Napoleon meets Ted Danson

Napoleon came out in style April 1 at the Dove Lewis “Boutiques Unleashed” fund raiser at the Tiffany Center in Portland. He was one of two “Mystery Models” at the event and met Ted Dansen at a promotion for the event on a television show called “Studio 6”. Napoleon wore an outfit on the runway that was custom designed by Seth Aaron Henderson, a stylish orange, black and gold jacket with a smart, black top hat and matching leggings. His handler, Shannon Gregory, wore a Seth Aaron design as well.

Napoleon’s new job seems to be to his liking as well. Since his fashion debut, he has done 2 school visits, 3 senior communities, 2 rehab facilities, a birthday party, and the 50+ Connections Expo, and is a smashing success! Because he is smaller than a llama, children and wheelchair bound people who are intimidated by the llamas are less afraid of Napoleon. And, because alpaca fiber is one of the finest natural fibers, people of all ages like to pet and touch him.

Napoleon’s start in the therapy program has gone so well that Wildflower Alpacas has donated another young alpaca named Eduardo to Mt. Peaks Therapy Llamas. Lori Gregory of Mt. Peaks says that 8 month old Eduardo is “VERY promising as a therapy prospect- even more people friendly and touchable than Napoleon!” Both alpacas will be classified as alpacas-in-training until they can be certified as therapy animals. Certification is a lengthy and intense process, and is not undertaken lightly. It requires a uniquely gentle and calm animal and an experienced handler.

To find out more about Napoleon and Mt. Peaks Therapy Llamas visit www.rojothellama.com. For more information about alpacas and alpaca fiber products, visit wildfloweralpacas.com.au or stop by the Woodland Visitors Information Center.

Reprinted by permission of the Woodland Chamber of Commerce from their May 2011 Newsletter.

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by Daryl Gohl

In 1998, when my wife, Ruthie, and I began Wildflower Alpacas, there were less than13,000 alpacas in the U.S. At the time we were assigned show number 584 by AOBA. Making breeding decisions for herd improvement were primarily based on selecting from a limited supply of imported herd sires. Being a numbers-oriented person, I was concerned that there were not many quality indicators being measured. Many farms were not submitting fiber for yearly histograms; so many people evaluated alpacas based on show placings and personal conformation and fleece evaluations. They had purchases and breedings that were hit and miss as far as quality.

We had great mentors who helped us develop expertise in evaluating alpacas. We used an abbreviated check list from the original alpaca importations to record both conformation and fiber characteristics for each alpaca we evaluated and tried to be very methodical in our decisions.

Initially we purchased two of the highest quality females we could afford and decided to not purchase any stud quality males which would lock us into an expensive long-term commitment. We purchased another five females in the next three years. As a very small farm we did not have the time to experiment with younger males who were not proven like many of the larger farms did. So we tried to breed to males who were at least four-years-old. The males many times had a number of cria on the ground to valuate and had three years of histograms to show a trend of maintaining good fiber attributes including what we now call “lingering fineness.”

Our initial goals were to breed solid color alpacas that were ½ to ¾ Accoyo in lineage, building fiber density and fiber length first, and in subsequent breedings improving fineness and consistency. We made great strides in reaching our goals in the first five years and did not sell many of our offspring as we were trying to build our herd in order to retire early and raise alpacas full time.

In 2005, I was invited to join the Judge Training and Certification Committee where I spent the next 3½ years rubbing shoulders with senior judges, judges, judges-in-training, and quality committed alpaca farmers and ranchers who helped our committee by providing alpacas for judge training clinics and judge testing all over our nation. I thought I was going to give something back to the industry but ended up gaining more insights into breeding the best alpacas. One of those people who had great influence on me was Brett Kaysen. He helped me to understand Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) and how other livestock associations were using them for great genetic gains. I was also impressed with the growing interest by alpaca breeders in fleece judging. I was anxious for our industry to create an EPD program!

In 2008, we implemented another quality tool on our farm to not only breed better but to make better alpaca products to sell in our farm boutique — fiber sorting and grading on shearing day. We started documenting the weights and grades of fiber from each alpaca including brightness, handle, comparison of the ratio between secondary primary fibers, staple lengths, and color consistency. This was a great improvement from a breeding perspective versus just using histogram information from only the mid-side sample.

