding, this feature is important for a longer life. Fibre strength is also important in quilts as the individual fibres are much less likely to break during use, thereby causing the loss of evenness of a quilt's filling distribution across the quilt.


Natural & Chemical Free
Other natural animal fibres require extensive chemical scouring treatments to remove Lanolin, and acid carbonizing to remove their smell for use in bedding products. Alpaca fleece is a very clean natural fibre and does not require the use of environmentally damaging chemical or potentially unhealthy treatments for use in bedding

We both are wishing you a healthier, stress free year. This year we will have 9 new baby alpacas (Crias). So watch for new photos from the proud parents.

The foggy days of winter have kept me in my studio. Check out the new art gallery page. If you like what you see, I have more. Email me and you shall recieve.

“ALPACA POO”

That big pile you see is black gold. Not the liquid kind but the mulchy kind.
Alpaca manure is one of the best for gardens and planting beds. I even use it as top soil when installing a sod lawn. Many locals come to our ranch to purchase my magic beans, some are master gardeners.
I have a tractor which helps when loading this stuff. I’m getting $6.00 a scoop or $30.00 a yard. During the year it gets turned, separated and aged to give me the rewards from picking up this stuff every day from 30 animals.
The following information was taken from an email that we received on the Alpacasite Discussion Group a few years back. The article, “How good is Alpaca Manure as a Fertilizer?” was written by Richard H. Hart, Range Scientist and Ernest M. Taylor, Soil Scientist. These two gentleman collected alpaca poop in Colorado and horse and cow dung from Wyoming. The following chart shows the results of their testing.

Composition of (%) alpaca, cow, horse sheep (manure)

Organic matter:     70.8 83.9 81.7 76.9
Nitrogen         1.49    1.09    1.54     1.27
Phosphorus         .23    .09    .63     .16
Potassium         1.06 .42 .92 .37
Calcium .91 .65 1.19 1.31
Magnesium .45 .14 .65 .19
Sodium .12 .03 .11 .07
Total Salts 2.54 1.24 2.87 1.94




So there you have it, Alpaca Poo, Caca de paca what ever you want to call it. It’s nature’s renewable resource.
    

Would you like to enjoy your investments, again?

If you read the Wall Street Journal or have been watching the evening news, you have probably seen how ALPACAS are being recognized as a very viable investment opportunity. The true splendor of investing in alpacas is the unexpected benefits of living what we alpaca breeders like to call “the alpaca Life Style”. The best place to learn more about the financial and life style benefits of alpacas is to give us a call.

You are invited to come to So. Oregon’s finest alpaca ranch for fun, education and a little work, if so inclined.

We are offering you our new guest quarters for your stay here at our ranch, while you look over the 40 alpacas that we have for sale. Spend a couple of days and receive your entire room and board back upon your departure (call for details) if you should purchase your first two alpacas or a new addition to your existing herd.

While you are here in the Rogue Valley, you can visit many wineries, fish or raft the Rogue or Applegate Rivers, visit other surrounding attractions, like Crater Lake or the Oregon Caves. See a play in Ashland, visit the Oregon Shakespeare Theater, play golf on 10 courses throughout the Valley, and dine in many fine establishments from Grants Pass to Ashland.

So, call us and book your alpaca experience here at AdoraBella.

CASH BACK REWARDS

We have always believed in AOBA (Alpaca Owners and Breeders of America) to be the true parent headquarters of the alpaca industry. Not wanting to get to political, AOBA just might be headed in the right direction, with elections over and a new board ready to get to work. We will become AOBA members again in 2009.

AOBA is a marketing firm but also handles shows, ethics, and education. That being said, we believe that the show circuit is still the best way to evaluate your animal against all other animals. I do believe that a truly good breeder knows what will win the first time out. But, shows are expensive and to go to every show is stressful on the animal and on us. We, therefore, trust our breeding program and the choices we have made. And of course, judges are human and it’s that animal, with that judge on that particular day.

We believe in our herdsires for what we see in them and from results of some of their off-spring that are on the ground. We also believe that some in the industry want winning alpacas and the ribbon that go along with them. For us though it’s the fiber, staple length, uniformity, density.

