Sunday, May 10, 2015
We are pleased to add Greener Pasture's Malachi to our herds! Partnering with Fiber Meadows, Stellar Alpacas and Longneckers - we are very excited about what he brings to the table in terms of genetics!
For those of you who follow the phenomenal breeding program of Crescent Moon Ranch and some of the other programs around the country, this name may take on some familiarity. Malachi is the full sibling to Greener Pastures Leviticus (Top 1% of EPD in 4 traits for 2014) owned by Mike and Michell read more...
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Sunday, May 3, 2015
We have always loved showing at the Great Western Alpaca Show GWAS held in Denver Colorado. This year did not disappoint and we are so proud to have garnered two championships, three first-place ribbons, a second place ribbon, as well as a fourth and sixth place ribbon taking only six animals!
There's nothing more fun than being around your friends and seeing how your breeding program stacks up to the top competition in the US! This was a fantastic weekend and we are riding high! A Level 5 read more...
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Wednesday, April 29, 2015
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Tuesday, April 28, 2015
We received a call this weekend from a heavily accented man who inquired about our raw alpaca fleece. He made an appointment for the next day, and brought his wife who had just arrived from Russia with him.
The man was specific about what he was looking for, and his wife stood close and spoke to him in their native language. I showed them many colors of raw fiber and they chose a lovely fleece that was 2 pounds. It turns out that she makes felted slippers back home in Russia and she wanted t read more...
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Tuesday, April 21, 2015
This year, we had Mike Cates transport our three alpacas to Futurity in Kansas City, Mo.
Competing at this level is quite a step up. Elite breeders bring their best - and thankfully, we came home with two ribbons. Liberty's Silver Medallion took a sixth in the medium silver grey male juvenile class, while Liberty's Lexington, took a third in the yearling light fawn male class.
Official pictures will be posted soon!
Kansas City rocks, and meeting new people from all across the country wa read more...
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Sunday, April 19, 2015
Wow, walking into The American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri is quite impressive!
It took me back almost 18 years ago when my daughter competed in the ABRA Buckskin World competition! It was eerily strange to be in the same building after all those years.
The Futurity is the ultimate in alpaca competition for elite breeders across the United States.
Celebrity Sales opened up with their auction -- lot number 1 sold for $182,000! What an amazing experience.
And let me tell you, Kansa read more...
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Wednesday, April 8, 2015
With Alpacapalooza under our best, we are off to a great start to the 2015 show season!
Alpacapalooza is one of the premier alpaca shows held in Ridgefield, WA and on it's 17th year! Jeff Williamson, husband and master of ceremonies (so to speak) worked so hard to pull off another great show! Lots of great volunteers helping make it a fun and competitive show!
We took some nice ribbons in fierce competition -- two 1st, one 2nd, three 3rds, one 5th and two 6th places competing against some read more...
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Wednesday, April 8, 2015
I would say I am mildly obsessed with alpacas. I know this because every morning when I wake up – I have the lingering visions of my dreams, all which include alpacas. Strangely enough, this is not new. I’ve been so captivated by alpacas from the get-go.
I’ve lost sleep thinking about them, dreaming about what next year’s cria crop will be, who to breed to. It’s just wild how much my subconscious has wrapped itself around this alpaca lifestyle. This is not a bad thing, it’s just kinda strange read more...
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Monday, March 30, 2015
Wow, what a show! The increased energy and renewed enthusiasm this year was phenomenal! Showing is one of the BEST parts of alpaca ownership! And gathering every year to see how you measure up against other farms is always exciting. Alpacapalooza is a fiercely competitive show with the top NW farms showing their best! This year, we took nine animals and eight of them earning ribbons. Of which, five of the nine garnered a place in top 3 of their respective classes. This is impressive being in the read more...
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Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Why is Alpaca Fiber So Warm?
Alpaca vs Wool
What is Alpaca Fiber?
Well all know that fiber from a sheep is called wool and the stuff that we wash and comb on our own heads is called hair but what is alpaca? The argument can be made that alpaca fiber is really a hair but is often referred to as wool but for the majority of breeders we refer to it as, fiber.
The fiber that is sheared from the alpaca is produced by primary and secondary hair follicles and even a derived secondary which read more...
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