The World of Women and Alpacas

44 | Alpaca Culture • September 2014 - Copyright © 2014 Subscribe at: www.AlpacaCulture.com This material may not be reproduced without express written permission from Alpaca Culture.

The World of Women and AlpacasBy Meyla Bianco Johnston

Clearly, alpacas have a strong appeal for all humans. With their sensitive natures, luxurious fiber and strong community spirit, they are universally fascinating. It doesn’t take a scientific poll to see that contemporary women in the alpaca industry are making a name for themselves. Women raise alpacas for many reasons, with each goal as unique as each person. At shows, inside barns and in the media, we work independently and together for alpacas.

Historically, taking care of the fiber-bearing livestock has often fallen to women because many fiber arts have been the realm of the female members of the household. Examples are easy to conjure: think of the iconic young shepherdess, the archetypical knitting grandmother and the seated Navajo weaver. Modern female farmers are diversified, intelligent and more likely to reap the financial rewards of a farming operation through ownership than ever before.

Women of all types are represented in the alpaca commu-nity, each with her own motivation and goals.

Mother Earth News reported in the April/May 2014 edi-tion that the number of American female farmers overall has tripled over the past three decades, according to the U.S. De-partment of Agriculture. The model they looked at is defined as “a farm and ranch where a woman fulfills the role of ‘principal operator.’” In 1982, women-operated farms totaled 121,600. By 2007, that number was 306,200 farms. When you consider women who are second in command, the number of women-operated farms exceeds 1 million. Here, we focus mostly on women’s roles specifically in the American alpaca industry. But, clearly, women’s involvement and success with farms is global–and growing.

Right: Former first grade teacher Beth Osborne still cares for the young ones, here with cria Harmony at her Alpaca Hacienda in Temecula, California.

A Spectrum of Success


Many alpaca farms are partner owned with one of the team focusing on certain responsibilities and a sup-port person in charge of other tasks. Others divide tasks straight down the middle. Further, some women are single, others are married in traditional marriages; others are partners or best friends. Or both.

We asked a handful of women to explain here in their own words the challenges and triumphs of raising alpacas. These vignettes are meant to show what women are doing now in the alpaca community, what is impor-tant to them and where they are taking the industry.

Media MaestroLeda Blumberg and her husband, Steve Cole, own

Faraway Farm Alpacas in Yorktown Heights, New York, located in the rolling hills of the lower Hudson Valley. In addition to a herd of elite quality Huacayas, Leda and Steve have Icelandic Horses and an extensive organic garden.

She explains their interesting story. “Very briefly, I met Steve when I was 1 (yes one). He was (and still is) my older brother’s best friend. We always had a special friendship, though he is eight years older than me, so it didn’t become romantic until much later. When I was 13 years old, I told my grandmother that I would marry Steve someday. Although our career paths took us to different parts of the country, we eventually reunited and married in the gardens at Faraway Farm. We are truly soul mates. In regard to the alpaca business, I am the primary farmer/breeder.”

Leda is an accomplished author, editor and photog-rapher with five books and dozens of articles published. She is co-founder and editor of Hudson Valley Horse Source, a resource directory for equestrians in the north-east. A strong advocate for preserving farmland, Leda serves on Westchester County’s Agriculture and Farm-land Protection Board.

Clearly, Blumberg has a real talent in the media. She has been extremely successful in spreading the word about alpacas in various publications. Her open nature and kind demeanor make her an excellent ambassador to the public for alpacas.

In March 2012, Leda Blumberg was featured in Westchester Magazine for her work at Faraway Farm, an enterprise that has been in her family for more than sixty years. In the article, she explains the salient facts about alpacas, then goes on to outline what makes them a lucrative and rewarding animal to raise. It’s a great one-page piece showing a gray champion, Cloud’s Gem Stone, with Leda and her characteristic smile.

Why is the media so vital for the alpaca industry

to take advantage of? “In order to facilitate growth of the alpaca industry,” Blumberg says, “it is important to educate the public about the wonderful characteristics of alpaca fleece and all the beautiful items that can be made from it. Seeking positive press enables us to clear up misconceptions and to educate others about raising alpacas and the benefits of using natural fibers that are produced in an eco-friendly way.”

“Many folks are looking for an enhanced connection with the natural world. They enjoy meeting an alpaca, then purchasing yarn or a finished garment made from that animal’s fleece. Just like a child in awe picking their first carrot and eating it right from the garden, farm visi-tors enjoy learning about the origins and production of items in our farm store–from shearing to ski sweater.

“To reach a broader audience, I wrote an article, Di-ary of a Passionate Alpaca Farmer, for a local publica-tion, The Pet Gazette. I included tidbits about breeding, birthing, showing, everyday care and creating our farm store. An array of enticing alpaca photos illustrated the piece. One of Martha Stewart’s staffers read the article

Leda Blumberg of Faraway Farm with champion Cloud’s Gem Stone. Photo courtesy John Rizzo.

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Martha Stewart and Leda Blumberg during the taping of the segment that aired on the Martha Stewart Living television show, first broadcast in 2010. The two discuss alpaca yarn, garments and knitting. Photo courtesy David Russell.


“Products: Our farm store, housed in a renovated barn, features a wide array of handmade items. We help support our local craft community by giving fiber artists a great venue for selling their creations. We are currently in the process of developing our own signature line of products, which we will bring to other venues, increas-ing availability and showcasing alpaca textiles to a wider audience.