A couple of months later, after hearing an EPD presentation by Mike Safley at the Parade of Champions Auction, Ruthie and I joined the Ideal Alpaca Program which eventually became part of the current ariEPD program. Mike’s team helped me analyze my histogram results and gain a better understanding of how to use statistics to further fine-tune my breeding selections.

After retiring, we made the decision to no longer participate in halter shows so that we could spend more time with our family, volunteering, and focusing on further improving the genetics of our alpaca herd. However, you will see me at some of the larger shows in my role as President of Quechua Benefit, where I sometimes enter a few alpaca show fleeces due to my competitive nature and happily, our herd is still winning ribbons.

Even though we no longer show, evaluation of our alpacas is imperative to our herd and EPDs help us accomplish this through a scientific process. As a result of our belief in EPDs and our dedication to improving our herd, last year we began using EPDs not only for breeding decisions, but also to market alpacas for sale. On our website, all alpacas that are old enough to be sheared have their complete EPD information listed along with their histograms and total fiber sort statistics. We have used a ARI tool to show each alpaca’s nine fleece measurements and the % ranking of the national herd (only if it is in the top ranking). ARI provides this information in each new Producer’s Report at www.ariACADEMY.com/report. We have not withheld any EPDs on any alpacas even if some characteristics are not the best as we have learned that it is rare if any alpaca is rated high in all nine measurements
and believe this transparency is essential.

We continue to raise and sell high quality alpacas and take great joy in being mentors to those just entering our industry. We currently have a herd of about 60 alpacas. Our tagline is “Consistent Quality you can Measure.” In the last six months we have seen an unprecedented interest in the purchase of quality alpacas. When speaking with prospective buyers, there are always two things I do. I talk to them about EPDs and their importance, and I recommend that they read “The Art & Science of Alpaca Judging” prior to purchasing their first or next alpaca.

Through development of an effective and highly managed EPD program, our industry finally has an important tool that can help breeders obtain greater predictability in selecting breedings for fleece improvement with greater genetic gains. While we should never discard evaluation of conformation issues, the scientific ariEPDs provide us with an easy-to-use rating scale to make breeding and buying decisions that can have a much quicker impact on improving our herds. EPDs have been used in other livestock associations for decades and are seen as imperative
for successful operations. Having ARI move forward with this program and continue to expand it through effective education and promotion has meant a dramatic increase in the number of alpaca breeders who participate. This means that the program gets stronger with each new calculation, providing EPDs that are even more accurate than the last calculation.

A couple of weeks ago we had an experience that confirms ARI and those of us using EPDs are on the right track. A couple of 3rd generation eastern Oregon cattle families stopped by to stay with us for the night while starting a much needed and well deserved mini-vacation. They asked if they could go down to our barn to see the alpacas, shop in our farm boutique, and see the whole operation. As the guys were looking at the alpacas (one for the first time) and evaluating them from a livestock perspective, their ears perked up when I mentioned how we had been using EPDs for over four years to improve our fleece predictabilities. Both of them said that buyers for their calves insisted on seeing their weight gain/feed efficiency EPDs before purchasing each tractor/trailer load. They told me of how they culled out calves based on their EPDs so that they would have the best to sell and hopefully repeat business each year with the highest prices. They went on to say that the buyers provided them with feedback on each calf ’s continued weight gain prior to being sold for butcher in order to help them continue to refine their breeding program. They both indicated that their family business would not have survived the last decade if they had not used EPDs.

Their story is not uncommon in the livestock industry. Each industry has evolved to the point that EPDs are an essential piece of information required to make breeding and buying decisions. This evolution is no different than that of our individual farms, or indeed the entire alpaca industry. I do not claim to be an EPD expert. I still have a lot to learn and look forward to the future of the industry. Just as our friends require EPD information in the decisions they make with their cattle, serious alpaca breeders are beginning to do the same as they see the huge benefits to that information. Are you going to be one of them?

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Wildflower Alpacas has been proud of being part of the Ideal Alpaca Community for three years.  We are very pleased that ARI is planning to educate individuals on the merits of EPDs when planning breeding strategies as well as encouraging use of statistical measurements when selecting quality alpacas to purchase.
The teams are moving quickly to accurately and efficiently combine all of the EPD trait data thus ensuring a fluid transition for the members of IAC in the next 4-6 weeks. The consolidation of IAC’s data into ARI’s EPD program marks a significant milestone in the alpaca industry which is expected to dramatically augment the alpaca industry’s worldwide growth, positive for alpaca owners and potential owners everywhere.

