Pachamamas Way Sanctuary in Durango, CO, founded by Raylene McCalman, was recently featured in an excellent article in the Durango Herald. Sadly, animals- livestock and pets too- suffer in bad economic times such as we are now experiencing. McCalman has given refuge to abandoned alpacas and llamas. She recently rescued 12 abandoned and starving llamas in the area and there are more calls coming in.

Read the Durango Herald article and Pachamamas Way blog too at http://pachamamasway.blogspot.com/

http://www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns/climatechange/23-paragraphs-women-helena-christensen

Destino's Jeanette

As some of my readers know, I spent many years breeding and raising alpacas. It was a life I loved–living rural, raising beautiful fiber producing livestock and through the process, broadening my knowledge of fiber and related skills. While my farm life is no longer, I still do have a few alpacas.

I am very pleased to be working with Jeanette and Jim Campbell who own Alpacas at Willowbrook Farm in Louisburg, KS. The Campbells have an excellent herd, resulting from a knowledge of livestock farming and a data based breeding program. Jeanette is a fiber expert, having earned her certificate from Olds College in Canada as a fiber technician.

The Campbell’s alpaca herd reflects their knowledge of genetics and a sound herd management program that helped them build an excellent fiber production and seed stock herd. Represented in their alpacas’ pedigrees are the lines well known, generation after generation, to produce quality and healthy alpacas – Peruvian Accoyo’s Caligula, Camilio, Hemingway and Legacy.

In these economic times, the alpaca livestock business has lots of potential for the established farm wanting to expand their base or continue livestock farming on a smaller scale. For someone with a small acreage and interest in fiber production animals, this may be appealing as well. Key to success with this business is gaining the knowledge for good herd management and fiber production….and some business skills too!

If you would like to know more about raising and breeding alpacas, the fine fiber of an alpaca, do visit the Campbell’s website. I am boarding my remaining alpacas with them – 4 very nice females, one of whom is due to deliver mid-October. Of course they are for sale!

Beauty contest entry

Dubai is the site of the annual beauty contest for camels. Yes, that’s right. Camels. Owners trek across the Arabian peninsula each year to enter this prestigious, 9 day event. The prizes for the most beautiful camel are quite grand, but family honor is ultimate goal.

24,000 camels entered the contest this year. What is the criteria for winning the top prize? Well, there are many, including shiny hair (camels do have terrific fiber), a big hump and of course, long legs. National Geographic did a fabulous story about the history, pagentry and intrigue of this annual event.

Read more…..

Some time ago I wrote a post, “Giving Fiber a Grade,” in which I spoke of the extreme importance of grading and sorting raw fiber before processing to achieve the best possible end product. Some readers will remember that I feel quite strongly that if one is going to raise fiber bearing livestock, then one should educate oneself about fiber. Makes for a more successful business.

I thus offer congratulations to my good friend, Jeanette Campbell, owner with her husband of Alpacas at Willowbrook Farm. Jeanette has been diligently studying over the past three years or so with one of the alpaca industry’s finest and most knowledgeable fiber technicians, Ruth Elvestad.  She had completed her studies, internship and passed the finals with flying colors indeed. Jeanette Campbell is now officially a “Camelid Fibre Certified Sorter.”

I add that application of this knowledge extends to herd management as it relates to breeding selection, nutrition, and care of the alpacas to ensure the best fiber production possible. It certainly shows in Jeanette and Jim Campbell’s alpaca herd at Alpacas of Willowbrook Farm.

Here’s what Jeanette has to say about her experience:

“The first rung on the ladder to achieving certification as a Camelid Fiber Sorter was the Basic Farm Sorter course taught by fiber guru Ruth Elvestad. A two day intensive, hands on course learning about camelid fiber, this course is designed to teach about on-farm fiber preparation prior to sending fiber to a co-op, to mills or to hand spinners for processing.

In addition to this basic course, the prerequisite for taking the 4 day sorter course at Olds College in Canada, is a working knowledge of fiber such as knitting, spinning, weaving or shearing.

This intense, structured workshop, again taught by Ruth Elvestad, consisted of theory and hands-on components as well as visits to working mills. A written and practical test completed the weekend. Course participants then had a 24 month period in which to farm sort and grade 200 Huacaya fleeces and 25 Suri fleeces, before submitting a further 25 Huacaya and 10 Suri individually assessed and recorded fleeces for final examination and grading. The course and certification is accredited by Olds College School of Innovation in Alberta, Canada.

This has been a wonderful experience working with a huge variety of fleeces and helping other alpaca breeders get the best end product from their yearly clip. Learning the benefits of sorting behind the shearer rather than ‘out of the bag’ has also been invaluable.”

Pollination Project is a interesting new endeavor in Nova Scotia that combines how we live, work, create, sustain ourselves in society today. Fiber as in creating, production, and expression is included.

“Pollination Project is an education and development centre situated on a stunning 250 acre site of woods, lakes, rivers and organic gardens on the South Shore of Nova Scotia where we welcome groups and individuals through workshops, seminars and residential fellowships, to explore the inherent connections between healthy food, artistic expression, mindful practices and just society. “

The founders, Camelia Frieberg and Peter Biro, both believe that a sustainable and better society is accomplished through respect for the earth, healthier lifestyles and artistic expression and creative functionality.

There are some excellent fiber classes offered at Pollination Project. One that I find especially relevant and useful is “Fibre Foundation: Your Animal and You.” This class is for those wishing to raise fibre producing livestock, selecting the right breed, husbandry for the best end product, then what to do with the fiber clip, as in skilled processing.

Visit the Pollination Project site and learn more.

Markets form in the here and now most often. Things can rapidly change a market–Mother Nature, a hot competitor, technology and most certainly, demand. The impact is real and harsh for the lower echelon of the system.