“Education: We enjoy being ambassadors for alpacas by welcoming visitors and conducting educational farm tours. We host seminars, some geared to the general public (‘Why Alpacas?’) and others designed for breed-ers (‘Parasite Management’). During open houses, we have fiber artists demonstrating their skills. Visitors are delighted to see how the garments in our store are made and to test their hand on a spinning wheel or with knit-ting needles.

“Therapeutic use: We periodically host farm visits from organizations that bring small groups of people with special needs. One of our pastures houses three friendly PR boys, allowing a safe environment for visi-tors to interact with alpacas. We’ve seen the incredible therapeutic value that alpacas offer for both children and adults dealing with special challenges, whether emotion-al or physical and we intend to expand our use of alpacas in therapeutic settings.”

Because “Alpacas have a high degree of sensitivity and keen intuition,” Leda believes they are a great animal for women to raise. “They respond readily to our body language and moods. Many women are naturally intui-tive and thus able to relate well to the needs of alpacas.”

“Alpacas, though capable of being quite strong, are a nice size for most women to handle. Compared with horses and large livestock like cows, the amount of hay and feed that needs to be carried in to the barns – and the amount of manure that must be carried out – is signifi-cantly less than larger farm animals.

“Many women enjoy engaging their creativity through fiber arts: spinning, knitting, weaving, crochet-ing, felting and dying. Alpaca fiber is a perfect medium and what could be nicer than crafting products from the fleece of your own herd?”

“Like many women, I feel empowered by the skills I’ve developed through alpaca ownership and farm management. In addition to enhanced animal husbandry skills, like assisting births and diagnosing fecals, I’ve learned about marketing, website design, managing social media, and organizing and leading workshops. Alpaca ownership has blossomed into so much more than just those wonderful, whimsical animals – it has enhanced my life in innumerable ways,” Leda says.

and scheduled a farm visit to learn more about alpacas. Martha’s staff enjoyed getting their hands on the friend-lier members of our herd while we discussed every-thing alpaca. They became enamored with our herd and decided to produce a segment on alpacas that aired on The Martha Stewart Show in October 2010. This video, now posted on our website, continues to attract people to our farm to learn more about alpacas. It has also led to other media exposure, giving us many opportunities to promote alpacas in a positive light.”

In this professionally edited piece, Martha Stewart accurately explains facts about alpacas and recounts details about alpaca fleece as well as the basics of shear-ing, skirting and hand processing. The seven-minute piece prefaces an appearance by Leda and Steve with the High Priestess of Good Things herself. The two discuss alpaca yarn, garments and knitting. It is a really inspiring piece because Martha Stewart is so enthusiastic and Leda and Steve are so articulate. All the information is still relevant.

Blumberg has several pointers for getting others involved in the alpaca community. “Once visitors start coming to your farm, the word spreads quickly about your enchanting alpacas and the wonderful items made from their fleece. There are many ways to get the com-munity involved, such as hosting open houses, partici-pating in AOA’s Open Farm Days, hosting seminars, attending farmers’ markets and craft fairs, and welcom-ing groups like scouts, 4-H, fiber arts groups and home-schoolers.”

“At Faraway Farm, we offer a limited number of alpaca sponsorships that enable alpaca enthusiasts to ‘test out’ owning an alpaca before making a commitment to ownership. The sponsors have scheduled visits to spend time with ‘their’ alpaca and are welcome to help with herd health, halter training and shearing. It’s a great way to mentor folks into the pleasures of owning alpacas while bringing in some additional income for the farm.”

Blumberg keeps future goals with her alpacas in mind all the time. “At the risk of being overly ambitious, I have goals in four alpaca-related areas: breeding, fiber products, education, and therapeutic use.”

“Breeding: We strive for consistent improvement in the quality of our breeding stock and carefully consider each of our breeding decisions. Our goal is to raise a healthy herd with superior fleece qualities and exemplary conformation. We have a strong emphasis on breeding gray, but our herd encompasses high-quality animals of all colors. Our recent acquisition of an extraordinary herdsire will help further our breeding goals.


California DreamerIn May 2014, Cindy Harris of Alpacas at Windy Hill

was featured in Country Woman magazine. “Cindy’s inner rancher won out after she’d worked

as a fourth-grade teacher and raised her four children in Los Angeles,” the article explains. “‘I’d boarded my horse for years and thought how nice it would be to have my own place. I retired and bought a small ranch. Then a friend introduced me to alpacas and I got my first [ani-mals] in 2000.’”

She takes on other owners’ alpacas through agist-ment and currently has around 15 clients. “Alpacas are great for people who want livestock but don’t have a lot of land,” she says.

Cindy tells a familiar tale about how she got into alpacas. It started with an interest in fiber arts. “My mom

taught me to crochet when I was nine and I’ve always enjoyed it. I didn’t like wool because it itched, and I was allergic to angora, but the first time I touched alpaca my jaw dropped! I think that was the moment when I decided that I needed alpacas!”

At her ranch in Somis, California, she harvests fleece from the Huacayas and Suris she now calls her own. For processing, she uses “A Simpler Time Mill in El Cajon, California. They have excellent quality control and will run the fiber separator multiple times so that even the coarser fleece feels good when I get it back.”

Kate Kravits, a Registered Nurse, is also the spin-ning and weaving teacher at Windy Hill. “Teaching fiber arts classes at the ranch is just a natural extension of what we do,” Cindy explains. “It answers the ques-tion, ‘What do you do with the fleece,’ and establishes

credibility when I talk to prospective buyers about the future of a commer-cial fleece market in the U.S.”

When newcomers visit, they are pretty enthusiastic Cindy says, “because of our great location. “Many come just to see the alpacas for fun. These are my ‘zoo’ visitors. But the ones who come to inquire seriously about alpacas are usually most enthu-siastic about the peaceful environment the ranch presents or the fleece itself.”

