IN THIS ISSUE: pg 4 pgs 9, 11 pgs 11-20 SEE YOU AT: - ariLIST

The quarterly newsletter of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, Inc. and the Alpaca Registry, Inc. 

Vol. 2, No. 3 

April 2005 

IN THIS ISSUE: 

pg 4 

ARI Lincoln: First 100 Days 

pgs 9, 11 

Members’ Meetings 

Announced 

pgs 11-20 

Conference 2005 Details 

SEE YOU AT: 

2005 AOBA National 

Conference, Sandy, UT 

(Salt Lake City) 

June 1-5, 2005 

■ From the AOBA President 

to express 

my appreciation 

to everyone who 

helped make our 

Fiber to Fashion 

Conference in 

Atlanta an overwhelming 

success! 

The Education 

Committee worked 

many long hours to program unbelievably 

good workshops and seminars! The Show 

Rules and Planning Committees had everyone 

scheduled perfectly! The Marketing Committee 

dazzled us with enticing promotional 

literature, and the Fiber Committee hosted 

another spectacular fashion show and Vendor 

Showcase! I also want to thank our AOBA 

Office Staff for the many hours of conference 

In my last message, 

we talked about 

the closure of the 

McLean, Virginia 

office that should 

have happened 

by the time you 

read the December 

OneVoice comments. 

I can confirm 

that the closure did happen on schedule 

and according to plan. The Lincoln 

office received a truckload of records two 

days before the Christmas holiday, which 

closed the door on AMG administration. 

At this writing, the office has been working 

through those documents while servicing a 

surge of incoming registrations. We expected 

the surge of incoming transactions and, 

unfortunately, our suspicions about the large 

I want 

■ From the ARI President 

support. I think everyone had a great time! 

Plans for the summer conference are now 

in full swing! Please join us June 1- 5 at the 

beautiful South Towne Exposition Center in 

Sandy, Utah! Once again, we have an exciting 

line-up of educational seminars and guest 

speakers, as well as Halter, Performance, and 

Fleece Competitions. 

Contrary to what you might have heard, 

the conference is NOT in downtown Salt 

Lake City. We have booked the South Towne 

Expo Center, which is a residential suburban 

area (Sandy, Utah) approximately 20 minutes 

from the Salt Lake airport. Take a few minutes 

to visit alpacaowners.com for a preview 

of the event and 

we’ll see you there! 

number of registrations being held back by 

members were confirmed. 

A number of older documents were passed 

from the ILR in an incomplete state to the 

McLean office, where some but not enough 

progress was made, and now they have been 

passed on to the Lincoln office. The transactions 

were blocked for a number of simple 

and complex reasons. The Lincoln office has 

been able to complete many of the held-up 

transactions, but some remain. By the time 

you read this, even more progress will have 

been made. 

As I write these comments, the Lincoln 

office has moved to a larger space. Many of 

you received an ARIgram about the move. 

For those who didn’t, I will review the background. 

We had to move quickly when the 

decision was made in August to terminate 

(continued on page 3)

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Letters from the Presidents .........1 

Thanks to the F2F Sponsors.........3 

ARI’s First 100 Days in Lincoln.....4 

ARF Research Update...................5 

Fiber Committee .............................6 

Marketing Committee....................7 

Clarification of Current ARI 

Microchipping Policy..................8 

Parentage Validation Testing.......9 

AOBA Annual Meeting..................9 

The Alpaca Registry, Inc. 

4711 Innovation Drive, Suite 160 

Lincoln, NE 68521 

(402) 437-8484 

FAX: (402) 437-8488 

Administrator: Gordon A. Anderson 

E-mail: ari@alpacaregistry.net 

Web: www.alpacaregistry.net 

2 

ALPACA ◆ OWNERS ◆ AND ◆ BREEDERS 

ALPACAS 

ASSOCIATION 

Education Committee .................10 

AOBA Annual Meeting................11 

National Conference Info. .........11 

Schedule At-a-Glance..............12 

Sponsorship Opportunities......13 

Show Information ................14-15 

Sandy: Our Host City.................16 

Donated Alpacas .................17-20 

F2F Student Design Comp. .........22 

The Tale of the ARI Database....24 

The Alpaca Owners and Breeders 

Association, Inc. 

15000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C 

Mount Laurel NJ 08054 

(856) 439-1076 

FAX: (856) 439-0525 

E-mail: aoba@ahint.com 

Marketing website: www.AlpacaInfo.com 

Members’ website: www.AlpacaOwners.com 

Show website: www.AlpacaShows.com 

Alpaca products website: www.AlpacaFashion.com 

Executive Director: Michele Biordi, mbiordi@ahint.com 

ARI BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Bill Coleman, President 

4925 163rd Lane SW 

Rochester WA 98579 

(360) 273-5873, bill@alpacasoffircove.com 

Term expires: 2006 

Floyd Romanik, Vice President 

428 Douglas Hook Rd. 

Chepachet RI 02814 

(401) 568-7759 

floyd@indiansummeralpacas.com 


Jack Armstrong, Treasurer 

S. 10612 Forney Road 

Mica WA 99023-9619 

(509) 927-0432, jack@alpaca-info.com 


Curt Gedney, Secretary 

899 Jackson Ave. 

Emmett ID 83617 

(208) 365-7180, curtgedney@msn.com 


Shauna Brummet, Ph.D., Director 

3850 S. Medina Line Rd. 

Wadsworth, OH 44281 

(330) 334-4288, hhf@hobbyhorsefarm.com 


David Friedman, Director 

9568 Old Stage Rd. 

Remsen, NY 13238 

(315) 831-3040, alpacas@adelphia.com 


Jodi Wever, Director 

6413 W. CR 675 S. 

Knightstown, IN 46148 

(765) 345-5838, jodi@pocolago.com 


Affiliate Committee Reports......26 

IAOBA..........................................26 

Calpaca .......................................27 

PAOBA.........................................28 

AAWW ........................................28 

ABA..............................................29 

STAR ............................................29 

EAA ..............................................30 

NEOAOBA...................................30 

Suri Network..............................31 

SOCALPACA...............................31 

ABR..............................................32 

WABA..........................................33 

SeAA............................................33 

IMpaca! ......................................34 

OABA...........................................34 

SOJAA.........................................35 

TxOLAN .......................................36 

Calendar of Events.................37-38 

AOBA and ARI Contacts.............39 

AOBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Amy McCroskie 

Director and President 

2252 CR 3124 

Greenville TX 75402 

(903) 450-1999, amywm@aol.com 


Greg Mecklem 

Director and Vice President 

12995 NW Bishop Road 

Hillsboro OR 97124 

(503) 647-7770, alpacas@teleport.com 


Jerry Forstner 

Director and Treasurer 

5280 State Route 83 

Litchfield OH 44253 

(330) 667-3233, info@alpacafarm.com 


Steve Hull 

Director and Secretary 

5804 Wilson Drive 

Edmond OK 73034-7717 

(405) 341-8444, steve@timberlakefarms.net 


Erin McCarthy 

Director 

2500 Ridge Road 

Charlotte NC 28269 

(704) 503-7369, mccarthys@belleauwood.com 


Jeffrey Skinner 

Director 

3850 S. Medina Line Road 

Wadsworth, OH 44281 

(330) 334-4288, hhf@hobbyhorsefarm.biz 


Anthony Stachowski 

Director 

P.O. Box 828 

Mantua, OH 44255 

(330) 274-0280, sa@alpacaworld.com 

Term expires: 2007

From the ARI President (continued from page 1) 

Association Management Group and 

to set up our own office with our own 

employees. The Lincoln site was selected 

but the desired space was not 

immediately available. Therefore, the 

Board designed a two-phase plan for 

the Lincoln office. The first phase was 

a temporary location for three months 

until an existing tenant moved and 

a remodeling of the desired space was 

completed. The renovated space is now 

the permanent home providing additional 

phone lines and room for additional 

staff to service the ARI membership 

now and in the future. 

The Board has been less and less 

involved in the day-to-day problems 

as the Lincoln office took over service 

to the membership. This will allow 

the Board to concentrate once again 

on the long-range issues that confront 

us. Among these issues are evaluating 

and refining ARI office operations and 

policy, the new National Animal Iden- 

AOBA: 856-439-1076, aoba@ahint.com ■ ARI: 402-437-8484, ari@alpacaregistry.net 

tification System (NAIS), microchip 

requirements for permanent identification, 

website improvements, an 

expanded genetic testing program, 

establishment of a central bank of 

genetic samples under the direct 

control of ARI, and we hope to begin 

identifying and addressing long-range 

planning issues. 

The ARI election procedure is well 

underway. The Elections Committee 

composed of Christine Riley, Nancy 

Stepp, and Jim Cobia put together a 

slate of officers. In addition, two candidates 

were added by petition. The 

entire slate of candidates appears on 

page 9 of this issue. The Committee 

work does not stop at that point. 

They will continue to manage the 

election process through the tabulation 

of ballots and report results to the 

ARI Board. We owe these three a 

big “thank you” for taking on this 

important task. And we owe retiring 

Directors Jack Armstrong and Floyd 

Romanik a debt of gratitude for their 

service on the Board. 

The ARI annual meeting is only two 

months away. At the meeting, we will 

review events since our last annual 

meeting and introduce the two new 

Directors who will serve for three years. 

We have seven Directors, each filling 

staggered terms of three years. The 

inside cover of OneVoice lists the Directors 

of ARI and AOBA and shows when 

their terms expire. We participate with 

AOBA in the various conference and 

annual meeting events and appreciate 

their assistance that enables ARI to meet 

with our members. AOBA is also owed 

a big “thank you” for working with us 

through the transition year of 2004. 

We hope your spring brings forth 

many fine alpacas and we look forward 

to meeting with you in Salt Lake City 

at the National Conference in June. 

Thank You, F2F 2005 Sponsors! 

Diamond Sponsors 

Alpaca.com (Linda Davis) 

Astral Light Alpacas (Naomi & Marshall Flam) 

Carodel Alpacas (Dr. Delano & Caroline Mixon) 

Celebrity Sales (Tim Vincent & Tom Simmons) 

Empire Alpaca Association, Inc. 

Magical Farms, Inc. (Jerry & Libby Forstner) 

Southeastern Alpaca Association 

Touch Alpaca (Paul & Robin Roberts) 

Windy Hill Farm (Mary & John Bell) 

Emerald Sponsor 

Circle R Ranch (Rita & Roger John) 

3

ARI Lincoln Office – First Days 

It is common practice to evaluate the 

first 100 days of operation for any 

major organizational change. If all calendar 

days are counted, not just working 

days and beginning November 1, 

2004, the first 100 days for the ARI 

Lincoln office passed on February 8th. 

The establishment and start-up of the 

office has been a real challenging experience 

and not unlike trying to run up 

a slippery slope. While progress was 

made, we did take an occasional step 

backwards while we moved forward. 

In spite of the occasional slip, we are 

making good headway on a number of 

items. This will continue to improve as 

new Team members gain skills. Let’s 

review what happened in the first 100 

days to give everyone some perspective 

on how far we’ve come. 

■ The Association Management Group 

(AMG) of McLean, Virginia was 

notified on September 3, 2004 of 

their termination effective December 

31, 2004. 

■ The ARI Board selected Lincoln, 

Nebraska as the site for the new 

office on September 8, 2004, 

and established a two-phase process 

for the move. 

■ Phase One of the transition from 

McLean, Virginia began when the 

Administrator, Gordon A. Anderson, 

arrived on site October 1, 2004 to 

start the relocation plan. 

■ Computers were evaluated and 

ordered for the first phase. 

■ Used furniture was located and 

arrangements made for installation. 

■ On October 21, set up temporary 

ARI office while waiting for permanent 

office space to become available. 

■ The week of November 1 began the 

first 100 days as five Team members 

plus the Administrator began working 

together in the temporary space. 

4 

The last two days of that first week 

were spent receiving introductory 

training to the data system and 

processing transactions. The 

following weeks were spent reimplementing 

telephone service 

for the membership. 

■ The Lincoln Team began working 

with members to resolve invoice 

problems. 

■ Design planning for the permanent 

office began. 

■ On November 22, the first shipment 

containing FTA cards and barcodes 

was received from McLean, Virginia. 

Lincoln began working on transfers. 

■ The first printing of Certificate of 

Registration forms by Lincoln 

occurred on November 24. Since 

then, over 2,800 certificates have 

been mailed. 

■ AMG ceased processing ARI business 

December 14 and prepared to 

ship all records to Lincoln. 

■ A truckload of ARI records and 

supplies arrived in Lincoln just 

before Christmas. 

■ The existing tenant in ARI’s permanent 

space moved at the end of 

December, allowing the contractor 

to begin a 31-day remodel. 

■ Throughout this period, evaluation 

and improvements to the online 

process have been completed. 

■ The Certificate of Registration 

was revised, printed, and put into 

production. 

■ Based on the approved office design, 

furniture and computers were 

ordered. 

■ Phase Two began February 9, 2005 

with the set up of the permanent 

office and subsequent move into the 

new facility. Additional employees 

were added to begin training. 

■ Expanded operation began in the 

new office February 14. 

100 

The Lincoln office is working 

through the existing registration and 

transfer issues and once again bringing 

all aspects of the Registry under a logical 

control process. While the establishment 

of the Lincoln office has not 

been the hoped for “magic pill” or 

overnight cure many desired, we are 

responding to the membership and this 

will improve with more phone lines 

and staff. Yes, Lincoln has made mistakes 

during our three months of 

progress, but that will diminish as we 

continue to manage and improve 

processes. However slow right now, 

progress is being made even though for 

some members it is not fast enough. 

A natural question is what will the 

next 100 days bring? It will bring 

increasing levels of service, an 

improved turnaround time for registrations 

and transfers and a more 

user-friendly online process. Lincoln 

is just a few hours drive from Missouri, 

the “Show Me” state. No doubt that 

is exactly what many are thinking. The 

Lincoln office plans to do just that, 

show you improvements. With the 

ARI Board oversight and the Lincoln 

office having more direct employees to 

respond to the membership, it will 

happen this time. 

And remember – the Lincoln office 

employees didn’t dig the hole we’re in; 

they’re helping us dig out of it. The 

ARI Board asks you to treat them with 

the respect and courtesy they deserve. 

They have been trained to treat you 

with the same. Thank you for your 

support and patience. 

POINT OF CONTACT 

Gordon A. Anderson 

Administrator 

ari@alpacaregistry.net 

402-437-8484

New Study Provides Potential Link 

Between Stress and Fatty Liver Disease 

Dr. Christopher Cebra, VMD, MS 

is an Associate Professor of Large 

Animal Internal Medicine at Oregon 

State University and an ARF-funded 

investigator. He is particularly interested 

in the role of stress hormones in the 

excess mobilization of fat in alpacas. 

Excess mobilization of fat can result in 

clinically serious disorders such as 

hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver) and hyperlipemia 

(excess fat in the bloodstream). 

These disorders, although not common, 

are often fatal and expensive to treat. 

Recently, Dr. Cebra and his collaborator 

Dr. Susan Tornquist, DVM, PhD, 

published results of a new study in 

the American Journal of Veterinary 

Research. The lay description of their 

findings was written by Dr. Cebra: 

The purpose of this study was to 

try to link stress hormones to fatty 

liver disease. The actions of stress 

are frequently attributed to hormones, 

but prior to this project, no 

real link has been found. 

Fatty liver is frequently thought to 

relate to inadequate nutrition or feed 

intake, but many of the affected 

alpacas that we see have adequate 

food available or do not appear to 

have any particularly extra demand 

for nutrition, such as pregnancy or 

milk production. Our previous 

research has also demonstrated that 

fatty liver is extremely difficult to 

induce in camelids simply by reducing 

their available food. We know 

that affected alpacas have increased 

amounts of fat in their blood, and 

often sugar, but the cause of these 

has been elusive. 

In this project, we tested epinephrine, 

otherwise known as adrenaline, 

one of the important stress 

hormones. We investigated whether 


epinephrine induced changes in the 

blood similar to what we see with 

fatty liver. The results were very convincing. 

A single dose of epinephrine, 

which had no outward effects 

on the alpacas, caused dramatic 

increases in three different blood fat 

fractions. These increases were 

beyond those caused in another 

study by four weeks of reduced feed 

intake. Thus, we conclude that fatty 

liver in some cases may be more due 

to a stress response than anything 

revolving around calories. 

