Meeting the Commission of Agriculture

Well, yesterday was a very full and productive day. It started, as every day does, with feeding critters and scooping poop! Oh yes, and the watering. Lately my grand kids, who live next door, have been coming over and helping so chores go a lot quicker. Their mom decided that they should do this instead of sleeping in every day! Summer is almost over though with school starting again in two weeks. Darn.

Anyway, after chores I got caught up on some work for the VAOBA Expo and that consisted of computer work, answer emails and returning phone calls. I also had been checking out the alpaca owners site and found that on their calendar of events there were a lot of individual farm events listed. So, I got in touch with Dawn from Mada Vemi Alpacas who is putting on the fiber workshop here in October. We decided to list that and she accomplished that in no time. Soon I was out of time and had to get ready to meet a couple of other board members so we could attend a meeting to be introduced and speak with the new Commissioner of Agriculture for Virginia.

The meeting was held at The Meadow which is a mansion now owned by the Virginia State Fair. In the same room that we held the inaugural meeting of the Virginia Alpaca owners & Breeders Association, we had a wonderful round table meeting with the new commissioner, Todd Haymore, and representatives from several agricultural associations in Virginia. VAOBA had just recently joined the Virginia Agribusiness Council and it was through this that we were able to be included. The meeting started out on a wonderful note. Commissioner Haymore asked all of us to introduce ourselves and say who we represented. Linda P was first to do so and when she did he announced to the room that he had heard that the governor was going to sign a proclamation for National Alpaca Farm Day here in Virginia! It was awesome hearing that announced. Why? We of course knew about it already but what this told us was that alpacas are being talked about in the right places! Throughout the next hours we heard industry rep after industry rep saying how they would love to have VDAC's help to have their industry recognized on a special day! Go VAOBA!

Until the next time!

August 21st

Well, it has been rainy and dreary here for a couple of days now. The ducks are even searching out dry land! Remember, they are Muscovy ducks and not water ducks but tree ducks. On the very hot days they do appreciate their pools but the past couple of days they appreciate the old hay piles I have set out for them. We have a new group that should be hatching out next week and another one the week after. Both females contributed eggs to the first nest which I thought was rather odd. Once Nugget decided there were enough she ran Bandana off! Bandana then went out to the boys shed and built herself a nest in the corner. We framed it in to protect her and her eggs from the bachelor boy rough-housing.

The alpaca herd had a bit of an upset this past weekend. It all started when Miss Wise became way too protective of her daughter. We had been halter training and were on the fourth day in a row. Miss Wise decided that Black Velvet wasn't going to be haltered and charged me, spitting all the while! I verbally reamed her (for all the good that does!:-) but decided then it was time to step between the two and get some weaning done. Black Velvet is just about 8 months old so it is a non-issue for her. Unfortunately for her and her dam, Lady Emma got caught up in the weaning as well. I really couldn't see separating the sisters as well as Black Velvet from her dam. That would have been a bit like cruel & unusual punishment!

The first day went very well. Both crias are very healthy weights and have been eating for a long time- hay and pellets - no problems there. The issue at hand was that I didn't think the stalling through well enough. I simply cut the females pen in half (more or less). Well, one the hay troughs were put in place it seriously cramped the two weanlings and aunties Clara and Tabitha. Yet, on the other side of the barn I had two juvenile males in this huge pen. So yesterday I was able to move the girls and their aunties over to the other side and bring the young boys into their old pen. I opened up space so that the Whitney and Miss Wise could touch noses with their daughters inside the barn as well as at the fence line. I am sure there is still longing going on but at least they have space now.

We have had an inquiry on our firstborn... Bittersweet feelings. Of course we are in the business to sell what we produce and we will - it is just a little sad when the time comes. The folks have been researching for a while now and have horses and goats so they are familiar with livestock. The lady works for a small animal vet which is another plus. Interaction with animals is such a good thing. We will meet on Sunday and if all goes well we will be helping to launch a new alpaca farm. Then we need to decide who else to sell to accompany him....

Sad news yesterday for the alpaca community. Cleve Fredricksen of Ore Hill Alpacas passed away suddenly very early Monday morning. He had been hospitalized, was on the mend and then took the turn for the worse. He and his wife Beverly are wonderful people and have been in the business coming up on twenty years. They have over two hundred alpacas and did much of the farm work themselves. I sure hope things work out such that Bev will be able to handle the farm on her own. It is wonderful that they have children and grandchildren nearby. A tragedy though- we wish the best to Bev and her family.