Cindy has found a way to make a living and a lifestyle with her alpacas and thinks alpacas are a great animal

Left: Cindy Harris, with characteristic smile, hugs a pup at Windy Hill Alpacas in Somis, California.Inset: Cindy leads a Suri Color Champion at a show.


istrators, laws, test scores and state standards. Raising alpacas has rewards both tangible and intangible. It can be stressful but in a different way—it’s more of a physi-cal stress as you are working outside in the elements, cleaning up after the animals, hauling hay and handling alpacas for various health procedures. But at the end of the day, when I’m worn out and dusty, it’s a fantastic feeling to know that I’m in charge of my business, and my success or failure depends on me and the effort I put into it. I love being my own boss as well as the queen of my pastures!”

Many women in professional careers look at the alpaca ranching business and think to themselves that it might be a good fit for them. Beth Osborne offers this advice. “[Newcomers should] realize that they will be working with animals that are live, sentient beings who will need their care every day. It’s quite a commitment of time and energy, and not for the faint of heart, as animals do sometimes get sick and sometimes they die. If you are raising alpacas as a business and not a hobby, be realistic about the income you will be able to generate by way of sales alone. Your part of the country will dictate supply, demand, and ultimate selling prices. To be profitable, all sources of income streams that alpacas can provide should be considered, from fiber and product sales, to boarding, tours, breedings, transport, shearing services, workshops and more. Marketing your farm and services is essential, so time at the computer is inevitable. As with any endeavor, know your craft, work hard and you will reap the benefits. There’s nothing in the world more sat-isfying than raising these magical animals and watching them pronk in your fields.”

Osborne is also involved in spinning and selling yarn. “Some of my fiber I have spun by a mill for resale in my ranch store, and some I spin myself. I have found that knitters and crocheters love the unique and organic quality of handspun yarn. When I don’t have the time to spin, I have found groups of spinners that, in return for raw fiber, will spin up my alpaca fiber into all sorts of lovely yarns that I can offer for sale. Another great use of my fiber to produce a sellable end-product is felting. At the ranch we felt all kinds of things, from scarves and shawls to pillows and purses. The softness of the fiber will dictate the type of product that is created from it.”

Beth has found a way to stay involved with children in conjunction with alpacas. “One of the best things about raising alpacas is that children are a regular part of my life once again,” she says. “I host tours at the ranch to home school groups, special education classes, girl scouts, preschoolers and more. We teach them about where the animals come from, why we raise them, and

for women to raise because, “Alpacas are social creatures when handled quietly and they learn to trust us. Women get attached to animals we raise, so they are a livestock that provides us with a product without having to slaugh-ter them. And then there’s the warm, fuzzy aspect of the fleece that appeals to me. I love feeling like I am working in partnership with my herd to produce something won-derful for other people to enjoy.”

“Owning alpacas can be adapted to a number of purposes—lifestyle, pets, fiber artists, therapy animals…the list goes on. But if they are to have a serious long-range role in the U.S. then we need serious breeders who will increase the national herd to a size conducive to a commercial fleece industry. Now is the moment we need to move forward with that unified goal in mind.”

Teacher, Learner, RancherBeth Osborne “left her first-grade classroom for

greener pastures,” the November 2011 O Magazine feature about she and her farm, Alpaca Hacienda, reports. She moved on from her teaching position after becoming disheartened by the prevalence of standardized tests and the mindset that came with it.

Osborne read a magazine article about alpaca farm-ing and was intrigued. As an educator, she naturally gravitated toward learning something new by signing up for classes, so she “took farming classes and attended shearing days.”

She admits her foray into alpaca farming and start-ing Alpaca Hacienda was “a bit scary, as I was walking away from my teaching career with its regular paychecks and great benefits to jump into the unknown. Before I did, though, I did my homework, especially since I had never raised livestock before in my life. I went to every seminar I could find on husbandry, fiber and marketing, attended shows and auctions to see quality alpacas and get a feel for pricing, and visited farms. When I finally ‘took the plunge’ I had a couple of great mentors who helped me along the way, especially in those early years when the learning curve can be fairly steep. I have never looked back, though. Raising alpacas and all the joy they have brought into my life was one of the best decisions I have ever made.”

We wondered how different alpaca ranching was for her after her last profession of teaching. “Well, my husband says I simply traded working with two legged critters to working with four-legged, fuzzy ones! But seriously, there is a common thread between the two walks of life and that is my love for children and animals. Teaching in public schools has its rewards, but it is stressful as you are dealing with parents, admin-


what we do with their fiber. The children are always amazed that the “haircut” from an alpaca can turn into yarn, and that yarn can be made into all sorts of wonder-ful things. This is one aspect of raising alpacas that I find most rewarding—to hopefully inspire the next generation to work with animals in some capacity, and my hope is they will choose alpacas!”

“Alpacas are a fantastic animal for women to raise, the most obvious reason being their relatively small size. Women can easily handle most of the general care, including shots. Depending on the disposition of the alpaca, I am able to treat most minor medical issues

myself, although for some procedures, such as toenail trimming, it’s nice to have an extra set of hands. Most women are nurturing and intuitive by nature, and both of those qualities mesh perfectly with tending to a gentle herd of alpacas. Oftentimes I rely on my intuition to tell me what’s going on with an animal that seems ‘off,’ and most of the time my instincts are correct. I would encourage any woman who loves to be physically active and enjoys animals and the outdoors to consider raising alpacas—it’s an endeavor of love, profitability, creativity and being part of something bigger—perpetuating this ancient treasure called the alpaca.”