Peru has long been king when it comes to alpaca fiber, just a few years ago exporting 6500 tons, earning $50 million or more. For generations, the indigenous Peruvian herders and their families, “alpaqueros,” have raised a very large portion of the alpacas in isolated regions of the Andes. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization, there are an estimated 65000 alpaquero families. They see very little of the millions of dollars earned by those at the end of the production chain in Peru.

The alpaqueros never deal with the large processing mills, but only with the small scale traders who are part of the long standing system in Peru.  For many years the traders have bought the alpaqueros’ alpaca fiber on the basis of weight, not quality. Thus, there is no incentive to improve the fineness or other valued characteristics through improved breeding programs.

Markets change though. The International textile market has increasingly sought finer, high quality alpaca fiber. Australia and New Zealand began to supply a larger and larger share of the demand, having instituted practices that produced good quality. Peru’s market share deceased.

To help Peru regain a competitive stance in the world market for alpaca fiber, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), initiated a program to bring together the government, fiber processing mills and the alpaca producers to develop solutions and workable programs to bring up the quality of the alpaca fiber production in Peru to meet market demand. One objective also was to provide the alpaqueros premium prices for higher quality fiber. Progress to date is slow and very shaky as each segment of the market guards it’s own turf.

The hardest hit are the indigenous alpaqueros. For years, they produced according to the market demand, ie  the middle man’s buying criteria. Even if good breeding programs become universal in Peru, it will take many years to bring the alpaca fiber quality up to the standard required in the existing and future market place.

For more on this situation, read the FAO’s report.

alpaca fiber

As some of my readers know, I raised and bred alpacas for over 10 years– a great and rewarding business for a fiber artisan! Each spring, the alpacas were shorn, their fiber graded and sorted and readied for the mill. Shearing day was my favorite aspect (other than cria births!) of my alpaca livestock business….but also very important. The “clip” as the shorn fiber is termed, tells you much about your breeding program’s strength and the quality of your fiber production.

Data is kept on each alpaca year to year, such as weight of that alpaca’s fleece, staple length and strength. Then the fiber is graded as to micron or degree of fineness, and sorted by grade and length. (For full explanation of this process, see post “Giving Fiber a Grade“)

The data collected -weights, length, micron, etc- is compared to this particular alpaca’s data from previous years. It is also compared and analysed with sire and dam and siblings. Why? Genetics. Fiber quality and characteristics are genetically based and passed on to offspring. If you want to produce good fiber and improve your production year to year, then a “selective breeding” program is essential.

I no longer have my farm, but I’m off next week to help at an alpaca farm nearby with their shearing. I will be helping with the grading and sorting as about 150 alpacas are expertly shorn. It will take at least 2 days and I can wait to get my hands in that gorgeous fiber again!

Well, I just have to brag a little too. One of my alpaca herdsires was a dark brown fellow named Calvin Klein–good breeding male based on his fiber stats. Calvin is now owned by Alpacas at Willowbrook Farm in Kansas and produced a beautiful young male, Duncan Brown. Congratulations to Jeanette & Jim Campbell, Alpacas at Willowbrook Farm, and to Calvin too, as Duncan took a blue ribbon at the big alpaca show in Kansas City last month.

Jeanette and Jim Campbell of Willowbrook and owners now of both Calvin Klein and Duncan will be doing their shearing soon too. Jeanette is an expert at grading and sorting and the Campbells have a strong breeding program with great results in terms of excellent fiber production and healthy breeding stock too.

Here’s a challenge—as you shop at your local grocer, diy store or discounter, look for American made products. Be prepared for some frustration. It is indeed hard to find a product of any kind made in the US, packaged in the US with a label made in the US. I am NOT opposed to the products, services and businesses of other countries, however buying locally helps environmentally, channels money through the local economy, supports and sustains area entrepreneurs and creates jobs.

I’ve been in the fiber biz many years and have seen many talented artisans, breeders and American mills go bust. So here’s another challenge – search out and give your business to local artisans and purveyors for the fiber products you need for your artwork, knitting, weaving, crocheting, any endeavor with fiber. Of course, you want to be sure the product is good quality (see post on “Giving Fiber a Grade“), and is itself locally or regionally produced.

And for readers of this blog from Europe and other countries, the same challenge applies. Whenever possible, buy your raw materials and biz supplies from local producers. This is not to say, that any of us won’t buy from our fellow artisans in other countries, we do and will. But if we all search out and support the producers in our own backyards who create the kind of products that exemplify good workmanship, quality, are mindful of the environment, then do support that business person.

The benefits are many. For one thing, you will build a relationship with your supplier who in turn will most likely support your work. Your purchase feeds the area economy, perhaps even creates another job for someone living there. It’s also green to buy local. That which is produced locally requires far less energy to get the product to you than if that product is shipped in to the mega store in bulk from overseas and is made with a petroleum derivative. Remember too, that the fiber products you are using for your work will impact the quality and appeal of your creations too.

Being “green” is quite the mantra these days. It goes well with supporting the hard working, creative people who produce good fiber products in your region. Doing so will reflect on you too. What’s on your label?

I am running a special on alpaca yarn in my Etsy shop. What a great deal! Buy 3 or more skeins of my beautiful yarn and get one skein (of equal value) FREE. This offer is good till December 30th. See my Etsy shop for details and to pick out your alpaca yarn.

Visit Bonnie Samuel Design’s Natural Yarns at Etsy. Our yarn is made from the fleeces of our own alpacas raised in Kansas. After we clean, sort, grade the annual clip we send to a speciality mill also in Kansas and the resulting yarn is fabulous. So stock up, buy some skeins for holiday gifts or for your own projects. Visit now.