My parents have a subscription to the "Wisconsin State Farmer". It comes on Fridays so when I'm there I love to page through, check the classifieds for some potato diggers and cow inseminators...
This week there was a small article highlighting National Alpaca Farm Days. LondonDairy Alpaca Ranch up in Two Rivers is the epicenter for this celebration. Two Rivers?? I actually have been there and the two men who own the farm are great and are more than happy to show you around.
Anyway, reading further, there was some great information about alpacas. If you need some dinnertime fodder, read on...
Alpacas were only first imported to the US in 1984.
There are 2 types, Huacaya and Suri. Suri is the rarer of the two with silky fiber.
Cousins of the llama, they usually grow to be about 36" tall and weigh between 150 and 200 pounds.
They do not have horns, hooves, claws or incisors.
Usually they are shorn every 12 to 18 months and produce 5 to 10 pounds of fiber.
The alpaca fiber is just as warm as wool, yet 1/3 the weight of wool to achieve that warmth.
There are 22 natural colors.
Because it contains no lanolin like wool, it is naturally hypoallergenic. This means that most people who have problems with wool being itchy won't have a problem with alpaca.
The fiber has great stretch, water repellency and is wrinkle-resistant.
Let them all know about this and they might be begging you for one...
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