Above: Beth’s Mother Bette Osborne with Beth Osborne of Alpaca Hacienda and Rocky the alpaca.


The pair embrace technology–they were even involved with launching GrayAlpacaCentral.com. “Five gray breeders: Alpine Alpacas; Alpaca Annuals; A Paca Fun Alpacas; Cherry Run Alpacas; and BlueGenes Al-paca Ranch wanted a website that could offer gray breed-ers a place to go for accurate information about gray alpacas and gray genetics and gray breeding,” JC and Nancy explain. “The site was especially unique because it was one of–if not the first–site to offer a pictorial data base. When making breeding decisions for grays, seeing the dam and sire is very useful.

“As Facebook’s popularity increased, we decided to begin a group there and are currently on Facebook as Gray Alpaca Central. The same farms are sponsors, but Cherry Run and Alpine joined forces and are now one business: The Gray Alpaca Company. There are also pages for selling alpacas and promoting herd sires, but breeders from all over the world, not just the U.S., have the opportunity to share information and improve their breeding programs.”

They were recently recognized with a prestigious award at the AOA Nationals. We asked what winning the

Partners in SuccessPartners Nancy Barkoviak and JC Williamson run

BlueGenes Alpaca Ranch in Olney, Maryland. The couple was featured in the Washington Post and Gazette in April 2014. Reporter John Kelly’s piece explains that Nancy and JC started their herd about ten years ago. JC is a graphic designer and Nancy is a registered nurse and alpacas are a shared interest.“’ It seemed to be a fun thing to do as we approached retirement,’ JC says.”

The pair breed gray alpacas exclusively. JC and Nancy explain how it happened. “One of the first farms we visited raised classic gray alpacas and we absolutely fell in love with their unique white ‘tuxedo’ pattern. We also learned that gray alpaca fleece was not as high quality as the white alpacas’ (in part because whites have been bred longer). We don’t have a lot of property (about six acres total) so we decided to focus on one color rather than all of them.”

“Plus, Nancy was especially interested in genetics, so we thought focusing on breeding grays and improving the quality of their fleece were ambitious but attainable goals.”

Above: Nancy Barkoviak interacts with the gray alpacas from the BlueGenes herd. Inset: JC Williamson and Nancy Barkoviak of BlueGenes with one of the alpacas that inspired the tagline: “Isn’t it time for a new pair of genes?”


Small Breeder Huacaya Classic Cup meant to Barkoviak and Williamson. “One of our primary goals when we first entered the business,” JC and Nancy explain, “was to improve the quality of the gray fleeces. Winning the Small Breeder Huacaya Classic Cup was an honor and validation of our breeding program and ten years of work.”

As to why alpacas are a great animal for women to raise, they take a practical approach. “Anyone who loves the outdoors, appreciates animals, isn’t afraid to get their hands (and everything they wear) dirty, can raise alpacas. Alpacas are somewhat easier to handle than larger live-stock, which is probably beneficial to women.”

JC asserts that women can role model for others in the alpaca industry, “The same way they do for any industry. Learn everything you can about your product. Network, volunteer and participate in related events. Have goals and work toward them. Be honest, ethical and available to newcomers.”

Clearly, this formula has served Nancy and JC well, judging by their success.

Twist of Fate (Ironie du Sort)Stillmeadow Farm is located in Stonington, Con-

necticut. Owner Pamela Brewster has lived on the prop-erty her entire life. She and her husband Michael trained hunters and show horses on the A circuit for many years until his untimely passing five years ago.

Sylvie Remingol hails from Brittany, France. She studied equines for four years then came to Stonington as Pam’s daughter’s nanny in 1989. In 1990, she traveled back across the pond to Ireland to work for Aga Khan Studs, one of the top owners and breeders of thorough-bred horses in the entire world. Sylvie then spent some time in Australia where she was introduced to alpacas.

Throughout the years, Pam and Sylvie remained great friends. Pam turned to Sylvie after Michael passed away and she needed help managing her horse farm.

Sylvie Remingol (and Pam Brewster looking on) of Stillmeadow Farm examining a young alpaca with Greg Mecklem of Pacific Crest Accoyo America at this year’s Parade of Champions Auction held in May at Little Creek Farm Alpacas in North Salem, New York.


year career as an attorney in downtown Chi-cago. In what she calls her previous life, Frana concentrated her practice in divorce and custody litigation. She “…was among the vanguard of attorneys who were able to win a change of custody from a mother to a father of a six-year old girl in mid 1973. I wrote articles for profes-sional journals, periodicals, and a chapter in an Illinois Practice of Law book. I was one of the youngest members ever admitted to the Ameri-can Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.” Frana helped form Lawyers for Creative Arts with a Bar Association Committee and served on their Board for a number of years. She also represent-ed a woman’s art gallery and their foundation. “I collected art, painted and sculpted and sailed out

of Monroe Street Harbor on a Santana 22. I also had the luxury of a cleaning lady.” This was especially helpful because she has described herself as “‘the girl who didn’t like to get her hands dirty.’”

Frana began to experience litigation fatigue and came face to face with “the concept of the win-win ver-sus the litigator’s win-lose.” After a disabling multi-year bout with depression, Frana’s life took a 180-degree turn. She stepped away from the legal profession and made her priority breeding and caring for alpacas. Her lifelong

Neither of the two wanted to continue with horses, “So we put our heads together and after a month of research, we purchased our first alpacas,” Sylvie says.

While Pam is the sole owner, Sylvie explains, “We work closely together daily on any decision and direction we take.”