We also tested whether insulin 

counteracted these effects. Much of 

our recent research has centered 

around adult camelids’ low insulin 

production, and the relation of this to 

disease states. In this study, insulin 

strongly counteracted epinephrine’s 

ability to increase blood fat and sugar, 

and hence we conclude that insulin 

treatment may be helpful in prevention 

or treatment of fatty liver in alpacas. 

References: 

■ Cebra CK, Tornquist SJ. Effects of 

Epinephrine and Insulin on Blood 

Biochemical Constituents in Llamas 

and Alpacas. Am J Vet Res 65,1692- 

Want 

More? 

▼ 

ARF 

RESEARCH UPDATE 

1696, 2004. 

■ Tornquist, SJ, Van Saun, RJ, Smith, 

BB, Cebra, CK, Snyder, SP, Hepatic 

Lipidosis in Llamas and Alpacas: 31 

cases (1991-1997) J. Am Vet Med 

Assoc, 214, 1368-1372, 1999. 

■ Anderson, DE, Constable, PD, 

Yvorchuk, KE, et al, Hyperlipemia 

and Ketonuria in an Alpaca and 

a Llama, J Vet Intern Med 8, 207- 

211, 1994. 

■ Van Saun, RJ, Callihan BR, 

Tornquist, SJ, Nutritional Support 

for Treatment of Hepatic Lipidosis in 

a Llama, J Am Vet Med Assoc 217, 

1531-1535, 2000. 

■ Cebra, CK, Tornquist, SJ, Van Saun, 

RJ, et al, Intravenous Glucose Tolerance 

Testing in Llamas and Alpacas, 

Am J Vet Res, 62, 682-686, 2001. 

■ Cebra, CK, McKane, SA, Tornquist, 

SJ, Effects of Exogenous Insulin on 

Glucose Clearance in Alpacas, Am 

J Vet Res, 62, 1544-1547. 


Dr. Christopher Cebra, VMD, MS 

christopher.cebra@oregonstate.edu 

Abstracts of these and other published studies can be found 

on PubMed, a website that is available to everyone free of 

charge through the National Library of Medicine, USPHS. 

Just go to the ARF website at alpacaresearchfoundation.org 

and click on “Links” to find a link to PubMed. 

5

▼ 

AOBA Fiber Committee Report 

The Directory of Fiber Resources is Here! 

By the time you read this, the brand 

new AOBA publication, the 

Directory of Fiber Resources, will have 

been mailed to the membership, along 

with the latest edition of the Farm & 

Ranch Guide. The Fiber Committee is 

thrilled to have completed the first edition 

of this valuable directory, and we 

are eager to hear your feedback! 

The Fiber Committee is 

confident you will find 

the first edition of the 

DFR very useful, no 

matter where you’re at on 

the fiber continuum. 

If you are one of the many alpaca 

owners who has diligently sheared your 

alpacas, bagged up the fleece carefully, 

stored it safely in the closet, and now 

find yourself wondering what happens 

next, this directory is for you. The tal- 

6 

ented folks listed in the DFR understand 

how to take the next step with 

your precious fleeces. 

Have you ever imagined yourself 

learning to spin, knit, crochet, or 

weave? Use the DFR to locate individuals 

and companies able to supply you 

with equipment, books, and useful 

advice to help you get started. 

If you are a skilled handcrafter, use 

the DFR to find a business capable 

of complementing your work. Perhaps 

you are a knitter in need of hand 

or mill spun yarn from your fleece. 

Or you may enjoy processing your 

own fleece, but are looking for a 

way to turn your lovely yarns into 

a value-added end product. Use 

the directory to locate a variety of 

people who can help you realize 

your dreams. 

If you are thinking of opening a 

farm store, or already have one, the 

DFR includes a number of potential 

suppliers who can help you add unique 

product to your inventory. 

Seminars. Fiber mills. Entities interested 

in purchasing your fleeces. 

Shearing services and equipment. 

Alpaca yarns. Books and magazines. 

Wholesale product for your retail business. 

It’s all here to help you get started 

or add new dimensions to your own 

fiber business. Plus, a comprehensive 

fiber dictionary for your reference! 

The Fiber Committee is confident 

you will find the first edition of the 

DFR very useful, no matter where 

you’re at on the fiber continuum. We 

look forward to hearing your feedback 

and suggestions on this exciting new 

resource, and hope you continue to 

expand your own fleecy horizons. 


Kirsten Kraushaar 

soulfoodalpacas@aol.com 

763-444-8636


AOBA Marketing Division Update 

AOBA Stud Auction 

As you’ve noticed, the all-new and 

exciting Official AOBA On-Line Stud 

Auction website is up and running, providing 

yet another venue for AOBA 

members to promote their services. The 

auction benefits individual farms, and 

helps AOBA market participating farms 

to the entire North American alpaca 

market. Plus, it’s absolutely free to 

AOBA Farm Members! Make plans to 

learn more about – and sign up for – 

the AOBA On-Line Stud Auction! 

Want to check it out… and even participate? 

How about this: advertise on the 

site and reach your target audience! If 

you have “how-to” questions, e-mail 

Erin McCarthy at mccarthys@ 

belleauwood.com – she’ll get you all the 

answers you need! Visit the AOBA Stud 

Auction at www.AOBAMarket.com 

today! 

AOBA Show Booth 

AOBA is designing a booth, available 

for placement at all alpaca shows, bringing 

support and answers to new alpaca 

breeders – or those who want to be 

alpaca breeders. In addition to great 

information, the AOBA booth will 

have lots of collateral sales materials: 

leaflets, brochures, and press kits – 

all designed to help YOU sell more 

alpacas! Contact Robin Gilmore at 

info@IllusionRanch.com – for info 

or to schedule the AOBA booth at 

your show! 

AOBA Membership Has 

Its Rewards 

The value of AOBA membership is far 

greater than its cost… in fact, AOBA’s 

Marketing Division makes the most of 

your membership dollars by utilizing 

regional and national magazines, television, 

and every other venue we can to 

promote you, the AOBA Farm Mem- 

Have You Read a Great 

Alpaca-Related Article? 

Please forward it via regular mail to Jerry 

Miller of Brown & Miller Advertising, 24100 

Chagrin Boulevard, Beachwood OH 44122, 

or e-mail it to him at JerrMill@MSN.com. 

Through a targeted Public Relations campaign, 

we promote AOBA member farms and 

their alpacas to the general public and to the 

media. When you see a great article in the 

local press, we promote that to regional and 

national media outlets. This helps the North 

American alpaca industry, which, in turn, 

helps YOU! 

ber. There are added benefits that are 

afforded to those who invest in the 

Farm and Ranch Guide, too! Through 

the Farm & Ranch Guide Program, 

AOBA advertises for the mutual benefit 

of the entire industry. Consistent 

market research and continual new 

market exploration takes time and 

money, but it provides real results! 

Over the last two years alone, we’ve 

gained hundreds of new AOBA members, 

and we know this trend is going 

to help YOU sell alpacas and related 

services. We’ll keep bringing on new 

products and services, and you keep 

making great alpacas… it’s what will 

keep this industry strong. Got questions 

about the products AOBA offers 

its members? Drop us an e-mail at 

AOBA@ahint.com. Remember – 

it’s YOUR organization – use it to 

grow – PARTICIPATE! 

The New, Improved AOBA 

Membership Directory: 

It’s Better Than Ever 

Guess what? We’ve really improved 

the upcoming AOBA Membership 

Directory – better quality cover, better 

binding, better overall. Why? Easy – 

you asked for it, and you deserve it. 

Volunteers Needed! 

Hey, you. Yeah, you! We need your 

help, and we need it NOW! AOBA is a 

volunteer organization, as we all know. 

Because we’re constantly working to 

make AOBA better for its member 

farms, we always need (and welcome!) 

new ideas, board members, and volunteers. 

If you’ve got the desire to help 

improve the North American alpaca 

industry, drop us a line. Remember – 

the entire AOBA organization, every 

committee, and board member – is 

working to promote, improve, and 

GROW the industry. Help us do our 

work – volunteer! 


Robin Gilmore, AOBA Marketing 

Division Internal Communications 

Team Leader 

info@IllustionRanch.com 

610-458-2589 

7

Clarification of Current ARI Policy 

Regarding Microchipping 

The purpose of this article is to 

review current ARI policy regarding 

microchipping. 

In recent editions of OneVoice, the 

development of a National Animal 

Identification System (NAIS) by 

USDA/APHIS has been described, the 

objective of which is to be able to trace 

back domestic and foreign disease outbreaks 

within a 48 hour time frame, in 

order to control and manage animal 

disease. In conjunction with this, the 

Camelid Working Group (CWG) has 

been tasked with formulating recommendations 

for individual animal identification 

and data collection, specific 

to the camelid population in the 

United States. 

The AOBA/ARI Government and 

Industry Relations Committee 

(GIRComm) Report in the September 

2004 edition of OneVoice indicated 

that, effective July 1st of 2005, microchipping 

would be required in order 

to complete the ARI registration 

process and, furthermore, that AOBA 

would be requiring that all alpacas 

entered at AOBA certified events be 

microchipped. 

On November 22nd, 2004, the ARI 

Board approved a Policy regarding 

Alpaca Permanent Identification (Policy 

ID# ARI 04-06) in which it was recommended, 

but not mandated that 

microchips be utilized as permanent 

identification devices, in addition to the 

requirement that scientific blood testing 

(currently, DNA testing; prior to 

11/98, blood typing) be used for parentage 

verification and alpaca identification 

purposes, in the registration process. 

This Policy also permits the use of other 

methods of permanent identification, 

including “eartags, tattoos, and other 

permanent identification numbers.” 

8 

The CWG issued a Status Report 

on September 2nd, 2004, in which 

devices and methods for camelid identification 

were described. The report 

mentioned that, at that time, records 

indicated that approximately 44% 

of ARI-registered alpacas (and 10% 

of ILR-registered animals) had a 

microchip implanted; indeed, it was 

felt that the percentage might be higher, 

but that the records might not yet 

have been updated to accurately reflect 

the actual percentage of microchipped 

camelids. The CWG indicated that 

camelid owners preferred microchip 

A microchip is about the size 

of a grain of rice. 

devices over other means of identification, 

i.e. eartags, while acknowledging 

that further study would be needed 

in order to establish the longevity, as 

well as the preferred location, of such 

devices. (In the December 2004 edition 

of OneVoice, the Alpaca Research 

Foundation called for proposals to 

address this issue.) The CWG further 

acknowledged that other devices and 

methods might better suit the needs 

of industry for visibility and cost 

effectiveness. Hence, the Report concluded 

that the CWG would “need 

to continue to evaluate microchips 

and other identification devices” 

before making its recommendations 

to the USDA regarding a camelid 

identification plan. 

It has been GIRComm’s position 

that if the alpaca industry takes a 

proactive role in complying with 

microchipping (which it feels is the 

method of choice for alpaca identification), 

the USDA would accept this as 

THE method for camelid identification 

under the NAIS plan. However, 

in light of the CWG’s reluctance to 

recommend a specific form of identification 

for camelids at this point in 

time, it is ARI’s current position that 

it would be premature to require 

microchipping. Instead, ARI will continue 

to strongly support the use of 

microchipping for animal identification 

and encourage its members to 

notify the Registry of microchip 

numbers, for inclusion in its database 

and on certificates. ARI database and 

certificates have the capability of 

including (multiple) microchip numbers, 

as well as other forms of identification 

such as ear tag and tattoo numbers. 

Members will soon be able to 

enter this information online, in a 

secure fashion. 

The ARI Board is committed to 

serving the needs of all of its members, 

while at the same time welcoming 

the opportunity to work closely 

together with AOBA to serve its 

members, as well. 

We will continue to carefully consider 

the recommendations of the CWG 

and GIRComm, as we monitor the 

progress of the NAIS plan. If necessary, 

revisions will be made to ARI’s current 

policy, in order to affect and/or comply 

with USDA/APHIS guidelines. 


Dave Friedman, ARI Board Director 

alpacas@adelphia.net 

315-831-3040

Parentage Validation 

Testing Update 

During the development of the 

service contract with Geneseek in 

2003, the Science committee, chaired 

by Dr. Shauna Brummet, and Geneseek 

principal, Dr. Daniel Pomp, discussed 

the needs of the parentage 

validation testing for alpacas into the 

future. As the number of ARI-registered 

alpacas increases along with the 

use of breeding methods that may 

increase the relatedness of some animals 

in the population, we thought 

it prudent to put into place testing 

methods that would grow with the 

needs of the industry. 

We thought it prudent 

to put into place testing 

methods that would 

grow with the needs 

of the industry. 

To this end, the service contract with 

Geneseek stipulated that they would 

routinely run 14 microsatellite markers 

to generate the individual identity 

genotype for each alpaca. Our previous 

contractor had routinely run 10 

microsatellite markers which produce 

results that are extremely robust and 

provide highly confident validation of 

parentage. Geneseek initiated our testing 

services using the same 10 markers, 

planning to add 4 more in the future. 

The reason that we need to add more 

markers is that sometimes not all of the 

markers produce data for various physi- 


cal and chemical reasons having to do 

with the state of the sample and DNA 

that can be extracted from it. In order 

to provide high quality results and 

uniquely identify some individuals, it 

was sometimes necessary to utilize additional 

markers for 

parentage validation. 

Geneseek has been 

asked to examine a 

number of additional 

alpaca- and llama-specific 

microsatellite markers, as well as 

some bovine specific markers, in order 

to select the most highly informative 

and robust markers to add to our standard 

panel of markers for routine use. 

Our goal is to always have at least 12 

of the 14 markers producing data for 

use in the parentage validation 

methodology. This will be the standard 

by which we validate putative parentage 

going forward. 

Your ARI Board and DNA testing 

vendor, Geneseek, are committed to 

continually improving the DNA testing 

methods, ease of use, communication 

with ARI and members, in order to 

maintain the Alpaca Registry’s stature 

as an early adopter of the most rigorous 

standards for parentage validation and 

registration in the livestock industry. 

By the time you read this, Dr. Brummet 

and Geneseek scientist Dr. Qiu 

will have presented more detailed 

information about parentage validation 

testing in two seminars given at the 

Atlanta Fiber to Fashion Conference. 


Shauna R. Brummet, Ph.D., ARI Board 

of Directors and Chair, Science 

Committee 

hhf@hobbyhorsefarm.com 

330-334-4288 

ATTENTION 

■ ARI Annual Meeting Notice 

12 noon, Friday, June 3rd, 2005, at the 

South Towne Exposition Center, Sandy, 

Utah. Check your conference notebook 

upon arrival for room location for this 

important meeting. 

■ ARI Election 

The election for two Directors on the ARI 

Board is less than a month away. Retiring 

Directors are Jack Armstrong and Floyd 

Romanik. The Election Committee has 

selected the following nominees to run 

for the open positions on the ARI Board: 

Jennifer Ford 

Backstage Alpacas, Pittsburgh, PA 

Wayne Jarvis 

Sixth Day Farm, Holley, NY 

Matthew Miller 

Dockerlee Ranch Alpacas, Van Nuys, CA 

Scott Miller 

Greener Pastures Alpacas 

Terrebonne, OR 

Candidates by petition are: 

Ron Ayres, Grace Farms Alpacas, 

Frostproof, FL 

Kenneth Madl, Aviana Farms, Denver, CO 

ARI Election Committe Members are: 

Christine Riley (Oregon) 

criley@teleport.com 

503-985-0502 

Nancy Stepp (California) 

nancy@rollingthunderfarms.com 

805-386-2001 

Jim Cobia (New York) 

seealpacas@cobiacorneralpacas.com 

585-392-7956 

Election packets with information about the 

candidates, along with ballots will be mailed 

no later than April 22, 2005. Ballots must be 

postmarked by May 6, 2005, and received by 

May 20, 2005. 

9

AOBA Education 

Committee Update 

We are really pleased to announce 

that Deb Hill is now Co-Chair 

of the AOBA Education Committee, 

along with Ian Prokop. Deb is of 

course well known to all of us in the 

alpaca world as a respected breeder, 

teacher, lecturer, author, and contributing 

member of the Education Committee. 

In her other life, Deb is a full-time 

elected Supervisor on the Coconino 

County, Arizona, Board of Supervisors. 

Our newest members, Donna Pointer 

and Lynn Boak are on the National 

Conference Planning Committee. 

Deb Hill is spearheading the Alpaca 

Producers’ Handbook project with 

Carol Roberts’ able assistance. Carol 

also is the author and originator of 

Speakers’ Links (on the AOBA web 

site). Laura Berry is very creative in 

initiating the on-line Member Surveys. 