Here’s the deal. Though we are not much into the shows, maybe you are or you would like some sort of return on your investment. Cash Back Rewards! If you breed to any one of my 5 herdsires and their off-spring win a ribbon, we will pay you money. There is a limit on the number of shows and wins. (call for details)

1st place==$300, 2nd place == $200, 3rd place == $100, Reserve championship==$400 and Color championship ==$500. Cost of breedings to any of our males is $1500. Rewards good for 2010 show season along with some of 2011’s. Male or female shown doesn’t matter. Alpaca has to be entered in certified AOBA show and rewards payable after posted on AOBA show results website.
We’ve been in this industry 16 years, heard it, seen most and still we are here. We are putting our money where our mouth is. Any takers??

Just a few thoughts…..
Lee Iacocca Says:

'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder.
We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course'
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the ' America ' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis!
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes.
A Hell of a Mess

So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves.
The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?
We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.

Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan.
Figure out what you're going to do the next time..

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed
that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough?

Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope, I believe in America
In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: the 'Great Depression', 'World War II', the 'Korean War', the 'Kennedy Assassination', the 'Vietnam War', the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'you don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to 'Action' for people who, like me, believe in America . It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'
Excerpted from 'Where Have All the Leaders Gone?'.
Copyright (c) 2007 by Lee Iacocca. All rights reserved.

Job got you down? The perfect career may be just a vacation away
By Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

Published: February 17, 2008 09:56AM


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For most people, dream jobs are just that: dreams. But Portland entrepreneur Brian Kurth has found a way for job hunters to make those visions a reality.

It’s called a VocationVacations and, Kurth says, it works.

Here’s how:

Say you want to be a lion tamer, but aren’t sure you want to go to lion taming school.

“Wouldn’t it be great,” you think to yourself, “If I could see what it’s like to dress up like Gunther Gebel-Williams before I decide to quit my job with the seven-figure salary and join the circus.”

By calling VocationVacations, you can.

Kurth’s company will set you up with a mentor, who will then arrange a “vocation.” You’ll be able to live the dream, so to speak — at least for a few days. You can learn the basics, try the job on for size, and hopefully, by the time the adventure is over, you’ll know whether this is the lifestyle for you. In at least 20 percent of the cases it is.

“It’s not the holy grail,” says Kurth, who has an uplifting presence and lots of different ways of pitching his service. “It is pragmatic ... It’s giving people a test drive ... It’s that first baby step of getting out there and not just talking about it ... It’s directional. It’s a weather vane. It’s (asking), ‘Do I want to take the next step?’”

Truth be told, Kurth can’t offer a lion-taming mentorship (liability is sort of an issue there) and there are some professions that won’t allow such an arrangement (privacy regulations prevent people from shadowing doctors) and Kurth won’t touch political careers. But he does offer at least 140 vocation types.

And there are some wacky ones, including pro wrestling personal assistant, horse adoption agency director and alpaca rancher.

“The first step is to really do the research,” says Kurth, who has turned his idea into a book offering an eight-step approach to getting “unstuck” from an unhappy work situation. “The next step is facing your fears before you even start.”

Kurth says most of his clients do not come from Portland or Oregon — a fact he attributes to people being generally happier here. Most are overworked gen-Xers and baby boomers from big cities such as Chicago and New York.

Kurth, himself, works out of a small, four-man office in downtown Portland, and travels a lot to where his clients are based.

But that doesn’t mean Oregon doesn’t play a big role in the business. Many of the mentors who make VocationVacations happen are right here in the state. At least four Willamette Valley wineries are registered with the company as winemaking mentors, and the Portland Beavers provide the venue for anyone looking to get a taste of sports announcing. Rogue Brewing in Portland offers a brewmaster vocation and Jaciva’s in Portland offers a program for wannabe chocolatiers and pastry chefs.

Not all of Kurth’s clients are professionals. About a quarter of them are simply doing it for fun. And with categories such as catamaran captain and restaurant critic, who can blame them?

“These are dreams that are practical,” insists Kurth at the suggestion that, say, cheesemongering is not as stable a profession as accounting. “You don’t have to be an accountant, you don’t have to be an attorney. You might have to take some risks to make it happen, but you can become a winemaker or a TV producer.”