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The North American Alpaca Fiber Producers cooperative plans to use the $68,950 grant to market coop products, increase membership and improve operational efficiency. North American Alpaca Fiber Producers (NAAFP) is an agricultural cooperative that was created to establish the highest level of quality alpaca products from fiber produced and processed in North America by alpaca fiber producers who have their fiber sorted by a certified fiber sorter, using the Certified Sorted™ system.

Wildflower Alpacas has been a member of NAAFP since September of 2009. We are proud to use the Certified Sorted™ system to maximize our shearing process and produce superior alpaca products for our farm boutique- Delightful Treasures!

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We invite you to visit Wildflower Alpacas on National Alpaca Day Sunday, September 26, 2010 from 10 am to 4 pm.

• See our quality herd of 45 + alpacas who have won 141 ribbons in just 15 major shows! We even have eight new cria “babies” to hold and pet.
• Investigate if this business can help you realize your lifestyle and income goals.
• Watch an experienced fiber sorter evaluate fleece. Find out how sorting your fiber each year can make a big difference in the quality and price of alpaca products you can sell. ( You can also bring a bag of fleece for evaluation.)
• Shop in our farm boutique- Delightful Treasures. We have just received the highest quality sorted yarn since we have been in the business for 12 years! We also have a large range of luxurious alpaca products ranging from rugs to sweaters.

We hope to see you! If your schedule conflicts with the open house, call today for an appointment at (503) 407-5943 or (360) 225-1763.

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In both 2008 & 2009 all of our 10 cria show team won ribbons. In 2010 we decided to show only fleeces including large shows we had not previously attended.

We entered fleeces in at MAPACA in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; CABA Classic in Portland, OR; International Alpaca Odyssey in Redmond, OR; and the AOBA National in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. We entered 26 entries and won 26 ribbons this season!

Some notable accomplishments include:

El Nino’s Elberto 1^st at both AOBA National and IAO including winning Reserve Light Color Champion at IAO ( Three out of four of Elberto’s offspring who entered shows this year won ribbons. Congrats to Kevin of Hope Ranch Alpacas, Scott & Angela of Majestic View Alpacas and Jeff & Tara of Green Mountain Alpacas!)

Duncan’s Deolinda 1^st at both CABA Classic and AOBA National

Rubio’s Geneveve 1^st at CABA Classic

Onyx’s Sofia 1^st at CABA Classic

In addition we were delighted to receive 2^nd Place behind Snowwmass Alpacas for “Most Uniform Breeding Program” at IAO!

We look forward to our new 2010 crop of crias as we are now at 141 ribbons, 10 Color Champions, 3 “Best Hands of Show”, 2^nd and Most Uniform Breeding Program at 15 Major Shows!

“Consistent Quality” continues to qualify as our tagline!

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Wildflower Alpacas Open House – Sunday, June 20^th 11-4 pm

Planters Days, first held in 1922, is the longest continuously running civic celebration in the State of Washington.

What better way to begin your summer than a visit to historic Woodland, Washington and our farm, just 25 miles north of Portland, Oregon on interstate 5: your southern gateway to the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Planters Days is a four day festival celebrating the completed construction of the dikes along the Columbia and Lewis Rivers preventing the annual flooding in the Woodland area. The festival is family centric, with entertainment for all ages.

Thursday includes a children’s parade, sidewalk chalk art, carnival rides, coration of the Planters Days Queen and Fireworks to end the day.

Friday includes Antique/new farm equipment, Dawg Father Dog Show and the carnival

Saturday includes parade, Saturday Market, Military Vehicle show, Fireman’s muster, bed races, cruise in and a band to end the day

Sunday includes an all day car show and water ski show. Come and visit our farm to pet and feed over 40 alpacas including two babies less than two weeks old. Shop in our Alpaca Farm Boutique. Investigate income and lifestyle opportunities. In the spirit of the car show we will have our farm working 1930 Model A Pickup on display at the farm.

For more information including the schedule of events for Planters Days go to www.plantersdays.com. Go to www.wildfloweralpacas.com.au for information on our open house. If you would like to visit our farm but can not make the open house, call to make an appointment at your convenience!

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You can find our channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/washingtonalpacas

Make sure you leave some comments and share our videos with your friends!

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