Wayne Aldrich has been carrying the 

load in assembling and maintaining 

the many lists of speakers and topics. 

In addition, everyone pitches in on 

everything, with enthusiasm. 

Due to the growing demand of conference 

attendees who are new to the 

alpaca business, we have a number of 

popular conference presentations that 

are updated and presented as appropriate 

each succeeding conference. In 

addition to the many introductory ses- 

A number of popular 

conference presentations 

are updated and 

presented as appropriate. 

10 

sions, we also have a smaller number of 

intermediate and advanced sessions on 

more specialized topics. 

We welcome comments and suggestions 

for adding new presentations and 

to improve the presentation content at 

each and every conference. You can 

help us with this at the conferences by 

filling in the Session Evaluation which 

is handed out and collected at the end 

of each conference session. Be sure to 

write in your suggestions and comments 

at the bottom of the form in 

addition to checking the boxes. We also 

welcome direct contact with Education 

Committee members. The members are 

all listed on the AOBA Members web 

site and are easy to contact. 

The Committee is always on the 

lookout for new speakers, in addition 

to new ideas for conference topics. 

Speakers must be experienced and educated 

on the topic(s) they teach. Topics 

should appeal to a wide range of alpaca 

industry members. If you would like to 

make recommendations, contact any 

member of the Committee. 


Ian Prokop, Co-Chair, AOBA 

Education Committee 

Suris@alpacavista.com 

360-779-1846 

The Education Committee has ongoing task of recommending topics and speakers 

for the F2F and the National Conferences, with a lot of overlap in time and effort 

to start the next conference planning even before the current conference is ready 

to go live. This is an exciting environment in which to work. 

Big Kudos to the 

Ed Committee! 

On behalf of all the 

attendees at this year’s 

F2F, we want to thank 

the AOBA Education 

Committee (and ARI 

& AOBA liaisons) for 

the OUTSTANDING job 

you did of selecting 

topics, speakers, and 

managing the Workshop/ 

Seminar Speaker 

Feedback Program! 

Way to go, TEAM! 

The AOBA and ARI 

Boards of Directors 

Moved? 

New telephone 

or E-mail? 

Don’t forget to send us changes 

in your contact information. 

If you have changed, or are 

planning to change your: 

Address, phone, FAX, or 

e-mail address, 

let us know. 

ARI: 402-437-8484, 

E-mail: ari@alpacaregistry.net 

AOBA: 856-439-1076 

E-mail: aoba@ahint.com


AOBA Members! Wagons Ho! 

Have You Heard? 

There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills of Utah! 

This year’s National Conference is set 

to be the “Golden” alpaca event of 

the year! Your AOBA Education Committee 

has been wrangling overtime to 

put together one of the most comprehensive 

and informative presentations 

ever offered about alpacas! Whether you 

have been in the business 20 days or 

20 years, or are just investigating, there 

is something here for you. If you’re 

bringing along a wagon full of ’pacas or 

flying in on a tumbleweed, pardner, do 

we have a show for you! 

If you come with alpacas in tow, ye 

doggie you’ll be busy! Between showing 

and classes and networking, you’ll 

be having the time of your life! 

Lookee here to see what the National 

Conference Planning Committee has 

in store for you this year! 

Education 

Whether you’re a veteran breeder or 

just getting started… workshops, 

clinics, and seminars abound. From 

the classic and always packed Neonatal 

Clinic to the latest hot topic 

such as Skin Characteristics and 

■ AOBA Annual Meeting Notice 

12:30 p.m., Thursday, June 2nd, 2005, at the South Towne Exposition 

Center, Sandy, Utah. Check your conference notebook upon 

arrival for the room location for this important meeting. 

Follicle Density of the Alpaca, you’ll 

come away filled to the “brim” 

with knowledge you can apply back 

at your farm. 

■ AOBA Election 

The 2004 Nominating Committee has completed its assigned task 

of securing candidates for the national election and wishes to 

present the names to the AOBA Board of Directors for approval. 

There are two vacancies this year. The candidates running by 

nomination are as follows: 

Alpaca Halter and Fleece Show 

Get a jumpstart on the show ring this 

year since production classes start 

Friday morning! You don’t want to 

miss the opportunity to throw your 

cowboy hat into the ring with your 

special girl or boy. Your animal may 

be awarded a ribbon from the most 

prestigious halter and fleece show in 

the country! 

Grande Alpaca Auction 

Let the bidding begin! Last year, sales 

passed the $1.9 million mark. We are 

expecting to exceed $2 million in 2005. 

Look for your auction catalog in early 

May to preview the premiere auction 

animals! 

Networking – Entertainment 

and Good Times For All 

What would the National Conference 

be without plenty of time to catch up 

• • • ATTENTION • • • 

with old friends as well as make new 

ones? We are going to have a grand 

ole’ time in the hills of Utah as we 

Go for the Gold! The western style 

barbeque meet and greet reception is 

the perfect time to network and have 

some fun. And the MUST event for 

this year is the Go for the Gold 

Western Gala Celebration. This is not 

the same old banquet of yesteryear! 

This late-night event features western 

style gambling so bring your poker 

face… as well as dining, live auction 

of one-of-a-kind items and dancing 

late into the evening. 

Surprises and More 

You never know what surprises lie in 

the hills of Utah, so get ready for an 

AOBA National Conference like you’ve 

never experienced before. 

Don’t be a prairie dog and hide in 

a hole, it’s time to return to the Old 

West, Saloon Style! Bring your sixshooter 

and your 10-gallon hat, bring 

your alpacas, bring your customers, 

bring your family and Go for the 

Gold! Alpaca Gold! 

Kim Devos, Creekside Breeders, Ltd./Inca Fashions, Gibsonia, PA 

Steve Hull, TimberLake Farms, Inc., Edmond, OK 

Amy McCroskie, A and A Alpacas, Greenville, TX 

Tim Wilson, Sterling Forrest Alpacas, Inc., Chagrin Falls, OH 

Additionally, the following individuals have collected the 

requisite signatures to run “by petition.” 

Glenn Berns, Sugar Creek Farm & Inn, Blue Ridge, GA 

Ana Romanik, Indian Summer Alpacas, Chepachet, RI 

11

Wednesday, June 1, 2005 

8:00am - 6:00pm Registration, AOBA Store 

& Membership Desk 

8:00am - 8:00pm Alpaca/Show Check-In 

8:00am - 8:00pm Vendor Set-Up 

8:00am - 5:00pm Fleece Show Check-In 

8:00am - 5:00pm Fiber Arts & Skein 

Competition Check-In 

8:00am - 6:00pm Pre-Conference Workshops 

Note: Pre-registration & additional fee required 

for all clinics. Full day clinics include lunch in the 

registration fee. Mini-clinics are half day sessions 

and do not include lunch. For a list of workshops 

& descriptions, refer to the Conference 

Registration Magazine or National Conference 

page on www.alpacaowners.com. 

Thursday, June 2, 2005 



7:00am - 5:00pm Barn Open 

(Open to Public) 

7:00am - 8:00am Continental breakfast 

available 

8:00am - 5:00pm Fleece Judging 

8:00am - 5:00pm Handcrafter’s Display 

8:00am - 5:00pm Crafters’ Corner 

8:00am - 5:00pm Fiber Arts & Skein 

Judging 

9:00am - 5:30pm Silent Auction 

9:00am - 5:30pm Photo Competition Display 

9:00am - 6:00pm Seminars – Refer to 

seminar schedule on 

wwwalpacaowners.com 

or in onsite notebook 

12:30pm - 2:00pm Lunch & AOBA Annual Mtg. 

NEW for 2005 – Featuring 

Membership Appreciation 

& Other Surprises 

Conference Registration 

Watch the mail for your conference 

registration magazine in early April. 

Online registration for the conference 

at www.alpacaowners.com will be open 

beginning April 1, 2005. 

12 

c 

National Conference 2005 

Schedule At-a-Glance 

(Coverage starts here and continues through page 24) 

6:15pm- 6:30pm Consignor’s Meeting 

7:00pm - 7:30pm 1st Timers Reception 

7:30pm - 10:00pm Meet and Greet Reception 

Friday, June 3, 2005 



7:00am - 7:00pm Barn Open (Open to Public) 


available 

7:30am - 8:00am Exhibitor Meeting 

8:00am - 12:00pm Halter Shows 

c 

NEW for 2005 – Halter 

Shows Start Fri. morning! 

Ring One: Performance/ 

Youth Show 

Ring Two: Composite/Shorn 

Ring Three: Production 

(All open to the Public) 

8:15am - 9:45am AFCNA Annual Meeting 

8:00am - 12:00pm Vendors Open 

Optional Open (12 pm -7 pm) 

8:00am - 5:00pm Fleece Judging 


8:00am - 5:00pm Crafter’s Corner 

8:00am - 5:00pm Fiber Arts/Skein 

Competition Display 

8:00am - 5:00pm Photo Contest Display 


12:00pm - 1:30pm Lunch & ARI Annual Mtg. 

c 

(Mtg. begins at 12:30pm) 

1:30pm - 3:30pm Auction Preview 

(Open to the Public) 

3:30pm - 7:30pm Alpaca Auction: Featuring 

Cocktails & Heavy Hors 

d’evoures 


Saturday, June 4, 2005 



7:00am - 5:00pm Barn Open (Open to Public) 


available 








8:00am - 12:00pm Continue Composite/ 

Shorn Classes 

(if applicable) 

8:00am - 5:00pm Full Fleece Halter Show 


8:00am - 5:30pm Informational Sessions 

& Tours 

(For Public) 

12:00pm - 5:00pm Fleece Show Results 

on Display 

6:00pm - 7:30pm Silent Auction Final 

Bidding & Cocktails 

(Open to all attendees) 

7:30pm - End Go for the Gold Western 

c 

Gala Celebration 

NEW for 2005 –All New 

Event Featuring Dining, 

Dancing, Live Auction, 

Western Style Gambling, 

Surprises & More! 

(Ticket required for this event) 

Sunday, June 5, 2005 



7:00am - 5:00pm Barn Open 







8:00am - 2:00pm Fleece Show Results on 

Display 

9:00am - 11:00am Fleece Show Oral Reasons 


8:00am - 4:00pm Silent Auction Pick-Up 

Items available for pick-up. 

8:00am - 5:00pm Full Fleece Halter Show 


2:00 pm- 5:00pm Fleece Show Check-Out 

2:00 pm- 5:00pm Fiber Arts/Skein Check-Out 

4:00 pm- 10:00pm Alpaca & Vendor Move-Out 

Schedule is subject to change. Please look for more information and details in the 2005 AOBA National 

Conference Registration Magazine in your mailbox in very early April or for on-line updates visit 

www.alpacaowners.com and click on National Conference web page.

Bronze Sponsor: $500 

■ Recognition in Conference Registration 

Magazine* 

■ Recognition in Conference Notebook* 

■ Recognition on alpacaowners.com 

■ Farm name on signage at event 

■ Certificate from AOBA to be proudly 

displayed at farm or at future shows 

■ Complimentary list of attendees for 

solicitation 

■ Table with promotional material at Photo 

Competition 

Silver Sponsor: $1,500 (Limited Availability) 

ALL of the “Bronze” Sponsor benefits (except 

table at photo competition), PLUS: 

■ Recognition on aobamarket.com 

■ Recognition in OneVoice 

■ Recognition in Alpacas Magazine 

■ Verbal recognition at Thursday’s lunch 

■ Sponsor acknowledgement on tent cards at 

each table for Thursday’s lunch 

■ Complimentary list of attendees for solicitation 

(pre and post) 

■ Special Silver Sponsorship ribbon attached 

to badge holder 

■ Two complimentary Gala Banquet tickets 

■ Table for promotion of your farm at 

Handcrafter’s Spin-Off 

■ Table for promotion of your farm at Fiber 

Arts Competition 

New for 2005 – Silver Sponsors are featured 

during the Thursday (Western themed) lunchwhich 

is a completely revamped event (think 

dynamic, fun yet still informative)! This is the 

first opportunity to truly welcome attendees 

with our “Go for the Gold” theme. Count on a 

few entertaining surprises plus membership 

appreciation. 

c 

Gold Sponsor: $2,500 (Limited Availability) 



■ Premium recognition and display of farm 

logo on aobamarket.com 


logo in OneVoice 


logo in Alpacas Magazine 


Sponsorship Opportunities 

RESERVE 

YOUR 

SPONSORSHIP 

PACKAGE 

TODAY! 

■ Verbal recognition at meet & greet and minimum 

of once elsewhere during conference 

■ One complimentary 10 X 10 vendor booth 

or two 10 X 10 stalls 

■ Banner from AOBA to be proudly displayed 

at farm or at future shows 

■ Opportunity to distribute one 8 1/2 x 11 

insert, allocated for registration bags 

■ Special Gold Sponsorship ribbon attached 

to badge holder 

■ Preferred stall placement** 

■ Two complimentary Gala Banquet tickets 

■ One complimentary farm registration 

■ Opportunity to send thank you’s on your 

farm letterhead 

■ Farm banner hung in display area 

■ Display table promoting your farm at the 

meet & greet event 

■ Opportunity to greet attendees as they 

arrive at meet & greet 



New for 2005 – Gold Sponsors are featured 

during the meet & greet. You’ll have the 

opportunity to greet guests at a barbeque 

style themed event with exciting entertainment, 

tasty food, and of course, lots of 

networking, surprises, and fun. Don’t miss 

out on attaching your farm name to this oneof-a-kind 

event! 

Diamond Sponsor: $5,000 (Limited Availability) 




logo on aobamarket.com 


logo in OneVoice 


logo in Alpacas Magazine 

■ Verbal recognition at the Gala and twice 

minimum elsewhere during the conference 

■ Opportunity to place pre-approved gift or 

promotional materials on tables at Gala 

■ Preferred stall placement** 

■ Two complimentary 10 x 10 vendor booths 

or four (4) 10 x 10 stalls 

■ Banner from AOBA to be proudly displayed 

at farm or at future shows 

Add-on to any sponsorship package: 

One approved door drop to all registrants at host hotels, additional price $1,200 

c 

You can find a reservation form in your Conference Registration Magazine (look in your 

mailbox in early April) or you can download a form by visiting www.alpacaowners.com 

and click on National Conference page. Please complete the form and fax with credit 

card information to 856-439-0525 or mail completed form with check to the AOBA office. 

And as always, please feel free to call the AOBA office with any questions. Pam Ewan, 

assistant executive director (pewan@ahint.com or 856-642-4204), is the point of contact 

for this year’s sponsorship program. 

c 

■ Opportunity to distribute two (2) 8 1/2 x 11 

inserts allocated for registration bags 

■ Special Diamond Sponsorship ribbon 

attached to badge holder 



■ Two complimentary farm registrations 

■ Opportunity to send thank you’s on your 

farm letterhead 

■ Farm banner hung in display area 

■ Gala Banquet complimentary reserved table 

for eight guests with the option to decorate 

your table 

■ Opportunity to greet guests at the “Go for 

the Gold” Western Celebration 

NEW for 2005 – Our Diamond Sponsors are 

featured at this year’s “Go for the Gold” 

Western Gala Celebration!! AOBA has reinvented 

this special event to make it an 

evening to remember featuring dining, dancing, 

the always exciting live auction, and of 

course Western style gambling. You’ll not 

only be the host for the evening but you’ll be 

treated like the true VIP you are! 

Opportunites for First-Time Sponsors 

■ Championship Sponsorship: $250 

Half-page ad and listing in Show Program and 

presentation of trophy and ribbons to winner 

of sponsored class 

Championship Class requested: Complete on 

participation form 

■ Fleece or Halter Show Sponsor: $150 

You pick the show you wish to sponsor! 

Halter or Fleece Show: Complete on 


■ Seminar Sponsor: $250 

Introduce yourself and the speaker 

Seminar requested: Complete on 


** Provided participation form and logo are received 

by production deadline 

** Sponsorship must be received by deadline date noted 

on registration form in order to guarantee preferred 

stall placement 

information 

moreconference 

13 

▼

Marketing and Promotional 

Opportunities 

There are a variety of ways to showcase 

your farm or business at the National 

Conference. Are you looking to make 

that big splash or perhaps just testing 

the waters for the first time? We have 

many options to fit your needs as 

well as your budget. Lots of new 

SPONSORSHIP packages are available 

this year. Please refer to page 13 

for details. 

Interested in ADVERTISING? You 

can still reserve your advertisement for 

the on-site notebook today by visiting 

www.alpacaowners.com and click on 

“National Conference” page or contact 

the AOBA office at 856-439-1076. 