The price for Kurth’s VocationVacations ranges from several hundred dollars to several thousand. The two-day sports announcer program costs $1,149 per person, and the brewmaster mentorship is a one-day workshop that runs $549. The alpaca farming gig, which takes place in Grants Pass, costs $949. The most expensive vocation is a Broadway producer/director package that goes for $2,999.

Most are two-day programs that cost between $949 and $1,199. The cost includes career coaching and assessment.

Most vocationers simply tell their real bosses they are going on vacation. Some don’t even tell their spouses or family what they are up to.

The most popular VocationVacations categories are culinary, sports, fashion and animal related careers. Entertainment and hospitality are two other favorites.

Among the oddest careers in the most popular category is sword maker, something apparently tied to the numerous renaissance festivals that take place across the country.

Vocationers, as Kurth calls them, pay for their own travel and lodging expenses, which means these vacations don’t come cheap. The company plans to offer a low cost DVD version of the service. But for those who want “the real deal” as Kurth calls it, what’s a few extra dollars when you’re talking about the rest of your working life?

URL: http://www.webshoppinglinks.net/
Description: WebShoppingLinks.net - Shopping Directory

Try it, you'll like it!

Congress To Raise Alpacas To Aid Struggling Economy

Couple of week ago I flamed the AOBA board for not keeping the affiliates up to date on AOBA rules of compliancy. The AOBA president did admit that communication could have been better but I needed to get my facts right. Done.

So, now when I go to renew my membership I see a spot where I can donate money for the 2009 Rose Parade Float. I also got, I’m sure all AOBA member did,, a flyer with a website to see about what’s going on with the Rose float. No where did I see what this float would look like and what it would cost. Now, the AC representatives have received an email from a member of the marketing committee that the figure of $400K would be needed and that AOBA is not going to fund any of it. So far, no official notification.

Please correct me if I wrong but is this “ the cart before the horse”. Why not inform the members, through email, snail mail, etc, what is involved before the hope of the membership are raised.

One of the board members told me (through a email) that our organization was losing members. I ask him to explain, tell me how AOBA was doing with its membership. New vs. renewals. Nada!

I emailed the president and marketing committee for information of the cost for the float and design. Nada!

I’m not trying to do harm to AOBA, I just want to feel that as a member they are working for all of us.

It just doesn’t seem that way.

Tumbling stocks tightened lending restrictions, soft real estate market, and potentially soaring interest rates are defining much of 2007 and 2008. Does it follow that this would be a good or a bad time to buy alpacas?

Let's begin with those already in the alpaca industry who have a herd and or farm in place. Most would agree the market has slowed a bit because of the economic factors listed above. As a result, established breeders may temporarily offer special incentives, more attractive financing or lower prices to sell a few more alpacas. What a terrific time to fine tune our herds with new additions or trades that can benefit both parties as far as new bloodlines, colors, upgraded quality, etc. Operators pursuing the same strategy in the stock market are affectionately called "bottom feeders". Where some see panic, others see opportunity. Snatching up quality alpacas for sale right now is a very savvy tactic, and in fact that is exactly what many are doing!

For those contemplating the purchase of their first alpaca, it is always scary to think of spending so much for an animal; however, all the good reasons for getting into the industry are still as strong as ever. Right now there are only around 150,000 alpacas in the US which is a very low number compared to most other livestock. With perhaps 70% of the females having only one offspring a year (remainder are too young, too old, taking a year off), growth will be relatively slow, and simple supply and demand will keep prices fairly stable. There are still many people who have never heard of alpacas, and we have a long way to go before the strong breeding market eases into a softer edged fiber market.

The good news for new buyers/breeders is all the same opportunities listed above apply to everyone. It's also worth mentioning that while the bottom has dropped out of the sub-prime mortgage market, the fact is that qualified, creditworthy individuals are still able to borrow without problems, although at slightly higher rates. Thus, the option of using a home equity loan for an alpaca purchase is still very much alive. Now is a great time to shop around and find good prices and flexible terms on quality alpacas. In addition, there are many levels where a new breeder can enter the market. Whether one chooses initially to buy one alpaca and board it or buy a small or large herd and farm at the beginning, growth and profit are possible for both options. The numerous tax advantages are exciting, and accountants experienced with alpacas can explain all in detail.