“We love our alpacas and try to know them each individually which helps us take care of them, as their health is our priority. We are very fortunate to have help from Max, Hugo, and Helen who stay on the farm and care for them as much as we do when we are away.”

As far as the industry’s future, Sylvie concedes that, “The recession has hit the industry hard, but we firmly believe it is coming back, and by continuously improving the quality of our animals in this country it can only get better.”

“At Stillmeadow we are trying to keep the highest quality of alpacas,” Sylvie says, “and hope to be known as only offering such animals.” She adds, “They are very easy animals to take care of, and we love the feel of their fleece. Working with it takes time and patience.”

Look for French national Sylvie and American Pam at shows in the New England area.

Finding Her Secret to HappinessFrana Biederman of Phi Beta Paca Alpacas of Taos

can be seen with a pair of her animals at many nursing and retirement homes, farmers markets, alpaca shows and other events, introducing the public to alpacas with her characteristic Chicago accent, even though she has lived in Taos New Mexico for more than 14 years.

She had no clue that she would discover the secret to her happiness after she burned out of her near twenty-

Pamela Brewster of Stillmeadow Farms in Stonington, Connecticut jumping Vernon at the Devon Horse Show in Pennsylvania in 1984.

Frana Biederman of Phi Beta Paca: Alpacas of Taos with Phi Beta Paca Kipster. This animal was named for the photographer’s husband, geologist Kip Hodges PhD, who teaches at ASU and was born on Kip’s birthday. Photo by Larky Hodges.


quest for learning and development is now trained on raising the very best animals.

At the 2013 Wool Festival at Taos, she brought her alpacas to mingle with the largely wool enthusiast crowd. All day, she patiently answered questions and educated the public as a sort of alpaca ambassador. Her energy was seemingly unending when it comes to alpacas–and her passion is infectious.

We asked her what newcomers should know about raising alpacas. “There is no such thing as a dumb ques-tion. Ask! Ask! Ask!” Biederman says. “All long-term breeders were once beginners with a much smaller pool of knowledge.”

“If you fall in love with alpacas, be prepared to stretch your comfort zone. Stretching my comfort zone for me meant getting my hands dirty. Shoveling poop was just the beginning. I learned how to do fecals; took a neo-natal course with a wet lab, subsequently deliver-ing a breech birth baby (saving the dam who was able to rebreed, but waiting too long and losing the cria); and a course in how to draw blood from the jugular. I wanted to give my alpacas the best care and getting in to see a vet in the area I live was often a three-day wait. With

alpacas, the time to act is at the first hint of a problem, as they hide issues. When you see it, it is probably the elev-enth hour and there is a short window to start treatment.”

She urges new breeders to find out about the care their animals will inevitably need. “What veterinary services are available to you? Does the vet make house calls? Will the vet treat alpacas? Is the vet willing to consult with the vet experts who generously give of their time and in-depth experience? Is your vet willing to take seminars to remain current on the latest alpaca issues and treatments?”

“Read and join groups such as ‘Paca This’ on Facebook and ‘Alpacasite’ in Yahoo groups. There is a wealth of information and some of the most experienced breeders know more than many of the vets in the country. Keep a file on various symptoms and treatments. I like to use Evernote. I also keep a database on my alpacas using an older iPod and an inexpensive app called HanDBase. This program allowed me to create my own template. I include topics such as weight, temperature, medications, breeding, nails and notes.

“Attention to detail is a major part of alpaca care,” Biederman explains. “Know what your alpacas look like

Frana Biederman of Phi Beta Paca: Alpacas of Taos carefully examines fleece with client Kukimo. Photo courtesy Larry Bell.


Alpacas are great for women, she says, because, their “Size is just right; if an alpaca kicks it will hurt, but probably won’t do serious damage because they have soft pads [on their feet]. In general, I think women have more patience than men. When you have patience, it is easier to raise them. Sometimes it takes 5-10 seconds or longer for an alpaca to respond. Force is generally coun-terproductive, especially when alpacas reach adulthood.”

She also mentions her personal ‘workout plan.’ “As a woman, distributing about 120 lbs. of hay a day and shov-eling poop keeps me in shape. I prefer this to the gym.”

The Phi Beta Paca herd’s annual yield produces “about 20-30% cashmere fine,” Frana says, and the skeins are “classed and graded at the mill. Each skein is from an individual animal whose picture appears on my labels.”

“I should add that it took me four tries to get a mill to do justice to my yarn. When my yarn came back from Crooked Fence Mill owned and run by alpaca owner Linda Kennison, the skeins looked like a pile of spar-kling jewels. I had an ah-hah moment and understood and believed in the product my alpacas produced.”

Don’t be surprised if you see Frana introducing yet another future breeder to the joys of alpacas at an al-paca event, complete with the banners she hand-paints for the purpose. She’s one of the best emissaries in the community!

The Energetic InnovatorPaige Romine owns and operates Retiredice Guana-

cos and Alpacas in Somerset, California. “This is our Re-tirement Paradise,” she says, explaining the name. “We combined the words and spelled it with a “c” instead of the “s” because folks kept saying it wrong–now most think we are retired gamblers or retired ice makers, but we are just retired and enjoying life here at our paradise.”

Besides alpacas, Romine raises guanacos, the wild camelid native to South America that has been shown to be an ancestor of llamas. This unusual animal is rarely seen outside South America so we asked her about its appeal. “I love all Camelids,” she explains. “Vicuñas [South America’s other wild camelid] are illegal to have here, and my husband won’t let me have any camels be-cause they’re too big, so I got away with talking him into the guanacos. He could not say no after he saw them. They are so wonderfully soft, so graceful, beautiful, and very rare. Plus they are unique, intelligent, relaxing to watch and have such beautiful faces with amazing eyes. They are great guard animals, smaller then llamas, peace-ful and such big pronkers.” Plus, she points out another selling feature: “Fiber, fiber, fiber! So amazingly soft!”