BAG INSERTS are also a great way 

to spread the word about your farm or 

business. Reservation information and 

other details are provided in the 

Conference Registration Magazine 

as well as on the web. 

One of the many new twists for this 

year’s Saturday banquet event is the 

live auction! This special auction run 

by Celebrity Sales with “celebrity” 

spotters is limited to a maximum of 

10 eye-catching, high-value items. Past 







14 


Show Information 

auctions featured one-of-a-kind alpaca 

paintings, fishing excursions, and of 

course, the world famous belt-buckle! 

Are you interested in DONATING 

TO THE LIVE AUCTION? If so, 

contact Nance Sturm (cwalpacas@ 

mindspring.com or 770-979-4445) on 

behalf of the Marketing Committee, or 

Pam Ewan (pewan@ahint.com or 856- 

642-4204) at the AOBA office. 

Do I hear $1,000? $5,000? $10,000? The 

famous AOBA belt-buckle has been auctioned off 

every year to a different lucky bidder. The high 

bidder gets to strut his stuff for one year, and 

then the buckle is auctioned off again. 

Another option to highlight your 

farm busines is to DONATE TO THE 

SILENT AUCTION. You can support 

the industry and boost your image! 

Silent Auction items will be on display 

during the conference with final bidding 

taking place Saturday evening 

prior to the Go for the Gold Gala 

Celebration. Please contact Veronica 

Noble (vnoble@ahint.com or 856-439- 

1076) to make your donation. 

kWhen making hotel reservations, 

mention “Alpaca Owners and Breeders 

Association” to secure a discounted rate. 

Hotel Accommodations 

National Conference attendees will have 

several excellent hotel options from 

which to choose. AOBA has secured 

blocks of sleeping rooms at reduced 

rates for AOBA attendees at four properties. 

All four properties are close to 

each other, and shuttle bus transportation 

will be offered to conference attendees 

from these hotels to/from the 

South Towne Exposition Center. 

Each property listed below is newly 

renovated, and all offer high-speed 

Internet service. There are many moderately 

priced dining options in the area. 

Marriott Courtyard 

Room rates: $99 single/double, 

plus applicable taxes 

$109 triple/quad, plus applicable taxes 

10701 South Holiday Park Drive 

Sandy UT 84070 

801-571-3600 

Guest amenities at the Marriott 

Courtyard include the Courtyard Café 

which is open for breakfast and dinner. 

There is a health club, a 24-hour fitness 

center, and an indoor pool. Complimentary 

on-site parking is available. Buses 

to/from the South Towne Exposition 

Center will depart from the front of the 

Marriott Courtyard. 

Hampton Inn 



$99 single/double, plus applicable taxes 

10691 South Holiday Park Drive 


801-571-0800 

Located directly across the street from

the Marriott Courtyard, The Hampton Inn 

is a part of the nation’s leading chain of 

quality, value-priced hotels. A complimentary 

breakfast is offered to Hampton 

Inn guests. Free local calls and highspeed 

Internet are also offered. You can 

catch the AOBA shuttle bus directly 

across the street at the Marriott. 

Residence Inn 



$109 triple quad, plus applicable taxes 

270 West 10000 South 


801-561-5005 

The newly renovated Residence Inn 

offers a king-size bed in every suite 

and a fireplace in two-bedroom suites. 

A fully equipped kitchen provides guests 

with a microwave, conventional oven, 

toaster oven, and refrigerator for their 

convenience. Complimentary to guests 

are a hot breakfast buffet and a daily 

evening reception. AOBA shuttle buses 

will stop in front of the hotel to take 

guests to/from the South Towne Exposition 

Center. 

Fairfield Inn 



$99 triple/quad, plus applicable taxes 

12117 South Factory Outlet Road 

Draper UT 84020 

801-572-1200 

The Fairfield Inn provides complimentary 

breakfast to its guests. In addition, 

there is an indoor pool, whirlpool, 

and fitness center on the premises. 

Complimentary high-speed Internet is 



Show Information 

available to guests. AOBA shuttle buses 

will stop in front of the hotel to take 

guests to/from the South Towne Exposition 

Center. 

Parking 

Please note the parking lots at the South 

Towne Exposition Center are FREE. 

Hotel parking is also free for hotel guests. 

RV Parks 

There are two convenient RV parks 

close to the South Towne Exposition 

Center. 

Ardell Brown’s Quail Run RV Park 

Located less than a half mile from the 

Center at 9230 South State Street, Sandy 

UT 84070. Telephone: 801-255-9300; 

E-mail: www.quailrunrvpark.com. 

59 all paved pull-throughs. Both 30 and 

50 amp hook-ups with cable television 

are offered. Daily rates are: 30 amp: $24; 

50 amp: $25. Modem hook-ups are available 

at each site, and modern restrooms, 

showers, and a laundry room are available. 

There are also several restaurants 

located in the area. 

The Mountain Shadows RV Park 

Approximately five miles south of Sandy 

and located at 13275 Minuteman Drive, 

Draper UT 84020. Telephone: 801-571- 

4124; E-mail: www.mountain-shadows.com. 

180 RV spots. 

ADVANCE RESERVATIONS ARE HIGHLY 

RECOMMENDED FOR HOTELS AND RV 

PARKS, AS MEMORIAL DAY AND EARLY 

JUNE ARE PEAK TRAVEL PERIODS IN THE 

AREA. Reservations can be made either 

by telephone or via the Internet by 

using the contact numbers/information 

above. Bring copies of all paperwork and 

confirmation information with you so 

you can present it at check-in. 

Transportation Options 

All four hotels listed above are approximately 

20 miles from the Salt Lake City 

International Airport. Unfortunately, 

none offer complimentary shuttle service 

to/from the airport, but Express 

Shuttle offers transfers with one-way 

rates ranging from $14-$17, depending 

on the destination. Taxi service, of 

course, is available from the airport. The 

approximate cost of the one-way taxi 

trip is $30-$40. 

Utah Transit Authority’s light-rail 

service, TRAX (short for Transit 

Express) provides service between Sandy 

and downtown Salt Lake City. The 15mile 

line has 16 stations, and a trip 

from Sandy to Salt Lake City takes 

about 38 minutes. Trains stop at stations 

every 10-30 minutes. Tickets are 

$1.35 for two hours, $2.70 for all day, 

or ride free in the downtown area. 

Schedules are available at 

www.rideuta.com. Stations in Sandy are 

a few minutes walk from the South 

Towne Exposition Center. (The Center 

is located between two stations: one to 

the north, 2 1/2 blocks away and the 

other to the east, 1 block away.) 

Estimated walking time is 5-7 minutes. 

moreconference information 

15 

▼

It’s been a productive and fun day 

at the AOBA National Conference. 

Not up for heading back into the 

“City?” Don’t worry, there are plenty 

of dining, entertainment, and shopping 

options right next door to the 

South Towne Exposition Center in 

beautiful Sandy, Utah! 

Sandy, Utah nestles comfortably at 

the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, on 

the south side of Salt Lake City. 

Touted as the cultural, recreational, 

and business hub of the South Valley, 

Sandy encompasses about 22 square 

miles and boasts a population of 

104,000, making it the fourth largest 

city in the state. 

From its humble 19th century origins 

as an agricultural community, and 

later as a booming (if somewhat 

bawdy!) silver mining town, Sandy 

beckoned wayfarers and settlers with 

an irresistible allure. Today, it has 

developed into a modern metropolis 

and continues to offer residents and 

visitors every amenity. 







16 


Sandy: Our Host City 

■ Born to shop? 

South Towne 

Center supports 

more than 150 

stores, including JC 

Penney, Mervyn’s, Dillards, Meier & 

Frank, and exclusive specialty shops. 

■ Gourmet all the way? You’ll find 

excellent restaurants to please the 

most discriminating palates. If you’re 

craving international fare, consider 

The Mayan Restaurant, Tucci’s, 

Ruby River, or China Lily’s. These 

represent a few of the diverse dining 

options available. 

■ Fresh air fiend? Sandy boasts an 

extensive system of city, regional, 

and county parks: traditional 

green, scenic spaces; athletic fields; 

hiking, jogging, and biking trails; 

a state-of-the-art skate 

park; even equestrian 

and dog parks for your 

four-legged friends. 

■ Culture vulture? The 

arts are thriving here. 

The Sandy City 

Amphitheater hosts 

world-class ballets, symphony 

orchestras, plays 

Top to bottom: Sandy City amphitheatre, the Expo 

Center, the Rocky Mountains form a beautiful background 

against Sandy, Jordon Commons. 

and musical theater. If cinema is 

your ticket to bliss, you’ll find new 

releases, as well as classic films in the 

17 movie theaters at Jordan 

Commons. 

Savor your stay in Sandy! There’s not a 

more hospitable site for you and your 

prized alpacas anywhere in the West.

Generous AOBA Live Auction Donation 

“Snowmass Cosa Bella” 

ARI Certificate Pending 

Donated by Don and Julie 

Skinner, Snowmass Alpacas 

Proceeds Designated: 

50% AOBA Judge’s Training 

50% AOBA Marketing 


“Turtle Creek’s Patience” 

ARI No. 845124 

Donated by Cheryl and Ross 

Palmentera, C R Alpacas, Inc. 




17


“Derwydd Pinachi’s 

Peruvian Ancha” 

ARI No. 846379 

Donated by Jan Davis, 

Derwydd Alpacas 




“MFI Granule” 

ARI No. 1169973, Certificate Pending 

Donated by Jerry and Libby 

Forstner, Magical Farms, Inc. 



18


“In the Spotlight D967 AOA” 

ARI No. 1078800, Certificate Pending 

Donated by Bill Barnett, DVM 

and Randy Snow, Alpacas of 

America 




“Mirage’s Earlah” 

ARI No. 1383232, Certificate Pending 

Donated by Bill and Audrey 

Rhoades, Mirage Alpacas 




ALPACAS OF AMERICA 

19


“MA Destiny” 

ARI No. 1151060 

Donated by Fred, Scott, and 

Janet Swift, Mariah Alpacas 




“Skyeview Peruvian Cordelia” 

ARI No. 850203 

Donated by Jim and Sue King, 

Skyeview Alpacas 



20


F2F Student Design Competition 

2005 Another Record Breaking Year 

Planning Begins for 2006 

AOBA’S F2F Student Design Competition was created to 

expose college-level art, fashion, and textile design students 

and professors to the wonders of designing with alpaca 

fiber. By promoting the competition, we are ensuring the 

next generation of designers will be entering the workforce 

with a positive awareness of this amazing luxury fiber that 

can be utilized throughout their professional lives. 

2005 RESULTS: Participation doubled again this year! 

We are pleased to report 38 entries from 13 colleges across the 

U.S. and Canada were represented in this year’s gallery exhibition 

at the F2F Conference in Atlanta. The enthusiasm for 

this competition is really spreading! With support from 

AOBA, 31 alpaca farms, 3 textile businesses, 4 affiliates, and 

even an alpaca show who contributed to the general fund, the 

results were truly stunning! Details of our activities with the 

students will be covered in the next issue. 

2005 Award Winners Include: 

Fashion Design 

1st place: Kristin Brungardt, Kansas State University, 

sponsored by Robin and Glenn Alpert of Alpacas R 

Diamonds, and Gwen and Steven Wolff of Alpaca 

Kingdom. 

2nd place: Morgan Gilliland, Kansas State University, 

sponsored by Betty and Keith Thomas, KT Alpaca Ranch. 

3rd place: Erin Labs, Philadelphia University, sponsored by 

Ruth Mogrovejo Cuzmar of Latin Collection. 

Announcing 

Our “Best 

Dressed 

Bear” 

Fundraiser 

Honorable mention: Diane Finley, O’More College of 

Design, sponsored by Bill and Ruth Fuqua of Hickory 

Bluff Farms. 

Honorable mention: Galina Monaco, American Intercontinental 

University, sponsored by Jennifer and Sean Orr of 

Alpaca with a Twist/Copper Ridge Alpacas. 

Textile Design 

1st place: Meghan Korol, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 

sponsored by Dan and Peggy Emmerich of Enchanted 

Meadows Alpacas. 

2nd place: Sophie Mountain, Philadelphia University, 

sponsored by Ruth Mogrovejo Cuzmar of Latin Collection. 

3rd place: Alexis Perry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 

sponsored by Kim Tollers and Linda Olver of Dougherty 

Creek Farm. 

Congrats to all the winners! 

Our Thanks to These Additional 2005 Sponsors 

Sigmund and Sue Bonebrake, Double Thorn Alpacas 

Pete and Sonda Caffrey, Honey Creek Farm 

Matt and Tricia Clements, Clemwood Farm 

Gwen and Stephen Coltrin, Diamond Triple C Ranch 

(continued on next page) 

Here’s your chance to own a one-of-a-kind 

designer original, and help the Student Design 

Competition at the same time! 

Five award-winning students visiting the F2F conference 

have contributed their design talents, each 

creating a highly fashionable look in alpaca for a 

favorite alpaca teddy bear! Knitwear designer Helen 

Hamann assisted the students to develop their indi- 

No naked bears! 

vidual visions, and is coordinating the production of 

each handknit sweater to be unveiled and ready for auction at the AOBA National 

Conference in Salt Lake City this June. The five lucky winners will receive plenty 

of coverage and recognition in this article, and will be helping to make our 2006 

competition even more spectacular! 

21

(continued from previous page) 

Marit Federcel & Patrick Borunda, Las Flores del 

Alti Plano 

Helga and Clark Fensterman, Desoto Bend Alpacas 

Kathleen Friend-White, Friendly Farm Alpacas 

Carolyn Geise, Maxwelton Aerie 

Bill Hedberg and Julie Ann Jarvinen, Waliki USA/ 

Pine Forty Farms 

Larry and Libby Johnson, Likada Farms 

Lynn R. Johnson, Sauk Creek Alpacas 

Wini Labreque, Star Weaver Farm 

Wini Labreque and Pat Craven, Fleece to Fashion 

Jovi Larson and Richard Surles, Fibergenix Suris 

Elsa and John Leyden, Longbranch Fiber Farm 

Dale and Leslee Miller, Premier Alpacas of the Palouse 

Mike and Janice Murphy, Flying M Ranch 

Bob and Nancy Sines/Marsha and Joel Fish, Cedar 

Hollow Farm Alpacas 

Katharine Thompson, The Fenwick Collection/Fenwick 

Manor Farm 

Ed and Elizabeth Warynick, Alpacas de los Olivos 

Caryn and Bruce Wolf, Wolfpaca Ranch 

Cindy Yockey and Linda Lindgren, Peoh Point Alpacas 

Plan Now for 2006 

Are you interested in promoting a special yarn, generating 

PR for your farm, or finding an activity for your affiliate to 

become involved with? The Student Design Competition is 

a great outlet for all these activities and more! Here are some 

ideas being planned around the 2006 SDC competition: 

■ An affiliate is considering pooling and processing member 

grown fiber into yarn, presenting it to a local textile 

school, and offering financial support and educational 

materials to any student willing to design something with 

their fiber for their competition entry. What a great way to 

raise alpaca awareness and put their own fiber to work in 

their community! 

■ Another affiliate will organize their own earlier competition 

(following the 2006 National SDC rules to be 

released by April 1st) as a part of their annual Fall alpaca 

show. Winners from their competition will advance to the 

National level and they will cover expenses for students to 

attend the next Fiber to Fashion conference. 

22 

There’s a whole lot more to the F2F than the Student 

Design Competition. Stay tuned to the next issue for 

a full recap of the F2F Atlanta show! 


■ A yarn company focussing on alpaca is considering reaching 

out to their local yarn stores to co-sponsor an earlier 

regional competition with local universities with a focus 

on handknitted sweaters. Winners will advance to the 

National SDC event. 

■ An alpaca sweater manufacturer is planning to supply local 

textile design students with yarn and design direction that 

fits in with the 2006 National SDC criteria. They will 

select the best entries to sponsor in the National show, and 

will incorporate into their product line the design created 

by the student with the highest ranked entry. 

Let SDC help you promote your product, service, farm, 

or organization and their goals. Please contact our committee 

to discuss any ideas you may have. You should also contact 

any schools you are considering supporting NOW so they 

can plan this competition into their Fall 2005 curriculum. 

Volunteers for the Student Design 

Competition Wanted 

Want to volunteer for AOBA and make 

rewarding contributions to the future of 

our industry? 

Do you have strong writing skills? 

Like to market & schmooze? 

Have good ideas for promotion & public 

relations AND the ability to follow up on 

the details to ensure opportunites get 

noticed? 

