Alpaca Trading Post - Suri Alpaca Breeding Company
· AWARD WINNING ALPACAS · · · · · FIBER FIT FOR KINGS · · · · · REWARDING INVESTMENT POTENTIAL · · · Suri alpacas ... Just one touch ...we'll have you spinning!™
Our business perspective today ... Perpetuating excellence in the tradition of quality established by Don Julio Barreda's Accoyo Ranch in Peru, we are producing some of the finest suri alpacas available in the world today from our small, but impressive foundation. On rich American soil and with bountiful access to lush nutrition and the best veterinary care available in this prolific nation of ours, we aim to surpass the quality of the Peruvian farmer's Accoyo brand, while redefining the standard of excellence in a new generation of the USA suri alpaca.
Perhaps, one day, we may position ourselves as top competitors in the world market, whereby our little farm may attract breeders from other countries (including our founding fathers of South America, we dare to dream) who may look to North Americans to export seed stock to them. ...Quite a vision, indeed, but we are already making great strides in that direction! Maybe one day we may accomplish such a feat.
Presently, we raise and sell suri alpacas in the USA. We harvest the alpaca fiber annually by shearing each spring. Some of the fiber may be sold raw to hand spinners, and some may be processed and sold as roving, yarn, fabric, garments, rugs, blankets, or even bedcovers, bed underlayments and pillows.
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As the 24+ year old USA alpaca industry evolves and gradually approaches its goal of reaching a national herd size large enough to establish a US national fiber market, we at the Alpaca Trading Post strive to become a leader among producers of top quality suri alpaca fiber, focusing not on the number of alpacas produced, but on the quality and quantity of fiber produced by each alpaca. Our definition of "fiber quality" includes attributes of extreme luster, fineness, uniformity of micron and density (perhaps, in that order) -- all which contribute to the overall comfort factor or handle of the fiber, as well as yield and profit.
Members of national and local alpaca organizations, we are continuing our education in all alpaca related matters and industry news, through attendance at seminars, association meetings and our participation in national alpaca research projects, national level alpaca shows and networking with fellow breeders across the country.
• In 2004, we helped to establish the Alpaca Small Farm Network to provide increased education and teamwork among its members located in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, and to promote public awareness of the alpaca industry within our community. • In 2007 we attended the Fiber Sorter Certification Course taught by alpaca fiber expert and Judge, Ruth Elvestad at Olds College in Canada, where we hope to return for extended education and enhanced skills in grading, sorting & processing the fiber to gain better results. • We’ve toured several large and small professional woolen and worsted fiber processing mills to gain perspective regarding what breeders can do to improve the quality of the products made from their annual clip and to waste less fiber during the processing.
• In 2009, we attended various fiber-related seminars and began personally exploring the world of fiber arts through private and group lessons in techniques of spinning fiber into yarn, knitting, needle felting, and wet felting. (Soon, neighbors, family and friends may all be wearing handmade socks, scarves, hats & sweaters.How green!)
With hands-on knowledge of how the different grades and lengths of suri alpaca fiber respond in various applications (such as positive and negative outcomes) we hope to gain additional understanding as to the possible changes that may be needed in our breeding strategies to achieve certain outcomes. Besides ...
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we enjoy sharing with loved ones the handmade products from our own fiber, and sharing the fiber arts skills with anyone interested to learn.