We first met Paige at the International Alpaca Odyssey

day in and day out. Have a mental picture of your herd. Were I to teach a course, I would be handing out two almost identical pictures and asking participants to the find six differences. If anything does not look like the picture in your mind, catch up that alpaca and check it out. Be sure to take temperature and weight. Observe if the animal is peeing and pooping and eating. Make writ-ten or digital notes for reference.”

Outside environmental factors are important to keep track of, as well. “Do you live in a zone where fire is of-ten a danger? Be sure you have the facilities and halters to get all of your animals out,” she counsels.

Use the tools available to you. “If you are uncom-fortable with an alpaca situation or symptoms, put it out on ‘Paca This,’ and see what the community says. “For a really difficult problem, have your vet call one of the top vets in the country. They do make the time to help.”

Also, get in there like she did and “Put your hands on as many animals as possible. Attend shows. Volunteer to work in the fleece judging room. A world of knowl-edge is available watching the judges assess fleeces. Learn about fleece characteristics. Learn how raising good fleece through both genetics and nutrition can create great yarn, and create various products so that the alpacas become self-supporting. This is especially important with sky-high hay prices.”

Livestock guardian dogs are also “very important,” she emphasizes, so research which breed may serve you best. “Remember, a pair of livestock guardian dogs is better because they work together; one sleeps while the other guards because you don’t want one dog working 24-7.”

What are alpacas really like? If you were to do a comparison, she says, “Alpacas are more like cats than dogs; don’t over-handle young alpacas. Handling for ani-mal husbandry is not a problem, but treating them like a huggable pet dog will lead to dominance issues when the alpacas reach puberty. You don’t want an alpaca thinking you are an alpaca and testing who is more dominant.”

Alpacas are, to Frana, the “secret of my happiness. Every morning first thing, I look out to see what my al-pacas are doing. I discovered I love the animal husbandry part; breeding and maintaining a healthy herd.”

Taos is an ideal place to raise alpacas, because it is “very much like the altiplano at 7,000 feet and many people raise hay here, though it is certainly not cheap.”

“Being a veteran of Chicago winters, the Taos climate is relatively mild. We don’t get a lot of rain, which makes feeding twice a day relatively easy. In Taos, a three-sided shelter provides adequate protection in the winter. Be sure to face the shelter opening the correct way.”


where she was demonstrating her remarkable Super Glide Picker. She has invented an easy-to-use fleece picker that enables users to quickly remove vegetable matter from fleece. Not only that, she makes and manufactures the machines by hand, herself. “Because of what was available on the market,” she was inspired to create the Super Glide Picker. “I about died when I heard my fiber being ripped apart on a picker I bought. I tossed it in the trash can and I knew I had to come up with something that will work on all fine fibers and wools, but something that is easier, safer, cleaner and faster–something that will pick long fibers (12-15 inches). Picking is the worst part of the process of play-ing with your fibers and wools. I knew what I wanted in a picker, so I went for it and created the Super Glide Picker.”

Paige is a hard worker and seems never to stand still. She is funny and engaging, too. One of the things that impressed me at first was her assembly of a large, complex vendor booth. After a long weekend of work, she then disassembled the whole kit and caboodle and stowed it neatly in her truck. Her husband of 36 years, Dennis, points out that Paige “Does all this herself, with no ranch help unless she is on the road at shows. “The only crew I have,” she says, “is my knitters and

the California company that is now making the camis, hoodies long johns and cargo pants. I just can’t knit fast enough.”

Based on this level of gusto, the fact that Romine has another venture entirely aside from her Super Glide Picker and running the ranch didn’t surprise me. Romine also manufactures My Yummy Alpaca Socks. You may have seen them reviewed in Innovations in this magazine last December where they were put to the test on a real workday in Northern Idaho and called “very comfort-able.” Her secret? They are “Made out of alpaca and in my opinion, you can’t get any better than alpaca!” They contain “no acrylics, no micro-fiber (fine acrylic) or wools–just yummy alpaca. They hug your feet, are breathable and oh so wonderful on your feet.” She ex-plains, “I wear mine all year long. I am on my feet from sunup to sundown and my feet are amazingly comfort-able the entire time.”

Romine has expansion plans, as well. “I now have a line of 100% alpaca products being made.” Garments include “camisoles and hoodies” being produced for the fall season. In addition, Romine and her team are work-ing on manufacturing long johns and cargo pants.

Paige Romine feeding her alpacas hay at Retiredice Guanacos and Alpacas in Somerset, California.


Like Mother Like DaughterAs a mother-daughter team, Jan and Dale Davis run

Derwydd Alpacas, which means “druid” in Welch. Jan is Dale’s Mother. Her father is half-Welch and Dale’s youngest sister has a Welch name, too. “I think Mum likes Welch,” Dale jokes.

Working as a mother-daughter team definitely ben-efits their farm, Jan says. “Dale now runs the business and the farm and I do what I am physically capable of these days.”