▼ 

We are currently in need of a couple of 

hard working alpaca breeders to provide 

PR & Marketing support for our committee, 

activities, and gallery exhibition, as well 

as our participating schools, students, 

and sponsors. Contact David Stensland 

for details (see next page for contact info).

Consider a Contribution to the Student 

Design Competition General Fund 

The fund was created as a general sponsorship option and is 

open to anyone, including individuals, affiliates, farms, or 

other businesses. Contributions to the general fund will help 

with expenses such as hotel and airfare for the winning students, 

certain materials costs, and eventually, increasing the 

amount of scholarship money awarded to help increase the 

exposure and appeal of the competition. (Our highest award is 

a respectable $750, but there are other student competitions 

that award $10,000. Our industry is based on elite livestock 

and luxury fiber, and should be shown as prestigious!) 

Contributions to the General Fund have their own set 

of sponsorship perks according to the level of contribution: 

■ Silver: $250 contribution (recognition in 2005 F2F 

Conference publications plus recognition in SDC’s 

quarterly OneVoice report for one year) 



Many Thanks to our 2005 Student Design 

Competition General Fund Sponsors 

Platinum: 

Mid-Atlantic Alpaca Association 

(MaPaca) 

Gold: 

Alpaca Association of Western 

Washington (AAWW) 

Alpaca Fiber Co-op of North America 

Great Midwest Alpaca Festival 

StanPete’s Alpaca Ranch, Janet & David 

Monasterski, Vincentown NJ 

Silver: 

Alpaca Breeders of the Rockies (ABR) 

Lost River Alpacas, Linda & Alan Bylsma, 

Nooksack WA 

Skagit Valley Alpacas – Susan & Bill Henry 

■ Gold: $500 contribution (above, plus text recognition on 

signage in SDC exhibit) 

■ Platinum: $1,000 or more contribution (above, plus full 

color business card ad or logo on signage in SDC exhibit) 

We’re also in search of fiber businesses for materials donations 

that can be valued as contributions to the General 

Fund. Contact David Stensland for information (see below). 

The Committee truly believes your sponsorship or participation 

in any form is an investment in the future of alpacas 

and alpaca fiber! We have many ideas for how you can use 

this competition for promotion of your farm or business and 

look forward to having you join us in what has become a 

very rewarding and exciting opportunity! Please contact us! 

The F2F Student Design Competition Committee Contacts 

Linda Bylsma (lralpacas@aol.com), for issues relating to 

sponsorship of students 

Robin Alpert (ardalpert@cs.com) or Janet Monasterski 

(stanpetes@aol.com), for issues relating to giving 

presentations to schools 

Ruth Fuqua (rfuqua@bransfordgroup.com), for making 

contributions of fabrics and yarns 

Jennifer Folkman (info@blue-ribbonfarms.com) or Catie 

Dutcher (cdutcher@megapipe.net), with names of 

schools/professors to include in our mailings 

David Stensland (craftsman4fiber@earthlink.net), for issues 

relating to the General Fund (cash contributions or 

materials donations) 

Fashion design winners Kristin Brungardt, first place (left), and Morgan 

Gilliland, second place. Both students are from Kansas State University. 

23

The Tale of the ARI Database 

By Mike Safley 

There is an amazing fairy tale floating 

about – a whodunit, really. The 

question is who has been managing 

the ARI database since 1998? I was 

surprised to open the Winter 2004-05 

issue of Llama Life II and find that the 

ILR Registrar, Jan Wassink, is claiming 

that maintaining the database was 

never in the ILR’s job description. 

After doing a bit of checking, I found 

that the ARI Board of Directors was 

equally amazed, particularly in light 

of the fact that the ARI has written 

over $1,600,000 worth of checks to 

the ILR since 1998. 

The issue of who was responsible 

for maintaining the integrity of the 

database is critical for several reasons: 

(1) The database that the ARI received 

upon terminating the ILR was not in 

the condition expected for an up-todate 

and in-use database; (2) The state 

of the database adversely impacted the 

ARI’s ability to provide registration 

services to its members; and (3) The 

ARI’s credibility was impacted by the 

fallout from its termination of the ILR. 

The mystery, then, is who was supposed 

to be managing the ARI database 

all those years. I’ll present the evidence, 

each side’s argument, and then 

leave it for you to solve the mystery. 

The ILR’s Side of the Story 

Jan Wassink alleges that since 1996 

ARI has been “totally responsible for 

all aspects of ARI,” and that they had 

hired their own administrator (Jan 

Wassink’s wife, Dar Wassink, which is 

another story entirely). He also points 

out that ARI paid its own rent (to the 

ILR), hired secretarial staff to answer 

the phone, hired “lawyers, accountants, 

investment advisors, data processors, 

website designers, and so on.” 

24 

Wassink goes on to say the ILR was 

simply the “landlord” and the “vendor” 

(seller) who “provided services” pursuant 

to a contract with the ARI. 

About the database, he says: 

“A study of the contracts between 

the ARI and the ILR, coupled with the 

history and evolution of the division 

of tasks between the ARI, the ILR, 

and UC Davis shows clearly that the 

ILR was not responsible, and in fact, 

could not have been responsible for 

making sure the ARI DNA database 

housed in the ILR office was complete 

and accurate…” 

Wassink does admit, however, that 

“The ILR was responsible to do the 

necessary data entry and produce registration 

certificates for alpaca owners in 

accordance with the current ARI policies.” 

So, as I understand the 

Registrar’s position, they were not 

responsible for maintaining the database 

but they were responsible for the 

necessary data entry tasks. 

In Llama Life II, Mr. Wassink further 

argues that “If the state of the ARI 

database is “horrible” that is not the 

fault of the ILR,” and continues by 

complaining that “The ARI Board, the 

ARI attorney, and Mrs. Forstner continue 

to try to claim that the ILR was 

responsible to maintain the ARI’s data 

DNA database…” 

This, my friends, is the essence of 

the dispute. The ILR says they were 

simply “sellers” and “landlords,” and 

the ARI says they were managers of the 

database and therefore responsible for 

its integrity. Mr. Wassink says that the 

evidence that he is right is “very clear.” 

Part of his proof is that “…no documentation 

exists and no conversation 

took place that even discussed an ILR 

role in maintaining the ARI DNA 

database until November of 2003.” 

I can tell you that this was news to the 

ARI Board of Directors. 

The ARI Position 

The ARI Board of Directors’ position 

is very clear: the ILR was responsible 

for processing registrations, recording 

parentage verification, issuing certificates, 

data processing, and maintaining 

the ARI database. The dispute could 

not be clearer or the positions of the 

respective parties more at odds. 

Who’s Right? 

This mystery of who’s right is even 

more confounding when you consider 

that the two parties have done business 

in one form or another since 1989. 

Millions of dollars have changed hands 

as the registered herd grew from a few 

hundred to over 50,000. How could 

the parties end up with such a fundamental 

misunderstanding of their 

respective obligations? 

A few additional facts, or clues, may 

provide an answer, or at least clarify 

who is right and who is wrong. The 

following excerpts are from the contracts 

between the parties. 

1. The original 1996 Alpaca Registry 

Administrative agreement provided 

the following: 

Relationship Between ILR and ARI. 

Under this Agreement, the ILR shall 

provide registration services and 

conduct the day-to-day operation of 

the Alpaca Registry as the independent 

contractor of ARI…, 

ARI shall not have the power to 

control and direct the method and 

manner of work to be performed by

the ILR to or for the benefit of ARI 

under this Agree-ment except to 

require that the results be accomplished 

in accordance with the 

terms of this Agreement. The ILR 

shall have the discretion to determine 

the method and manner in 

which to accomplish its obligations 

under this Agreement, including 

determinations concerning the 

personnel to be utilized to perform 

the work and the particular methods 

and procedures to be utilized to 

perform the work hereunder… 

Administrative Services To Be 

Provided By the ILR. The ILR agrees 

to provide registration services to 

alpaca owners in the same manner 

and to the same extent and using 

the same degree of care as is provided 

to owners of other llamas with 

the various Divisions of the ILR subject 

to the terms of this Agree-ment. 

In addition, the ILR agrees to provide 

to the ARI the following administrative 

services: 

At the end of each month 

that this Agreement is in 

effect, the ILR shall provide 

ARI with a full backup of the 

electronic data then maintained 

as part of the 

genealogical and ownership 

database for the Alpaca 

Registry.’ 

The 1999 Extension and Modification 

Agreement of the original administration 

agreement acknowledged that 

the “ARI maintains and administers 

a unique genealogical registry for 

alpacas using a computer database, 

bloodtyping and/or DNA verification 

of parentage.” 


The language in the contracts that 

the ILR shall provide the same standard 

of care under the contract for 

alpaca owners as it did for its own 

llama owners is particularly persuasive. 

Are we to believe that the ILR was not 

responsible for its own database, and if 

they were responsible for their database 

then it would follow that they were 

also responsible for the ARI’s database. 

Next, the contract requires the ILR to 

provide the ARI with a regular backup 

of the genealogical and ownership 

database. How, might I ask, could they 

provide a backup of the database if 

they were not maintaining it in the 

first place? The fact is that the ARI, 

by contract, delegated the complete 

responsibility for operating the ARI’s 

registry services, including maintaining 

the database, to the ILR and they paid 

the ILR a lot of money for their services 

over the years. 

1998 - 2004 

THE ALPACA REGISTRY 

EXPENSES PAID TO ILR 

Jan - Dec 98 ...........................$ 126,330.06 

Jan - Dec 99 ...........................$ 230,741.65 

Jan - Dec 00 ...........................$ 189,662.69 

Jan - Dec 01 ...........................$ 280,858.93 

Jan - Dec 02 ...........................$ 346,064.48 

Jan - Dec 03 ...........................$ 419,076.23 

Jan - Dec 04*.........................$ 79,704.12 

TOTAL ......................................$1,672,438.16 

*Partial year due to discontinuing the 

ILR contract. 

This is a lot of money, particularly 

if, as the ILR maintains, they were not 

responsible for maintaining the ARI’s 

database. But you can decide who you 

think is right. 

Another piece of history is equally 

revealing. In 1996, the newly formed 

ARI paid the ILR $100,000 for the 

DNA database that existed at that 

time. This data was provided by alpaca 

owners, and in fact belonged to them 

even before it was “purchased” from 

the ILR. The money came from 

import screening fees paid by alpaca 

owners and importers. So, if the ILR 

was never responsible for the accuracy 

of the database, what did we really get 

for our $100,000? 

The bottom line for me is that the 

ARI Board of Directors would be crazy 

to even consider reuniting with the 

ILR (as some have suggested) for the 

purposes of providing registration services. 

That would be a very bad ending 

for the “we are not responsible for the 

database” fairy tale. 

DIDJA KNOW…? 

Did you know that if you forget 

to notify the AOBA office 

when you have a change of 

address, it costs AOBA 

approximately $15.75 to 

send a replacement copy of 

Alpacas Magazine to you? 

In fact, AOBA expends approximately 

$1,575 annually just 

because members fail to 

provide address updates in a 

timely fashion. Please help us 

to reduce this unnecessary 

waste of your membership 

dues! Don’t forget to notify ARI, 

AFCNA, etc., as applicable too! 

25

Affiliate News 26 

Affiliate Committee News 

Hello from the Affiliate Committee! Just a 

reminder to all AOBA members – there is still 

money available through the Affiliate Grant 

Program to help fund your events for 2005. 

Although the deadline has passed for the 

Category 1 Start-up Event Grant, funds are still 

available for the Category 2 Event Mailing and 

Marketing Grant, the Category 3 Continuing 

Education Grant, and the Category 4 Non-Affiliate 

Event Grant. Application forms are available on 

line at www.alpacaowners.com (click on the 

Affiliate Committee link) along with samples 

to help with the application process. 

Please direct any questions 

to your Affiliate Commitee 

representative: 

■ Illinois Alpaca Owners Breeders Association (IAOBA) 

Susan Darling, Liaison for SeAA, KAA, FABA 

Ron Mendonça, Liaison for AAWW, Alaska, 

AROW, CABA, PNAA, SoJAA, WABA 

Mary Evans, Liaison for GLAA, OABA, IAOBA, 

Suri Network 

Scott Gove, Liaison for MAPACA, PAOBA, MABA 

Polly Michaelis, Liaison for NEAOBA, EAA 

Virginia Rodman, Liaison for ABR, IMpaca, STAR 

Bruce Nelson, Liaison for Calpaca, SoCalpaca, 

ABA 

Jeff Skinner, AOBA Board Liaison 

Contact: Virginia Rodman, mrodman@rmi.net 

or 303-840-6369. 

There’s a lot of important news in this affiliate section! 

Is your local, state, or regional affiliate represented? 

We would like to introduce IAOBA – A new AOBA affiliate in the state of Illinois. After meeting for over 

a year as an organized group of alpaca breeders, we have started our affiliate with over 30 Illinois 

member farms. 

I would first like to introduce the elected board members of IAOBA: 

President – Shari Pritchard (Autumn Sky Alpacas) 

Vice President – Fred Boyd (West Wind Alpacas) 

Secretary – Karen Rogers (Apple Tree Acres Alpacas) 

Treasurer – Robert Sherwood (Freedom Farms Alpacas) 

Director At Large – Ed Rogers (Apple Tree Acres Alpacas) 

IAOBA’s vision is to promote public awareness and interest in alpacas, alpaca end products and related 

business opportunities by providing both the public and breeders with educational information, marketing 

tools, and leadership within the state. With the amazing growth of Alpaca farms in Illinois, IAOBA 

finds this to be an exciting time for the alpaca industry within our state. 

Our upcoming general membership meeting in March 2005 will feature Jodi Wever of Poco Lago 

Alpacas Farms in Indiana, speaking to our membership on the techniques and importance of preparations 

for shearing your alpacas. Anyone wishing to attend, should contact Karen Rogers, Secretary at 

appletreealpacas@insightbb.com. 

IAOBA is open to all alpaca owners and breeders, and anyone wanting to support IAOBA and further 

the alpaca industry. Look for our members at various shows throughout the country and ask us about 

IAOBA. Our official affiliate website is www.iaoba.com. Visit us and find out what we are all about. 

Contact: Fred Boyd,Vice President, (815) 849-5542 or westwindalpacas@yahoo.com

■ California Alpaca Breeders Association (Calpaca) 

Greetings from Northern California, where winter 

arrived with record rain and snow. We have not 

had this much rain and snow since 1916! Our 

alpacas know that spring is just around the corner 

and are getting ready to pronk with joy. 

Members of Calpaca have had a very busy fall 

season. Alpacafestwest 2004 was held the end of 

October at the Firestone Vineyard in Santa Ynez. 

The AOBA certified halter and fleece shows were 

co-sponsored by SoCalpaca and Calpaca. What 

a wonderful time hundreds of alpaca breeders, 

friends, and family had in the beautiful setting 

among the rolling green hills. In addition to the 

educational seminars, fashion show, and children’s 

activities; we had time to party at the Barn Bash. 

Thank you to the many volunteers that helped to 

make this event such a wonderful success. 

Our fall meeting was held in November at 

Ahh… Sweet Alpacas ranch, owned and operated 

by Joan and Bruce Nelson and Kathryn Hamilton. 

In addition to the opportunity for a ranch visit, the 

featured speaker was Dr. Daniel Mora who discussed 

pasture management. Later in the afternoon, 

Dr. Mora conducted a clinic on microchip 

insertion. Did we mention the food – chili, soup, 

and BBQ pork, with all types of side dishes and 

such a variety of desserts. It was hard to choose. 

At the meeting, an election was conducted to fill 

three Board positions. The new Calpaca Board of 

Directors is: 

Bruce Nelson, Ahh… Sweet Alpacas – President 

Donna Pointer, Skyhawk Ranch Alpacas – 

Vice President 

Rick Brady, Oak Valley Alpacas – Treasurer 

Kay Rodriquez, Lazy K Ranch – Secretary 

Joan Clappier, Opus Two Alpacas – Director 

We want to thank Gary Bergeron, David Lee, 

and Michael Scott for their time and service as 

board members. Thank you for your hard work. 

Calpaca membership is at its highest since its 

inception. We have added 33 ranches and 6 associate 

members this year. It is so exciting to see the 

growth in alpaca ranches in Northern California. 


Our BOD, members and volunteers have been 

hard at work planning the next Monterey Pronk in 

April, updating and re-designing our website, producing 

four issues of the Connection (the Calpaca 

newsletter) and pulling together our traveling 

Calpaca display that will be used at alpaca events 

in the coming year. Our organization has also 

established a $2,500 scholarship at the University 

of California School of Veterinary Medicine. This 

initial scholarship will be awarded in May of 2005 

following the general guidelines at the university. 

