Vermont Farmer Raises Alpacas

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Created on Wednesday, 16 March 2016 13:50

Written by Dylan Robichaud

EAST ALBANY-The farming industry has never been an easy one, and that's why more farmers, like John and Jane Nielsen who own the Log Cabin Farm in East Albany, are finding unique ways to make extra money.  

 Several years ago the nielsen's came up with a clever business idea, they raise and sell alpaca's, because their meneur can be used for some of the best irrigation, and their fiber can be used to make clothing. 

"We found that Alpaca's did very well here in Northern Vermont, and that the fiber is very nice after because of the luxurioudness, and so we started off with our first four Alpaca's and we've grown our heard from there," said John. " We primarily focus on animals that can turn into very nice yarn when we shear in the spring time," he said. 

Alpacas originate in the high elevations of the West Andes, which is a mountain chain that extends along the Western Coast of South America in countries such as Pureru, Chile, and Bolivia. This animal is not a natural animal, the ancient inca people intentionally cross bred the  Llama, and the Camel to make an animal that would provide fiber to warm themselves with. The cold weather that the Animals endure in the West Andes are what give them their thick fiber. Their fiber can be used to make jackets, blankets, hats, and more. 

"They generated an animal that has fiber thats seven times warmer then sheeps wool at half the weight," John said. 

Because the animal is relativly cheap to raise, and its fiber grows so fast, the Nielsens claim this is an investment that has a high return. 

"On an anual basis we have a renewable product," John said "Selling the offspring, breeding animals, taking unique characteristics, mixing them together, so that the off spring are improvements off of there parentage, and providing the opportunity for other people through the results of our animal husbandry," he said.

In addition to selling the animals, Jane has her own yarn business right on the farm, where she makes yarn after she sheers the animals. She makes a wide variety of yarn that can be purchased throughout the year. 

"I sell either the animal or I sell the raw fiber, or I will send it to the mill and have it made into the yarn. I have a lot of people who stop by the farm who want Alpaca yarn," Jane said. 

With the success that the Nielsen's have seen with their Alpaca's, they are hopeful more farmers  in the united States will start raising them, which will reduce the amount of clothing we currently buy from Europe. As of right now there are about 100,000 Alpacas in the United States, and Vermont has 60 farms that breed them. 

"We need more animals in the United States, to get the big industries to want Alpacas. We're buying it out of Europe, which has the big bundles of fleece, but here we're getting (fiber) by the bag," said Jane. 

In addition to the financial benefits of raising Alpacas, the Nielsen's also say they make for great pets as well. 

"I have Alpacas, I mean I just thought they were really cute, just look at them," Jane said.