Instead of buying a new car this year, an alpaca can be purchased and insured, and instead of immediately losing value when driven off the lot the way a car does, a bred alpaca has the potential for being worth twice its purchase price by the time it delivers its cria. While purchasing stocks is always an option, you cannot insure this investment the way you can insure alpacas.

Perhaps the best reasons to be part of the alpaca industry right now are the love of the animals, access to a great network, the chance for an enhanced lifestyle, and a window of opportunity to participate in a market that for the foreseeable future has superb potential for continued strong pricing driven by the demand for breeding. And let’s not forget the fiber. Alpaca fashion is beginning to get equal footing with cashmere. More and more cottage industry fiber users prefer the feel of alpaca and its natural organic qualities.

I think we can all relate to the word `addict' when it comes to alpacas. Alpaca breeders simply love what they are doing. It is challenging hard work every day, and there is always something new to learn, but at the end of every day those big eyes are always communicating with us, and the next little alpaca miracle is right around the corner. There is no other industry right now quite like this one and it is hard to imagine what in the future could begin to compare with alpacas.


The uniqueness of these creatures and prospects for the next few decades when we can build up herd numbers are two of many reasons why the best time to get into the industry is “NOW”

The Fourth of July was truly a wonderful day. We were invited to a barbeque at a cattle ranch here in Grants Pass. The owners were showing off their new hay barn which had the look of a party house for the wife, who is a drummer and lead singer for country western quartet. Boy, could she sing. All of the cedar for the barn walls came from their treed property.
Family members of all ages sat around, ran around and played around the large 40 acre parcel. Even the cows joined in at one point. There was singing and dancin’, a little drinkin’ and a lot of good time. A Norman Rockwell 4th!

National Alpaca Farm Day is going to be Saturday 28, 2007. All alpaca ranches/farms in the US should be open to the public for viewing of the ALPACA. What can we do to entice, persuade or beg total strangers to come to the ranch and see what is involved in this business.

Could hang some balloons on the front gate and say welcome to anyone who shows up, for starters. AOBA, our main industry leaders of sales and marketing, has come out with some do’s and don’t. These deal with facilities and grounds, number of visitor expected and parking spaces needed. All just some guide lines.

In our area, here in Grants Pass, there are 6 alpaca ranches. No one seems concerned.
At first, Paula and I thought lets make this a festival type atmosphere. Have a band, hot dog cart, refreshments, vendors’ selling wears, gifts for the kids. Of course advertising (TV and radio) porta–potty rental, banners /balloons and give away information would be additional incurred expenses. One ranch would host the event with the others bringing animals to fill up the pastures and create a large inventory for all these future buyers and sharing with the expenses and experiences. Sounds like a crazy party!

What could happen is that all 6 ranches got together on the advertising cost for the local papers, did some radio spots that would direct the public to a ranch in there nearest location. Each ranch would have information material give a ways, small refreshments and, if so inclined have some, alpaca products to see, feel and purchase. Make it a relaxing day. Enjoy the magic alpacas bring to peoples faces.

We will just hang the balloons and open the gate.

It’s time again when all our five boys will begin to party!! All of our females, along with some outside girl friends, will have a date with the boys. The “Red” light will be on for about another month then turned off ‘till Oct-Nov.

It has finally arrived,,,Summer 2007 At time to get some projects done and maybe, just maybe take a nap in the hammock.
The drywall faze of the guest quarters begins today,,have till the the middle of August to finish with paint. Friends from down under arriving end of August along with new female that we purchased. More on that later. Have a great Summer!!

Welcome to our Blog page. Here from time to time, personal thoughts about the Alpaca Industry will be reported. Having these beasties for over 16 years now, we have lots to say. Births, deaths, sales, politics and more will be the focus here. Some might find it ofensive, others informative but mostly from the heart. Welcome to the ride!

Today was the bi-monthly meeting of SoJAA the State of Jefferson Alpaca Association.

There was a reasonable turnout but at this time of year when the cria are coming thick and fast its difficult to get alpaca breeders off their farms for love or money......

The meeting was really useful and we discussed many of the new initiatives that we will be putting in place for our show AlpacaMania which has grown in popularity and is without doubt still the friendliest alpaca show in the world.