Specific requirements for recipients have been set 

to include camelid medicine as part of their practice 

and intention to establish their practice in 

Northern California after graduation. In addition to 

this scholarship, the BOD is exploring other ways 

to interest DVMs in expanding their practices to 

include camelids. The BOD has also approved one 

time grants of $2,000 to the Alpaca Research 

Foundation and a $500 grant to support “Fiber on 

the Foot,” a public educational event that is held 

each year in Northern California. 

Our February meeting will be hosted by Lisa 

and Ken Theis of KT-Lee Ranch in North Fork, 

California. Dr. Ahmed Tibary will speak on 

Infertility and Reproduction in Camelids. 

If you think that we had a busy 2004, WAIT until 

you see what we do in 2005! Don’t forget the 

Monterey Pronk, April 22 - 24. Along with our halter 

show, we will have a fiber arts competition. 

What a wonderful place to have an alpaca show. 

In addition to the alpaca show there is so much to 

do in the Monterey area. 

One thing to remember is when planning your 

summer vacations, Northern California has a lot to 

offer. San Francisco, beaches, the wine country, 

Tahoe and Reno, rivers and lakes and the golden 

rolling hills all await you, but the best part is our 

alpacas. Come and visit our wonderful alpaca 

breeders and meet our award winning alpacas. 

Contact: Donna Pointer, Vice President, 

skyhawkranchalpacas@msn.com 

Affiliate News 

27


■ Pennsylvania Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (PAOBA) 

The Pennsylvania Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association is hoping everyone had a wonderful holiday 

and a happy new year. PAOBA has started the new year off by participating in the Pennsyl-vania Farm 

Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. There were over half a million people who walked through the complex. 

The response to the alpacas at our booth was phenomenal. PAOBA would like to thank all the 

farms who helped make this event possible: 

Alpacaholic Acres 

Dale & Debbie Zulli 

York Springs, PA 

Big Rock Alpaca Farm 

Allen Stoner 

East Berlin, PA 

Dry Ridge Alpacas 

Bob & Joan Byrne 

West Alexander, PA 

Illusion Ranch Alpacas 

& Marketing 

Robin Gilmore 

Boyertown, PA 

Raspberry Hill Alpacas 

Laura & Jack Tepke 

Jeannette, PA 

Silvercloud Farm 

Helen Humphreys 

Gibsonia, PA 

Star Weaver Farm 

Wini Labrecque 

Cabot, PA 

Bent Pines Alpaca Farm 

Darwin, Doris, & Sam Kell 

Carlisle, PA 

Bluhmcrest Alpaca Farm 

Wally & Wanda Bluhm 

Newville, PA 

Eastland Alpacas 

Kevin & Sue Zurin 

Mount Joy, PA 

Icy Nob Farm 

Jarah Spahr 

Lewisberry, PA 

Pacabaer Acres 

Ron, Dale, & Vonnie Baer 

Carlisle, PA 

Tender Heart Farm 

Barry & Sandy Shelly 

Manheim, PA 

Four Points Alpacas 

Don Phillips 

Butler, PA 

Our membership continues to grow; we are now 93 farms 

strong and still growing! 

PAOBA would also like to remind everyone about the 

Breeders Showcase on May 20, 21, and 22. 

It’s going to be a spectacular show. The judges will be Jude 

Anderson, Kristin Buhrmann, and Ruth Elvestad. The 

Breeders Showcase is the last show in the Northeast for the 

spring season. For more 

information about the show, check the PAOBA web site at paoba.org. See you at the show. 

Contact: Laura Tepke, Member-at-Large, rasplnj@msn.com or (724) 744-1697 

■ Alpaca Association of Western Washington (AAWW) 

AAWW’s Alpacapalooza show moves to new and 

bigger facilities this Spring! Yes, we have finally 

moved to the Western Washington fairgrounds in 

Puyallup, substantially improving the facilities and 

market area for our annual event. Mark your calendars 

for April 2-3 and, if you are not in the 

show, come visit! 

The new year also brings a new board of directors 

to our group, which is now: 

Teresa Venhuis, President 

Becky Emrich, Vice President 

Jerri Richardson, Treasurer 

Pam Wilmot, Secretary 

Randy Brealey, Director 

Appreciation of the service generously given by 

last year’s board and Alpacapalooza volunteers is 

acknowledged. It is this kind of service and commitment 

that keeps all the affiliates, and AOBA 

and ARI themselves, the great organizations they 

are. We should all recognize that, to a significant 

extent, the success of our industry is based on 

what all the volunteers, past and present, have 

given for us all. 

So, give thanks for your wonderful alpacas, the 

great people they will bring into your lives, and 

those who promote and advance our industry! 

Contact: Randy Brealey, randy@TheAlpaca 

Place.com or (425) 413-3900.

■ Alpaca Breeders of Arizona (ABA) 

It’s been a busy year so far, here in Arizona. To 

start with, we have elected new officers. Minnie 

Napier remains as Treasurer, Chris Starkweather 

takes over as Secretary, Cheryl Dempsey is the 

New Vice-President, and Claudia Klaus will act as 

the President for the next year. We have learned a 

lot from our predecessors and are committed to 

keeping ABA running at the high standard we 

have become accustomed to in the past. 

By the time this goes to print, our 5th annual 

Southwest Regional Alpaca show at Rawhide 

Western World should be a pleasant memory. 

Wendy Dittbrenner and Dusty Eiker, are the Show 

Superintendents for our show this year, and 

they’ve done such a fabulous job that several of 

us are already trying to figure out what bribe it 

will take to get them to do it again next year. 

Many thanks go to all the ABA members who 

pitched in and volunteered their time and effort. 

And of course, a heart-felt thank you goes to all 

■ State of Texas Alpaca Ranchers (STAR) 

In our inaugural year, STAR has been busy laying 

some foundations for the future benefit of all 

Texas alpaca ranchers. 

Our initial website has been a success, allowing 

visitors to find an alpaca ranch near them by 

selecting a region or city/town. We have been able 

to post ranch events for STAR members and have 

begun adding useful resources and access to the 

STAR newsletter. STAR members can e-mail in 

events, ranch information, and pictures for display 

on their individual ranch pages. We are planning 

to add additional functionality in 2005 and will 

keep you posted on those developments. 

STAR members have been actively involved in 

promoting events on an individual basis, and in 

the spirit of STAR cooperation, these ranches have 

offered discounts to other STAR ranchers, and 

have invited STAR members to participate. 

As an organization STAR was invited to attend 

the 16-year-old Kid ‘n Ewe and Llama Too show 

sponsored by Fiber Producers of Texas, Inc. Our 

purpose was to raise awareness of the Texas 

alpaca fiber industry and STAR member ranches. 

We have been asked as an organization to continue 

this relationship and to be more actively 

involved – with the potential of a fleece show and 

possibly halter show in Nov. 2005. Check the STAR 

website for details: TexasAlpacaRanchers.org. 


the alpaca farms that came to compete. Without 

you, we have no show. We hope to see you all 

again next year. 

Deb Hill will be taking over the reins from Rachel 

Hendrickson for our annual fiber pool this year. 

She’ll be trying out some new things and offering 

several different options for finished products. I’m 

sure many ABA members are looking forward to 

participating and showing off their “Arizona 

grown” alpaca socks (or yarn, or mittens or…). 

With the show behind us, we’ll be turning our 

attention towards exploring bringing some educational 

events to Arizona. I received some terrific 

ideas from my fellow ABA members, some of 

which would make great ABA functions. We’ll 

have some fun and learn a little something along 

the way. So here’s to a fruitful and prosperous 

2005 – may your crias be bouncing and the spit 

aimed at someone else. 

Contact: Claudia Klaus, draftwench@yahoo.com 

STAR has also been in discussions with an 

American ‘name brand’ clothing and accessory 

manufacturer to explore the potential of supplying 

Alpaca fleece to create alpaca items for sale as a 

catalog item. Additionally discussed was manufacturing 

products using Texas fiber for sale by STAR 

members and possibly other outlets. This exciting 

endeavor (Project STAR) is starting to take shape, 

and we will post more information shortly. 

STAR has identified a cut and clean facility in 

Texas that will allow Texas fleece to be prepared 

for manufacture using existing wool process mills. 

This is important, since traditionally, alpaca processing 

has not been considered viable in largescale 

woolen mills. 

Our first annual meeting will be held this year, 

as will our elections for board members. If you are 

interested in becoming a board member, please 

let us know. 

For those of you who would like to participate in 

the growth of STAR but are not in Texas, or are 

vendors that have products that may be applicable 

to Texas alpaca ranchers, you can still join as 

non-voting members. 

Contact: communications@TexasAlpaca 

Ranchers.org 


29


■ Empire Alpaca Association (EAA) 

We’re fairly well frozen as I write this, but I know that spring will come in short order. 

The EAA has overcome the hiccup thwarting the ‘05 Symposium and has barreled on full-speed in 

preparation for the Empire Alpaca Symposium and Fleece Show for February 2006. We’re thrilled to 

have Barb Bubacz as our new Education Chair and she’s working her fingers to the bone preparing for 

the next Symposium. Cindy Vars has agreed to be the Fleece Show Superintendent; talk about experience 

in our corner. 

EAA is backing Cornell University in its efforts to establish their camelid practice. We’re donating a 

restraint shoot for their new wing. EAA has also sent donations to ARF and the Quechue Benefit this year. 

With the election of new Board members, the Board has changed a bit. It now stands as: 

Polly Michaelis – President Susan Wissick – Member-at-Large 

Scott Young – Vice President Barry Finer – Member-at-Large 

Chris Gilman – Treasurer Richard Jonassen – Member-at-Large 

Steve McCarthy – Secretary 

We’re also happy to announce that Dave Serino of Aspenwood Alpacas has agreed to be Nominating 

Chair (all those willing EAA members just chomping at the bit to run for the Board, please feel free to 

contact him). 

As to marketing – we’re looking forward to our new advertising campaign hitting print shortly. We’re 

very happy to be participating in the National Conference for County Ag-Extension Agents in July and, 

as always, our two appearances at the farm trade shows. 

Keep your calendars open for the next Extravaganza, October 22-23, 2005. Keep checking our website 

at www.nyalpacas.com for the latest information. Can’t wait to see you all there. 

Contact: Polly Michaelis, info@FingerLakes Alpacas.com or 315-258-8770 

■ New England Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association (NEAOBA) 

The holidays are the time for the New England 

Holiday Tour, an event where New England alpaca 

farms are open for visitors the two weekends after 

Thanksgiving. Visitors can go from farm to farm 

learning about alpacas and doing holiday shopping 

in farm stores. 

January 22-23, NEAOBA sponsored an educational 

weekend at Cas-Cad-Nac Farm, the home of 

Jennifer and Ian Lutz. On Saturday, Dr. Ahmed 

Tibary from Washington State University spoke to 

vets from all over New England, ending the day 

with a hands-on session on ultrasound. On Sunday, 

Dr. Tibary was to speak to breeders for half a day, 

with other speakers to follow. The infamous blizzard 

of 2005 forced a cancellation of Sunday’s session, 

but Saturday was a huge success with 42 vets 

from five New England states attending, including 

a 4th year student from Tufts and two residents 

from Cornell, sponsored by NEAOBA. We hope that 

seminars such as this will encourage more vets to 

take alpacas into their practices, easing the current 

perceived shortage of vets. 

May brings the New England Alpaca Fest, held 

in 2005 in conjunction with the New Hampshire 

Sheep and Wool Festival. We combined forces 

with this group for the first time in 2004 and found 

it a happy marriage. The long-established festival 

draws a huge crowd of people interested in animals 

and fiber. In turn, alpacas add interest and 

variety. Besides lots of alpacas to look at and fiber 

products to shop from, there are lots of workshops 

and demonstrations. The obstacle course 

demo drew a lot of interested people last year. 

Look for a brand-new NEAOBA website in the 

spring. That’s our next big project. 

Here’s hoping for a gentle spring and on-time 

crias. 

Contact: Liz MacEachran, Kilblaan@aol.com

■ Suri Network 

The Suri Network just completed another membership 

meeting in Atlanta, Georgia at the F2F conference. 

The all-day meeting focused on the 2004 

fall survey results. Through working groups, strategies 

and objectives were developed for recommendations 

for the Board of Directors to consider. 

These areas included breed standards, cross 

breeding, show rules, and suri fiber research. The 

Suri Network board thanks all who participated. 

The sharing of ideas is moving us forward. 

As a result of this membership meeting and 

input from other members, the SN Board is considering 

expanding from its current three committees 

(Education, Marketing, and Research) to also 

have Show, Membership, and Breed Standard 

committees. If any member is interested in any of 

these areas and wants to volunteer as a committee 

member, contact a Suri Network board member. 

Suri Network News (SNN) is our new newsletter, 

which was launched the first week of February 

2005. We mailed a copy to all known suri alpaca 

breeders as well as our membership. We encourage 

all to join the Suri Network to continue receiving 

the SNN. SNN will be published 4 to 6 times a 

year. Our next issue will contain more information 

from our membership meeting in Atlanta at the 

F2F conference. We are now searching for an editor 

for the SNN. If you are interested, or would like 

to help an editor, please contact the Suri Network 

office or any Suri Network board member. 

The next issue of Purely Suri is nearing press 


time. Thanks to all who have provided advertising 

and editorial input. All Suri Network members will 

receive a complimentary copy. Additional copies 

can be ordered from the SN Office. 

A new Suri Network tradition is beginning. A 

bronze suri sculpture will be auctioned off at the 

Celebrity Futurity Show and Sale, April 15-18, 

2005 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 

Indianapolis, Indiana. This is a Suri Network 

fundraiser and will then be re-auctioned off each 

year, carrying the engraved names of all winners. 

The highest bidder receives a two-page Farm 

Profile in the next Purely Suri publication (Vol. IV). 

Membership Annual Meeting: our next annual 

membership meeting will be in Salt Lake City at the 

National AOBA Conference. SN is working with 

AOBA to develop two seminars for the Conference. 

Watch for the SNN newsletter for details. 

Contacts: 

Dick Walker, President (alpacas@supersuri.com) 

Miriam Donaldson, Vice President 

(alpacajack@aol.com) 

Stacy Wilkins, Secretary (stacywilkins@ 

galaxycable.net) 

Toni Cotton, Treasurer (bestbrd@bright.net) 

Cindy Fronk, Member at Large 

(cfronk@qwest.net) 

Suri Network Office: 

PO Box 1984, Estes Park CO 80517, 

(970) 586-5876, SuriAssociation@aol.com 

■ Alpaca Owners and Breeders of Southern California (SOCALPACA) 

Southern California is enjoying dry weather and 

sunshine while we keep a wary eye on the forecast 

for the next few weeks. The first meeting 

of the year, hosted by Hayley Jessup at Alpacas 

de Calzada, occurred under sunny skies in the 

beauty of Santa Ynez. Neither the washed out 

roads with horrid traffic, nor muddy fields kept 

our members away. 

Kate Firestone with Direct Relief International 

was the featured speaker. Mrs. Firestone 

explained how the funds raised and donated by 

our association went directly to those who desperately 

need help. She explained and simplified the 

maze of distribution to us, helping to make this 

Herculean task understandable. Everyone appreciates 

and applauds the efforts of Mrs. Firestone, 

and Direct Relief International. 

Our newly elected members to the Board of 

Directors for 2005 are: 

President – Lisa Shimeld, Alpacas del 

Valle Cereza 

Vice President – Michael Scharf, Heritage Ranch 

Secretary – Cheryl Tenold, Yumedono Alpacas. 

Treasurer, Cindy Mendiola of Critter Country 

Alpacas and Member-at-Large, Vicki Robinson 

of Coffee Rock Ranch Alpacas, will serve the 

remainder of their two-year terms. 

We are looking forward to a busy, fun-filled 

year. Our members are now organizing and volunteering 

for the third Alpacafest West. It is great to 

hear the excitement as they gather to brainstorm 

ideas. So many creative minds and hands make 

for a wonderful event! Plan to join us. This year’s 

event will be held in Industry Hills Expo Center, 

November 5-6, 2005. Go to www.socalpaca.org/ 

for more information on this show, upcoming 

events, as well as results and pictures from last 

year’s show. 

Contact: Lisa Shimeld, President, cherryvalleyalpacas.com 

or (951) 845-9729 

31


■ Alpaca Breeders of the Rockies (ABR) 

Greetings from ABR! 