“I used to just go to shows with Mum,” Dale says. We lived a half an hour away while my husband Alan was getting a PhD in Physics (Quantum Mechanics) at UC Davis. Then, in 2001 Mum broke her leg, and I cancelled my enrollment with UC San Jose – I was just admitted to their librarian program. So I helped out until she was back on her feet. Eventually, the peripheral neu-ropathy stuck Mum on a walker and she could no longer physically handle the alpacas. I had already taken over the marketing, sales and breeding decisions by then. So the long rambling answer is, [running the business as a team has] allowed a transition from Mum as the primary rancher to me . . . so it’s like inheriting a business. I learned the ropes and now run most of it and I moved to the ranch two years ago to be here full time with Mum.

To make the sort of high quality clothes she in-sists on, Romine goes through a lot of fiber and is now actively buying alpaca fleeces from other ranches. Even with more than 80 alpacas and guanacos, she runs out of fiber and is looking for more.

What makes alpacas and women great for each other? “Alpacas are generally very easy to work with and fairly low maintenance. They are a smaller breed to handle and not as intimidating as some other livestock. They’re so smart and easy to train–smarter then most think. They don’t destroy the barns or eat your fences. They are clean animals and great for therapy–just go sit with them for five minutes and see how relaxed you be-come just being around them. They don’t talk back, and are home every night on time. (Oh, sorry.) And you get to play with all the wonderful fiber they have produced for you. Alpacas are fiber animals–this is why I raise them, besides being such peaceful, wonderful, calming, thera-peutic animals. And those big amazing eyes Wow–how can you not raise alpacas?”

Not much stops this dynamic lady, whether she is breeding animals, inventing fiber tools or manufacturing socks. Look for Paige Romine, Retiredice Alpacas and Guanacos, Super Glide Picker and My Yummy Socks at shows and online.

Above left: Dale (left) and Jan of Derwydd Alpacas ham it up for the camera. Above right: Jan makes the rounds on a four wheeler at Derwydd Alpacas in Esparto, California.


has judiciously adopted those that made sense and had high approval from the exhibitors.”

Dale explains why alpacas are a great animal for women to raise. “So for me, it’s a livestock I can physi-cally handle, they are fairly easy to care for – the babies are adorable and there is no preexisting tradition about what gender generally raises them.” The reasons she gives for why the industry is great for those involved are that it gives people a chance to “care for and nurture a critter,” the “challenge of the science in improving them” and “the diverse people that own them and I get to meet and add to my friends.”

Vision for the FutureLynn Edens is running one of the most success-

ful alpaca operations in the United States today, Little Creek Farm, based in North Salem, New York. She also actively purchases elite alpaca fiber from top breeders across the country.

Like many people, Edens’ passion for alpaca fiber was ignited with a transformative hands-on experi-ence. “My introduction to alpaca came via my spinning

Jan and Dale answered questions for this article much as they divide tasks at the farm. “Take into con-sideration that Mum is now 91 years old and living with peripheral neuropathy which restricts her ability to do most tasks that require standing,” Jan says of herself. Sooo, Mum does the accounting on the computer (think Quicken)–some of the telephone work–feeding pellets to the main barn females (visualize a five-gallon bucket with pellets balanced on a walker and pushed from pen to pen on a tile floor).”

“I make most of the decisions these days, breeding, sales, marketing, physical care of the alpacas, birthing, etc.” Dale says. Mum does all the accounting, taxes, and she feeds around 100 alpacas (they are shut out of the barn while she does) pellets every day. It is her exercise for the day and she gets a chance to visit with the alpacas when they come in to eat pellets.”

The Derwydd Alpacas web site points out that “Jan prides herself in being honest, ethical, and willing to help her customers and other breeders succeed.” Jan takes the philosophical approach. “Think what a wonderful world it would be if everyone told the truth all the time.”

Dale adds, “Well, I think its im-portant anywhere, not just the alpaca world. This is so important, she says, because, “In a young industry like we have today, a lot of buyers simply don’t have the training to be able to select the alpaca that best fits their goals, and the more honest breeders are, the more the industry will grow to benefit us all.”

Jan and Dale have organized the International Alpaca Odyssey for years and Jan was one of the origi-nators. It is an especially important show, Jan says because, “It allows for new ideas to be tested in the real world show environment–so we have a test environment (think R&D) with IAO where anyone can offer a sug-gestion and be listened to.”

“I served on the AOBA Show Rules Committee for close to six years,” Dale adds. They do a fantas-tic job. But the rules have become complex over the years and change is hard. The IAO show being a single show, it’s so much easier to try out new ideas without jerking the entire industry around. AOBA (AOA now) Luxurious alpaca yarn by Our Back 40.


Edens also owns and operates Our Back 40, a pre-mium American alpaca yarn company. The 100% alpaca yarn skeins being created from American fiber at Our Back 40 are giving cashmere a run for its money.

Edens explains, “The primary goal of Our Back 40 is to introduce consumers to really fine, cashmere-quality American alpaca fiber that is milled at a similar quality level. Its ancillary benefits include helping to aggre-gate large quantities of fiber and providing other textile market participants with a way into the sector if they are interested.”

Part of the appeal of the yarn comes from the fact that it is produced entirely in the United States through fair trade relationships with small farms. “I think for some consumers, the ability to find premium quality, super fine alpaca products or fiber from local or regional sources is of great appeal and provides us with a com-petitive advantage over foreign cashmere products. Our price point is better also, and if we get our act together as an industry our quality control could be better, too. “

Running a farm and yarn business takes determina-tion and persistence along with a clear view of the road ahead. Edens’ longtime friend Susanne Bienenstock is

wheel–I loved the fiber,” Edens explains. “I run a horse boarding farm and had an extra field that wasn’t being used by the horses. Guess what I put there?”