Entries are coming in nicely for the 2007 VAOBA Alpaca Expo in October. We are up to 109 alpacas entered! It is the second year for the show and I think we may be close to it becoming a Level IV show. The next few weeks will tell!

Time to get to work. I am searching out printers for our membership directory and need to get some quotes today. That's after morning chores- a real challenge since it rained a good part of the night... poop soup, gotta love it!

Turn That Fiber into Products!

October 13th – 14th
Turn Your Fiber into Finished Products!

at Alpacas of Nottingham Hollow
6500 Macedonia Road
Woodford, VA 22580

Just $200.00 per person for this 2 day fiber workshop
Pre-registration is necessary! www.madavemialpacas.com/RegistrationForm_FiberWeekend.doc

In this beginner’s workshop, Dawn Dolpp of Mada Vemi Alpacas will teach the process of transforming fiber into finished products. This weekend workshop is referred to as "The Works" because you'll try your hand at skirting, carding, wet felting, needle felting, and more. This hands-on workshop gives you the opportunity to learn about fiber arts while gaining the skills needed to complete various projects. All supplies are included and you'll get to take home all the projects you've made.

Refreshments will include breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday with plenty of liquids all throughout the day.

Directions: From I-95 take Exit 118 – head east on route 606 toward the Stonewall Jackson Shrine. You will cross over railroad tracks and the shrine will be on your left. Continue on 606 and take the third left onto route 609 – Macedonia Road. We are about 3 miles down Macedonia Road- you will pass the Macedonia Baptist Church on the right and shortly thereafter you will see 6500 Macedonia Road on your left. Turn into the driveway and go slow – winding drive.

Caroline County Fair

It's just around the corner! This year, I am taking The Sheriff of Nottingham Hollow and Nottingham Hollow's Archer. We are going to be there all day on Friday and will be doing crafts with the kids.

Last weekend I attended a seminar put on by my good friend Dawn who is a fiber artist. She instructed us on several crafts that would be great to do with kids and it was just in time for our fair.

I have cut out over a hundred little alpacas from poster board, purchased magnets and will package that together with some carded fiber so that the children can make their own alpaca refrigerator magnets.

I am taking a break right now from my Saturday evening project of making several small balls of yarn from store bought skeins of acrylic yarn. This project will be "God's Eyes". I remember this from when I was a child but only just learned that it originates in Bolivia. That's appropriate since some of our alpacas originate from there as well....

A couple of years ago we held a very small alpaca show at the fair. It was extremely difficult - the heat in this part of Virginia in August is unbearable. I am praying for good weather for the run of the fair and hopeful that we are comfortable in that big agricultural tent.

Oh well. Back to making yarn balls! :-)

Until the next time!

August already!

It is so hard to believe that it as already August. Time is passing so quickly this year that it is hard to keep up. The is not much time left to get ready for National Alpaca Farm Day. I really want to do some landscaping and try to spruce the place up some. We did paint the barn this past month so I suppose we aren't in that bad a shape.

The alpacas are bothered by the heat and we have been spraying them quite a bit to try to help them stay comfortable. I am not sure what good it is doing. Poor Clara, our oldest female (12 years) stands in her water trough - all four feet. I wish she would just cush, I think she would be that much better off. In her case the fiber isn't anything to worry about protecting. I would worry if it were any of the crias.

Speaking of which, Duncan is pretty much over weaning. He fought it but now he is more interested in his food when he comes into the barn - he may give a glance towards his dam but actually pronked, in the barn, in anticipation of his pellets this evening. That was pretty comical. He and Triton aren't getting along so great. Triton is a couple of months older and has established himself as herd leader in their herd of two. That should teach Duncan! :-)

Work continues on the volunteer front. I was in TN last weekend for the Affiliate Congress meeting (AOBA). I have to tell you, I really got to know VAOBA's new president elect, Keli. We drove to TN and that worked out to about 20 hours together in the car. I know why this week went so fast - I was in a fog I was so tired. I have to remember to get Keli a gift certificate to Waffle House. Private joke - we will see if she reads my blog sometime!

It was a productive meeting. Hopefully the AC will be able to bridge the gap between the membership and board for AOBA. There are a lot of trust issues but I am not so sure that isn't the way things are all around these days. Pretty sad.

Until the next time....