The Alpaca Breeders of the Rockies (ABR) 2005 

started with the addition of two new board members, 

Mike Rodman, Alpacas of Vista Hermosa, 

Treasurer; and Beau Harris, Ole Country Farm, 

Director – Membership. Thanks to outgoing 

Treasurer Lucy Farrar, Front Range Alpacas, and 

Director Diana Timmerman, Aussie Acres Alpacas, 

responsible for Membership, for all their hard 

work! ABR ended 2004 with over 200 members, 

two successful shows, and big plans for 2005. 

Our Fiber Arts Committee, Chairperson Verlene 

Lee, Avertine Hill Alpacas; Susan Lindh, Lazy Daze 

Ranch; Kim Sawyer, Tapestry Farm Alpacas; 

Samantha Tanner, Pine Country Ranch; Malcolm 

Babb, Teacup Oasis Alpacas; Paula Bowman, 

Mountain View Alpacas; Cindy Harris, Ole Country 

Farm; Becky Zierer, LaZyB Acres Alpacas; Robin 

Neher, Little Circle Farm Alpacas; and Barbara 

Dedecker, Rapunzel’s Farm, sponsored several 

events. These activities included the Fall Festival 

Fiber Arts Competition at the ABR Fall Festival 

Halter and Fleece Show, a day of alpaca fiber arts 

classes in October, and an Alpaca Day at the 

Parker Library featuring fiber stations (skirting, 

carding, knitting, weaving, and felting) for people 

to try alpaca. A very successful calendar of events! 

A schedule of classes and other happenings 

throughout the year is published on our website, 

www.alpacabreeders.org. One event that occurred 

in January is the Felting Hats for 

Cancer Patients day. Forty-four people 

gathered to felt, crochet, and rake 

loom knit over 50 hats to be donated 

to the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center. 

Such a great time was had and so 

many hats made to give away that 

we are going to do it again in the fall! 

The Education Committee has great 

speakers lined up for us this year! 

They did an excellent job last year 

offering six seminars/events for our 

members. Thanks to Chairperson, 

Linda Kondris, Pines Edge Suri 

Alpacas; Tsulan Balka, Lavender 

Fields Alpacas; Beth Blonder, Red 

Creek Ranch Alpacas; Barbara Adams, Windstar 

Alpacas; Barbara Ziek, Wild Hair Alpacas; Kathy 

Moore, Perky ‘Pacas; and Cathy Seymour, Lone 

Pine Alpacas. 

The National Western Stock Show is an institution 

in Denver, Colorado. The ninety-ninth show 

was held in 2005 and the Alpaca Breeders of the 

Rockies sponsored an informational booth there 

for the sixteen day show. It took a lot of volunteer 

time to staff the booth from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

each day. Sixty-six of our members took this 

opportunity to market their own farms, ABR, and 

the Great Western Alpaca Show. 

Speaking of the Great Western Alpaca Show: it 

will be held May 6, 7, and 8, 2005 at the National 

Western Stock Show Complex; we hope you will 

attend!! Consider this your personal invitation 

to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Denver this year. 

Over 1,000 animals are expected, lots of blue 

ribbons to give away and that awesome Western 

Hospitality to be enjoyed! Go to www.greatwestern 

alpacashow.com to sign up! Any questions, 

contact Lucy Farrar, Shows Manager, info@ 

coloradoalpacas.com; Cathy Huber, Show 

Superintendent, crhorses@gte.net; or Becky 

Zierer, Event Manager, lzbalpacas@aol.com. Hope 

to see you there! 

Contact: Becky Zierer, ABR President, 

lzbalpacas@aol.com

■ Willamette Alpaca Breeders Association (WABA) 

The annual Heart of the Valley Alpaca Show and 

Sale will be held on March 26-27, 2005 at the Linn 

County Fair and Expo Center in Albany, Oregon. 

Using two show rings, the Level II AOBA-certified 

Full Fleece Halter Show will be judged on Sunday 

by Shannon McConnell and Nard Mullan; the 

fleece show will be judged on Saturday. 

The Willamette Alpaca Breeders Association has 

worked very hard all year to provide a top-notch 

facility, experienced judges, mini-seminars, speakers, 

vendors, an auction, a photo competition, fun 

activities for children, and, of course, those wonderful 

alpacas. With a schedule packed with activities 

to interest the whole family, the show has 

been designed for those who are curious about 

alpacas and for those who own them. The first 

day of the show, Saturday, March 26, opens at 

9:00 a.m. to the public. 

■ “Orgling for OSU,” a stud service silent auction 

to benefit Oregon State University’s Camelid 

Research Program will begin at 9:00 a.m. and 

run until 6:00 p.m. There will also be some wonderful 

items in a silent auction to raise funds for 

the Alpaca Research Fund. 

■ Also at 9:00 a.m., a coloring contest and the 

photo contest judging will begin. 

■ At 10:00 a.m., the fleece show judging begins, 

and an Easter egg hunt will be held for children. 

■ Between 3:30-5:00, fun competitions such as an 

egg and spoon race, a boot race, and showmanship 

will be held in the Willamette Events Center. 

■ Southeastern Alpaca Association (SeAA) 

By the time this issue of OneVoice gets published, 

the SeAA will have finished two main events 

for 2005. At the Fiber to Fashion Conference in 

Atlanta, the SeAA will have showcased our association 

by being a Diamond Sponsor for the event, 

and shown off our wares in the vendor area with 

an “ALPACA: Made in the USA” exhibit and store. 

Then on March 5-6, we will have hosted the 

Southern Select Alpaca Show in Shelbyville, TN 

for the third straight year. This year, we expanded 

the venue to include not only a Level IV halter, 

performance, and fleece show, but also educational 

seminars featuring Dr. Norman Evans for alpaca 

husbandry, and Chris Switzer for the fiber enthusiasts 

in our area. The Silent Auction and Raffle 

remained one of the tops, generating money for 

our annual contributions to alpaca research. We 

also extended invitations to the many fiber guilds 

in our region, which contributed to the public 


■ Throughout the day, fiber demonstrations and 

seminars will be given: “Basic Fiber 

Preparation,” “Microwave Dyeing,” and “Alpaca 

Felted Pouch.” There will be spinning demonstrations 

all weekend. 

■ Other seminars will provide important information 

to potential and current alpaca owners: 

“Alpacas as a Business,” “Beginning Alpacas,” 

and “Breeding a Better Fibre for a Better 

Future.” 

■ From 5:30-6:30 p.m. a happy hour will be held in 

the Willamette Events Center, followed by a 

BBQ dinner with guest speaker Mario Pedroza 

of the Quechua Project and music by the Green 

Valley Band. 

On Sunday, the event will open again at 9:00 a.m. 

to the public. 

■ Promptly at 9:00 a.m., the AOBA-certified halter 

show will begin with two judges and two rings. 

■ Orgling for OSU and the silent auction will open 

at 9:00 a.m. and close at 1:00 p.m. 

Pens for the halter show are completely sold 

out, but WABA is still accepting fleece entries and 

reservations for dinner. Complete, detailed information 

about the show and the required registration 

forms are available at the show’s website: 

http://www.heartofthevalleyalpacashow.com/ 

Contact: Marcia Andrews, silverfallsalpacas@ 

earthlink.net 

attendees at the show. 

Our web site, www.sealpaca.org, was 

redesigned and reformatted late last fall. New features 

include a locator map with links to all our 

members’ web sites, a new information request 

engine for public visitors to the site, and an 

expanded events listing page. The members-only 

area was improved by enabling members to post 

to a message board or to send e-mails directly to 

all the membership. 

For the summer, our event will be a Neonatal 

Clinic conducted by Dr. Toni Cotton at the Roane 

State Community College in Harriman, TN. This 

ever-popular seminar has become an annual 

event that the SeAA moves around the region 

each year, allowing members to participate on 

a more local basis. 

Contact: Ruth Fuqua, 

fuqua@bransfordgroup.com 


33


■ Intermountain West Alpaca Association (IMpaca!) 

In 2002, the eyes of the sports world were focused 

on Salt Lake City. That year, the Salt Lake City area 

hosted the world during the 2002 Olympic Winter 

Games. Visitors and athletes from all over the 

globe arrived and participated in this incredibly 

successful event! Guests were privy to what Utah 

has to offer, excellent food and drink, a wide variety 

of cultural events, spectacular scenery, and the 

warm hospitality of the people of Utah. In June of 

2005 the eyes of the “alpaca” world will focus on 

Utah, this time for the most prestigious event in 

the alpaca industry, the annual AOBA National 

Conference. IMpaca! would like to extend an invitation 

to each of you to attend! 

The 2005 Conference will be held at the beautiful 

South Towne Exposition Center. This lovely, air 

conditioned facility is easily located by car (even 

for the geographically challenged), and is a short, 

five minutes off Interstate 15, the main north/south 

traffic corridor through the Salt Lake Valley. 

Unloading animals at South Towne Center will 

be comfortable and easy. Vet checking will take 

place in a large, shaded area, and color checking 

will take place inside the Exposition Center under 

the same lighting conditions that your alpacas will 

be judged during the show. Once vet checked and 

color checked, your alpacas will proceed to the 

beautiful, open stalling area, where they will be 

able to settle in for the show. The South Towne 

Exposition Center has over 1,500 parking stalls 

adjacent to the facility, which will provide ample, 

convenient parking for conference participants 

hauling trailers. Once your animals have been 

■ Ohio Alpaca Breeders Association (OABA) 

The Board of Directors for 2005 is: 

President – Eric Folkman, Blue Ribbon Farm 

Vice President – Sue Bailey, Silver Creek 

Alpacas 

Treasurer – Darlene Baab, Cherub Hill Alpacas 

Secretary – Barbara Bacon, Blue Sky Corral 

Director at Large – Cheryl Laufer, Spirit Wind 

Alpacas 

The Board thanks retiring member Terri Radesic, 

Club Suri, for her time and hard work during her 

term of office. 

Every year, Alpacafest has grown, and the 7th 

annual show last November 2004 was no exception. 

We had a 50% increase in registration of animals 

over 2003, forcing us to choose between 

turning more than 200 animals away or renting a 

unloaded and checked in, access to the stalling 

area directly from the parking lot will easily facilitate 

the offloading of stall equipment, hay, and 

other show “necessities.” 

Conference attendees arriving in motor homes 

will have access to the Quail Run RV Park, an easy 

five to ten minute walk from the South Towne 

Center. For those of you flying in to attend the 

conference, the Salt Lake International Airport is 

located about twenty minutes from the South 

Towne Center and its area hotels. 

The weather in Salt Lake City in early June 

should be fabulous! Highs are typically in the 70s 

to low 80s during the day, cooling off to the 50s at 

night. These delightful temperatures, combined 

with Utah’s low humidity, will provide wonderfully 

comfortable conditions for alpacas and conference 

attendees alike. Once you’re here, please look for 

the 18-month IMpaca! calendar that will be included 

in the conference show packets. This beautiful 

calendar introduces you to all our IMpaca! member 

ranches and the wonderful alpacas we raise. 

So, let’s recap… A beautiful facility, lovely 

weather with low humidity, spectacular scenery 

and amenities and the very best alpacas in the 

country! Don’t miss one moment of it! Come and 

bring your best! 

The members of IMpaca! look forward to welcoming 

you to the 2005 AOBA Conference in Salt 

Lake City! 

Contact: Carla Llewellyn, IMpaca! President, 

CLlewellyn@slco.org 

second building. Fortunately, the second building 

was available at the Columbus, Ohio state fairgrounds. 

We also managed to hire additional halter 

and fleece judges, and redesign the floor plan 

to include a fourth show ring, and magically 

became a Level V show. Clearly, the alpaca industry 

is continuing to grow and enthusiasm of 

breeders is still running high in and around Ohio. 

In the end, we had a great show and a great 

crowd of people. We even managed to finish the 

judging by 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Kudos to 

Darlene and Tom Baab, coordinators of the show; 

and Jennifer Folkman and Cheryl Laufer, co-superintendents 

of the fleece show. Of course, we had 

many volunteers and sponsors who helped to pull 

the show together as well. Thank you everybody. 

Contact: Barbara Bacon, OABA Secretary, 

Bbarbacon@aol.com or (330) 807-7075

■ State of Jefferson Alpaca Association (SOJAA) 

On February 4, 2005 Oregon State University 

(OSU) Veterinary Hospital received from SOJAA, a 

much needed Pentax 6mm Video Gastroscope, 

valued at $16,000.00. This consequential donation 

from the SOJAA membership was made possible 

by the successful AlpacaMania 2004 Stud and 

Silent Auction. Congratulations and thanks to all 

the bighearted donors, bidders, and volunteers for 

their generosity to such a vital cause. 

Accepting the gastroscope on behalf of OSU 

was Dr. Howard Gelberg, College Dean; Dr. Chris 

Cebra, Associate Professor of Large Animal 

Medicine; Dr. David Sisson, Clinical Sciences 

Department Head; and Todd Olney, Director of 

Development. Attending the OSU presentation on 

behalf of SOJAA were JoAnne Boardman, Board 

Member and AlpacaMania 2004 Silent Auction 

Chair, along with Zoltan Szabo of Pannonia 

Alpacas and Gamma Endoscopy, who located this 

essential diagnostic equipment. 

A state-of-the-art gastroscope, it is small 

enough for insertion into the nose of a cria to 

assist diagnosing diseases of the respiratory system; 

including all types of pneumonia, nose, and 

laryngeal malformations, along with soft palate 

and esophagus issues. The gastroscope will also 

examine the urogenital system, as part of an infertility 

work-up in females and as an adjunct to surgery 

in males with urinary tract obstructions. In 

SOJAA members presenting a $16,000 endoscope to OSU. (l-r): Jack Boardman, SOJAA 

member; Dr. Chris Cebra of OSU; JoAnne Boardman, AlpacaMania 2004 Silent Auction 

Chair and SOJAA Director; Susan Szabo and Zoltan Szabo, SOJAA members and Gamma 

Endoscope dealer. 


addition to images, the gastroscope can also 

obtain internal samples for culturing. 

As for SOJAA business, the 2005 officers are: 

President: Adrian Stewart, Mulberry 

Alpacas LLC 

Vice President: Lynn Roy, Klamath River Alpacas 

Treasurer: Bruce Rider, Alpaca Place 

Secretary: Aase Frederick, EBA Oaks Alpacas 

Director: JoAnne Boardman, Sutherlin Rose 

Alpacas 

Director: Correy Bol, Silver Rose Ranch 

Director: Irene Fuller, Moon Dancing Alpacas 

Congratulations to the newly elected officers as 

they embark on their 2-year terms. Sincere thanks 

to the outgoing President and Secretary, Renee 

White of Flying W Alpacas, and Renate Gyuro of 

Alpacas at Lone Ranch, respectively, for their hard 

work, vision, and commitment to SOJAA. 

On May 7th, SOJAA and CALPACA members 

will join together to participate in the 3rd annual 

“Fiber on the Foot – Celebrating Alpacas” educational 

event at the Tehama District Fairgrounds in 

Red Bluff, CA. For information; contact Lewis 

Bodie, Bright Eyes Alpacas at brighteyesalpaca@ 

softcom.net or call (530) 529-4432. 

SOJAA’s 4th Annual AOBA Certified Halter and 

Fleece show, AlpacaMania 2005, will be held at 

the Jackson County Expo 

Center in the Medford 

area October 8-9, 2005. 

Be sure to visit our website, 

www.sojaa.org for 

updates. 

Remember, it’s a State 

of Mind… 

Contact: JoAnne 

Boardman, alpacas@ 

rosenet.net or 

541-459-0244. 


35


■ Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and New Mexico Alpaca Breeders (TxOLAN) 

TxOLAN is growing by leaps and bounds! We 

now have in excess of 100 members and look 

forward to welcoming many more in the coming 

year. 

The 2005 show season got off to a great start in 

the TxOLAN area with the Sun City Sizzle Show in 

El Paso. With the now-notorious relaxed, warm 

atmosphere of the Sun City Sizzle, the show 

proved to be as successful as ever with judge 

Diane Timmerman working tirelessly to judge 

365 entries. 

The 6th Annual TxOLAN Alpaca Spectacular 

took place February 18-20, 2005 at the Will Rogers 

Memorial Center, Fort Worth, Texas. With the 

increased number of entries for the show we were 

able to graduate to the larger show arena, allowing 

us to run two rings at once and providing 

much improved spectator facilities to encourage 

people to stay and watch the show. Kristin 

Buhrmann of Canada returned for her second year 

of judging the halter section of the show, while 

Tim Lavan of Maine joined us for the first time to 

judge the fleece show and performance and 

obstacle classes. 