The animals in her program at Little Creek Farm are gaining attention and producing exceptional crias at some of the top farms in the United States and abroad. In May, Edens hosted the 19th annual Parade of Champions Auction for the first time in New York State, continuing the tradition of a friendly event built on a solid founda-tion of quality genetics.

Breeding goals for Little Creek Farm are definitive. “Little Creek Farm/Accoyo America is focused on pro-ducing seed stock animals that are prepotent for the pro-duction of fine, uniform, commercially desirable white fleeces in their offspring,” Edens says. “That is our focus because white fleeces command the highest premium in the commercial marketplace, all else constant, and advancing the elite standard of white alpaca offers the best opportunity for the long run financial success of our industry. When our genetics allow it, we work to produce those same prepotencies in seed stock that can produce elite darker colors as well, often with great success. But white is the real passion here.”

Susanne Bienenstock (left) and Lynn Edens (right) of Little Creek Farm Alpacas holding two of this years’ crias.


Get in touch with the women in this article:• Leda Blumberg, Faraway Farm:

www.farawayfarmalpacas.com• Cindy Harris, Alpacas at Windy Hill:

www.alpacalink.com• Beth Osborne, Alpaca Hacienda:

www.thealpacahacienda.com/home.html• Nancy Barkoviak and JC Williamson, BlueGenes

Alpacas: www.bluegenes-alpacas.com• Pamela Brewster and Sylvie Remingol, Stillmeadow

Farm: www.stillmeadowalpacasfarm.com• Frana Biederman, Phi Beta Paca Alpacas:

phibetapaca.openherd.com• Paige Romine, Retired Ice Guanacos and Alpacas

www.superglidepicker.com• Jan and Dale Davis, Derwydd Alpacas:

www.derwyddalpacas.com• Lynn Edens and Susanne Bienenstock, Little Creek

Alpacas: www.lcfalpacas.com and www.ourback40.com.

SOURCES:• “Managing Beef Cattle for Show.” Texas Cooperative Exten-

sion. Texas A&M University, n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. <http://animalscience.tamu.edu/files/2012/04/beef-managing-beef-cattle.pdf>.

• “Alpacas at Windy Hill Somis CA Ventura County Suri Alpacas.” Alpacas at Windy Hill, n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. <http://www.alpa-calink.com/innerrancher.html

• Demetriou, Danielle “Yamagata Girls Farm.” Modern Farmer Spring 2014: 80. Print.

• Kongs, Jennifer. “Number of Female Farmers Triples.” Mother Earth News Apr.-May 2014: 15. Print.

• Kaiser, Ann. “Ann and the Alpacas.” Country Woman Magazine RSS. Country Woman Magazine, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://www.countrywomanmagazine.com/>.

• “Q&A with Leda Blumberg: Co-Owner of Faraway Farm in Yorktown Heights.” Westchester Magazine Print Edition. Version Vol. 36 No. 3. Today Media, 1 Mar. 2012. Web. 20 May 2014. <http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/March-2012/Q-A-with-Leda-Blumberg-Co-Owner-of-Faraway-Farm-in-Yorktown-Heights/>.

• “Diary of a Passionate Alpaca Farmer.” Faraway Farm Alpacas. Faraway Farm Alpacas, n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. <http://www.farawayfarmalpacas.com/Pet%20Gazette%20article.pdf>.

• Kelly, John. “Feel like Getting Fleeced? Perhaps Alpaca Ranching May Be of Interest.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2014. Web. 20 June 2014. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/feel-like-getting-fleeced-perhaps-alpaca-ranching-may-be-of-interest/2014/04/02/50b7dae8-b9d1-11e3-a397-6debf9e66e65_story.html>.

• Personal interviews: Leda Blumberg, Cindy Harris, Beth Osborne, Nancy Barkoviak, JC Williamson, Pamela Brewster, Sylvie Remingol, Frana Biederman, Paige Romine, Jan and Dale Davis, Lynn Edens.

a big part of the equation. The two met and first worked together in the horse industry and have been fast friends ever since.

“That shared history,” Edens says, “made a transi-tion to working together with alpacas very straightfor-ward. Susanne is essential to Little Creek’s business–I couldn’t do without her high degree of competence or her ready sense of humor. She has an incredibly astute eye for conformation and is quicker than most to spot the small change in behavior that can signal illness in a stoic animal. Every day spent with her is a fun one, so long as I remember not to mess with her whiteboard at an alpaca show!” For anyone who works with them regularly, it is very clear that Edens and Bienenstock excel–and enjoy themselves while they’re at it.

While Edens doesn’t think women are any better at raising alpacas than men, “I do think the smaller size and generally tractable nature of alpacas make them a good fit for women farmers who need to manage much of the farming business on their own.”

The women featured here are just a few of the indi-viduals across the globe raising alpacas. Alpacas enrich their lives and allow them to make a living doing some-thing they love. With husbandry, through technology and the newest creative ideas, they are carving out a niche in farming. Products from their hands become some of the most luxurious garments and home goods available. Look for more dynamic women in the pages of this issue and in your neighborhood—you’ll be amazed at what we’re accomplishing!

Resources:• U.S. Department of Agriculture Report “Character-istics of Women Farm Operators and Their Farms”: http://goo.gl/hV6DKX • Annie’s Project, a resource at the Iowa State Univer-sity for women interested in farming: http://www.exten-sion.iastate.edu/• Farmer Jane, Temra Costa’s book of profiles of women farmers: www.FarmerJane.org.• Martha Stewart Living segment, “Inside an Alpaca Farm,” featuring Leda Blumberg and Faraway Farm watch it: http://www.marthastewart.com/254399/inside-alpaca-farm

Documents

The World of Women and Alpacas