Attendees at the show were able to take part in 

a seminar by Dr. Norm Evans, DVM, and a wide 

variety of free lectures of interest to alpaca breeders 

both new and old were available throughout 

the day on both Saturday and Sunday. 

As always, the Saturday evening dinner was a 

great success with the live auction causing much 

excitement, and at times amusement, for those 

involved. At the time of writing this, the final figures 

from the silent and live auctions are still 

being verified, but will be shared with the membership 

in our next update. 

The TxOLAN Alpaca Spectacular is a show that 

increases in popularity each year. The show would 

not be possible without the generosity of the 

members who volunteer their time and skills to 

make sure that the show is a success year after 

year. TxOLAN would like to encourage all members 

to consider volunteering to assist with the 

2006 TxOLAN Alpaca Spectacular. As the show 

grows the need for volunteers increases – and 

those that have previously volunteered deserve a 

well-earned break! Volunteering for the show gives 

members the opportunity to learn, share their 

skills, and contribute to the success of TxOLAN. 

The TxOLAN board has been working hard to 

enhance membership benefits. The TxOLAN web 

site (www.txolan.org) has been given a complete 

overhaul and is now up and running with a new 

look. The new site was designed to improve ease 

of navigation, overall eye appeal and search 

engine placement. One new feature of the new 

site is the herd sire page that allows members the 

opportunity to advertise their herd sire services 

and get a good idea of the outstanding herd sires 

available in the TxOLAN area. Research is currently 

being conducted into the possibility of being 

able to offer items commonly used by alpacas 

breeders at discounted prices as a benefit of 

TxOLAN membership. The board will keep members 

posted on any developments in this area. 

For alpaca owners in the TxOLAN area who are 

not yet members of TxOLAN but who are interested 

in joining, details are available at the TxOLAN 

website www.txolan.org 

Contact: Rosemary Metcalf, windrush@ 

plateautel.net or (505) 683-5177

Calendar of Events (Information cut-off date: March 3, 2005) 

NEW! REVISED, SIMPLER CALENDAR INFORMATION HERE: 

▼ 

CALENDAR INFORMATION AND SUBMISSION PROCEDURES 

For the latest on AOBA-sanctioned shows, please log onto www.alpacashows.com. 

For further details and contact information regarding any event listed below, 

please log onto www.alpacaowners.com and click on “Calendar.” 

Want to have your event listed? Please log onto www.alpacaowners.com; click on 

“Calendar of Events,” and then follow the instructions: 

Here are the rules: (1) The sponsoring farm or ranch must be an AOBA or ARI 

member; (2) Only AOBA-Certified show ring and fleece competitions may be 

advertised; (3) Only alpaca-related events may be listed; (4) Limit of one listing 

per event; (5) Limit of two listings per farm/ranch/entity, per magazine issue 

or website listing; (6) Limit of 75 words per entry; (7) Only events conducted 

at physical locations are eligible - i.e., no “virtual” events or on-line auctions; 

(8) Event must involve two or more farms/ranches OR, if a single farm, then 

the event must be of an educational nature (and must be advertised as such, 

with specifics). Single-farm live auctions are permitted. (9) Also, we reserve 

the right to edit or reject any calendar entry submitted. 

DISCLAIMER: Although we strive to provide complete and accurate information, 

neither AOBA, Association Headquarters, ARI, Alpacas Magazine, 

OneVoice, nor Sunrise Editorial Services, their employees or assigns, are 

responsible for errors contained in this or any other Calendar of Events 

(including errors of omission or commission). 

April 1-3, 2005: MOPACA Invitational 

Alpaca Show, Lake St. Louis MO 

April 1-3, 2005: North American Alpaca 

Show, Springfield MA 

April 2-3, 2005: AlpacaPalooza, 

Puyallup WA 

April 3, 2005: Free Alpaca Seminars, West 

Friendship MD 

April 6, 2005: Able Oaks Shearing Ranch 

Shearing Day, Rusk TX 

April 9, 2005: Practice to Win/Show Ring 

Success Seminar, Two Rivers WI 

April 9-10, 2005: Maggie Krieger 

Advanced Fiber Seminar, Franklin OH 

April 9-10: “Keeping Your Investment 

Safe, Healthy, and Productive,” 

Clinton NJ 

April 9-11, 2005: CAMELIDynamics Clinic 

with Marty McGee Bennett, Mt Juliet TN 

April 15-18, 2005: 9th Annual Futurity Sale, 

Indianapolis IN 

April 21-24, 2005: Mapaca Jubilee & 

Auction, Harrisburg PA 

April 22-25, 2005: Monterey Pronk, 

Monterey CA 

April 23, 2005: Low Stress Alpaca 

Shearing Class, Taylors Falls MN 

April 23, 2005: Canadian National Alpaca 

Select Sale, Red Deer AB 

April 23-24, 2005: Beginning Ridge Heddle 

Weaving with Karen Kinyon, Jemez 

Springs NM 

April 23-24, 2005: Shearing Class, 

Covington LA 

For the latest on AOBA-Sanctioned Shows, 

please log on to www.alpacashows.com 

April 23-May 6, 2005: Visit to Peru with 

Helen Hamann, Peru 

April 29-May 1, 2005: “How to Buy, Breed, 

and Succeed in the Alpaca Business,” 

Hillsboro OR 

April 30, 2005: Cranbrook Loom Day, 

Boulder CO 

April 30-May 1, 2005: Camelidyanamics 

Clinic with Marty McGee Bennett, 

Trotwood OH 

April 30-May 1, 2005: Alpaca University 

#105 “Profitability from Vertical 

Integration,” Elgin AZ 

April 30-May 1, 2005: Michigan Alpaca 

Breeders Show and Fiber Fair, 

Ortonville MI 

May 6-8, 2005: Buckeye Alpaca Show, 

Columbus OH 

May 6-8, 2005: Great Western Alpaca 

Show, Denver CO 

May 7, 2005: 3rd Annual Fiber on the Foot, 

Red Bluff CA 

May 7-8, 2005: Maryland Sheep and Wool, 

Glenwood MD 

May 7-8, 2005: Fifth Annual “Everything is 

Coming Up Alpacas”, Ballston Spa NY 

May 13-15, 2005: Alpaca Western 

Extravaganza (AWE), Portland OR 

May 13-15, 2005: “Spring Fling” Auction, 

Stockton NJ 

May 13-15, 2005: IAOBA RiverSide 

AlpacaFest 2005, East Peoria IL 

May 14, 2005: Brush Alpaca and Llama 

Shearing Festival, Brush CO 

May 14, 2005: Foundation for Success 

Alpaca 101+Seminar, Akron OH 

(Continued) 

37

Calendar of Events (Information cut-off date: March 3, 2005) 

May 20-21, 2005: Alpaca Showcase and 

Fleece Harvest, Zeeland MI 

May 20-22, 2005 PAOBA Breeders 

Showcase, York PA 

May 21, 2005: Northeastern Wisconsin 

Alpaca Basics Clinic, Northeastern 

Wisconsin 

May 21-22, 2005: Shearing Clinic with 

Russell Gent from New Zealand, Jemez 

Springs NM 

May 21-24, 2005: Camelidynamics 

Advanced Training, Bend OR 

May 26-31 Pagosa Fiber Festival, Pagosa 

Springs CO 

May 28-29, 2005: Mallon Method Clinic, 

Jericho Center VT 

June 1-5, 2005: AOBA National 

Conference, Sandy (Salt Lake City) UT 

June 5, 2005: Alpaca Heritage Events 

Rally, Columbus NJ 

June 11, 2005: Focus on Fiber Seminar, 

Peacham VT 

June 11-12, 2005: Fifth Annual Spring 

Event, Chagrin Falls OH 

June 12-18, 2005: Midwest Weavers 

Conference, Sheboygan WI 

June 16-19, 2005: Estes Park Wool 

Market, Estes Park CO 

June 18, 2005: All Things Considered, 

Boyertown PA 

June 25-July 13, 2005: 2005 “Alpaca 

Roots” Expedition, Bolivia and Peru 

June 25, 2005: Alpacas All Things 

Considered, Grass Valley CA 

July 1-3, 2005: Parade of Champions Sale, 

Hillsboro OR 

38 

July 5 - 7, 2005: “Alpaca Business & Tax 

Planning,” “Neonatal Care & 

Reproduction” and “Getting Started in the 

Alpaca Business,” Hillsboro OR 

July 9, 2005: Alpacas: All Things 

Considered (beginning/intermediate), 

Cambridge MN 

July 12-17, 2005: Mid-Atlantic Fiber 

Association Conference, Lansdown VA 

July 15-17, 2005: Rocky Mountain Llama & 

Alpaca Assoc. Regional Conference, 

Glenwood Springs CO 

July 16, 2005: Herdsire Showcase 2005, 

Clinton OH 

July 16-17, 2005: CAMELIDynamics Clinic 

with Marty McGee Bennett, Brandon VT 

July 22-23, 2005: Camelid Health Program, 

Columbus OH 

July 24-25, 2005: Alpaca Affaire 

Northwest, Chelalis WA 

July 28-31, 2005: Intermountain Weavers 

Conference, Durango CO 

July 30-31, 2005: CAMELIDynamics Clinic 

with Marty McGee Bennett, Ashland, OR 

July 30-31, 2005: Alpaca University #101 

“Alpaca Buyers Seminar, Flagstaff AZ 

August 12-14, 2005: Camelid Community 

Gathering, Kansas City MO 

August 20, 2005: Dr. Norm Evans Seminar, 

Outerbanks NC 

August 20, 2005: Alpaca Country Faire, 

Hillsboro OR 

August 26-28, 2005: East Meets West 

Alpaca Auction, Boonton Township NJ 

August 27, 2005: Alpaca Country Faire, 

Sandy OR 

August 27-30, 2005: Camelidynamics 

Advanced Training, Bend OR 

September 10, 2005: Eastern Extreme 

Auction, Butler PA 

September 10-11, 2005: Fifth Annual Fall 

Event, Chagrin Falls OH 

September 10-11, 2005: SEPA – 

Southeastern Pennsylvania Alpaca Show 

and Sale, Allentown, PA 

September 17-18, 2005: Everything is 

Coming Up Alpacas, Ballston Spa NY 

September 23-25, 2005: Northwest Alpaca 

Showcase, Coeur d’Alene ID 

October 1-2, 2005: Camelid Behavioral 

Clinic With Cathy Spalding, Grass 

Valley CA 

October 7-9, 2005: Breeders Choice 

Auction, Litchfield OH 

October 15-16, 2005: Alpaca University 

#101 “Alpaca Buyers Seminar,” Elgin AZ 

October 15-17, 2005: CAMELIDynamics 

Two-day Clinic with Marty McGee 

Bennett, Mansfield OH 

October 21-23, 2005: Southeastern Animal 

Fiber Fair, Asheville NC 

October 28-29, 2005: Peruvian Classic 

Sale, Mantua OH 

November 12-13, 2005: Alpaca University 

#103 “Alpaca Breeding and Birthing 

Seminar”, Elgin AZ 

May 16-21, 2006: AOBA National 

Conference, Louisville, KY 

October 2006: International Camelid 

Congress, Buenos Aires, Argentina 

October 2007: XI International Alpaca 

Fiesta, Arequipa, Peru

AOBA Contact Information 

Members are encouraged to contact staff on their direct phone lines. 

Michele Biordi, Certified Association Executive (CAE) 

Executive Director, Ext: 4434 

Direct phone: (856) 642-4434, e-mail: mbiordi@ahint.com 

Michele oversees the organization, including day-to-day operations. 

She works with the AOBA Board of Directors on plans and budget; 

implements board decisions; and supervises the core staff. Staff liaison 

to Raw Fiber & Finished Products Committee, Government & Industry 

Relations Committee, and Nomination Committee. She is the point 

person for any board-related and other association issues. 

Pam Ewan 

Assistant Executive Director, Ext: 4204 

Direct phone: (856) 642-4204, e-mail: pewan@ahint.com 

Pam provides direct support to the Executive Director in all 

operations of AOBA. Staff liaison for both the Affiliate and Education 

Committees. She is also the staff liaison for Show Division Administrator, 

and the Show Division. Pam is an additional contact for the membership 

regarding requests, questions, orders, etc. 

Show Division 

Connie Alexander 

Show Division Administrator 

Voice: (812) 472-8203, FAX: (812) 472-8203 

E-mail: aobashows@direcway.com 

5435 W. Mount Carmel Road, Fredericksburg, IN 47120 

Connie handles the operations of the Show Division. She reviews and 

approves applications for show certification, monitors show results, and 

works with the show committees. Connie is the point person for questions 

related to the Show Division. Visit www.alpacashows.com for information. 

Advertising, Marketing, PR 

Jerry Miller 

Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations, Brown & Miller, Inc. 

Voice: (216) 831-0440, E-mail: jerrmill@msn.com 

24100 Chagrin Blvd., Beachwood, OH 44122 

Jerry Miller works with the Marketing Committee to implement 

AOBA’s national advertising campaign. Brown & Miller also provides 

public relations services. Leah Lupin Seper is AOBA’s PR representative. 

All media inquiries for AOBA should be directed to Brown & Miller. 

ARI Contact Information 

Ann Mitchell 

AOBA Director of Meetings, Ext: 4210 

Direct phone: (856) 642-4210, E-mail: rstorti@ahint.com 

Ann plans and executes the Fiber to Fashion and AOBA National 

Conferences. She works with the Board of Directors, committees, volunteers, 

and headquarters office on event arrangements. Questions other 

than registration should be directed to Ann at the headquarters office. 

Veronica Noble 

Membership Services Coordinator, Ext: 4457 

Direct phone: (856) 642-4211, e-mail: vnoble@ahint.com 

Veronica is the primary point person for member questions/requests; 

sign-up for the Farm and Ranch Guide and www.alpacainfo.com 

marketing website; and AOBA lending library transactions. 

Rebecca Murphy 

Registration Coordinator, Ext: 4213 

Direct phone: (856) 642-4213, e-mail: rhaines@ahint.com 

Rebecca handles pre-registration and on-site registration for the Fiber 

to Fashion & AOBA National Conferences. She is the point person 

for questions related to these events. 

Publications, Calendars 

Alpacas Magazine and OneVoice Executive Editor 

Dave Belt, Sunrise Editorial Services 

1631 Route 6, RR 3, Tatamagouche, NS B0K 1V0, CANADA 

(postage from U.S. is .60 for 1 ounce; .85 for two ounces) 

alpacapubs@yahoo.com, (902) 657-1094 

Alpacas Magazine Advertising Sales 

Stephanie Pride, Advertising Manager, c/o Able Publishing 

steph@llamabanner.com, 785-537-0320 

Photo Submissions for Alpacas Magazine, OneVoice 

Steven and Annie Segal, Design Horizon 

segal@designhorizon.com, 541-382-6483 

Magazine Subscriptions and Changes of Address 

Michele Biordi or Pam Ewan 

aoba@ahint.com, 856-439-1076 

All Calendar Submissions (website, Alpacas Magazine, and 

OneVoice): see p. 37 for details 

Alpaca Registry, Inc. 

4711 Innovation Drive, Suite 160, Lincoln NE 68521 

Phone: (402) 437-8484, FAX: (402) 437-8488 

Administrator: Gordon A. Anderson, ari@alpacaregistry.net

The quarterly newsletter of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, Inc. and the Alpaca Registry, Inc. 

OneVoice is published four times a year by Sunrise Editorial Services. Words and Commas: David Belt; Circles, 

Squares, and Triangles: Steven and Annie Segal; Ink and Paper: Stephanie Pride/Able Publishing. © 2005 Sunrise 

Editorial Services. Individual contributors retain copyright to their original submissions to this derivative work. 

OneVoice Deadlines 

Issue Deadline for Input Release Date 

OVJun05 1 May 05 20 Jun 05 

OVSep05 1 Aug 05 20 Sep 05 

Send all OneVoice correspondence and inputs to: 

alpacapubs@yahoo.com. Electronic inputs only 

(exception: hard copy photographs accepted). 

c/o Association Headquarters/AOBA 

15000 Commerce Parkway 

Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 

Address Service Requested 

PRESORTED 

FIRST CLASS 

U.S. Postage Paid 

Manhattan, KS 

Permit No. 580

IN THIS ISSUE: pg 4 pgs 9, 11 pgs 11-20 SEE YOU AT: - ariLIST

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