Apr 10 Newsletter
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NEWSLETTER April 2010 Web Site: www.sabn.net Board of Directors Gill Weber - Treasurer Dorothy McMillan - Secretary Lloyd Ottenbreit - President Sundog Alpacas Ponderosa Alpacas Golden Willow Farm Site 600, Box 172, RR6 Box 568, Box 766 Saskatoon, SK S7K 3J9 Balgonie, SK S0G 0E0 Regina, SK S4P 3A8 Ph: (306) 374-6737 Ph: (306) 771-2866 Ph: (306) 949-3356 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email:[email protected] Aaron Ciepliski - Director COMMITTEE LIASONS Polly Schindel - Director Ambrosia Alpacas SaskInDemand - Gill Weber Saskapaca Box 313 Shows - Llloyd Ottenbreit Box 94, Bienfait, SK Promotion - Guy Jean Lintlaw, SK S0A 2H0 Ph: (306) 388-2375 Education & Workshops - Ph: (306) 325-2075 Email: Jane Wortman Email: [email protected] [email protected] Membership - Gill Weber Newsletter - Polly Schindel Dawn Rogers - Director Guy Jean - Director Website - Polly Schindel Sweet Dreams Alpaca Ranch Rainbow Grange Alpacas Box 23, Kenosee Lake SK S0C 2S0 Box 328 Ph: (306) 739-2249 Codette, SK S0E 0P0 Email: sweetdreamsalpacaranch@ Ph: (306) 862-2246 explornet.com Email: [email protected] Updates from the AGM and Progress since! Education - Jane Wortman reported that the President Lloyd Ottenbreit welcomed everyone Shearing and Sorting Workshop to the AGM held in Regina March 6, 2010. on May 1 and 2 will be held at Woody Acres just There was an excellent attendance—12 farms outside of Saskatoon. Sorting your fibre helps were represented and there were 6 guests. maximize your fibre harvest and makes the most of your fibre. There are still a few openings Membership Report - Gill Weber - we had 31 so please call Gill Weber at 374-6737 to register members last year as of newsletter publication ASAP!! there are 33 farms paid. Farewell to Jane Wortman whose term is up Website Report - Polly Schindel reported that and is stepping down from the SABN board of Larry Horne has retired and Trudy McCall has directors. Jane has graciously agreed to remain replaced him. The website no longer uses working until the Sorting and Shearing Clinic is SaskTel as its provider as we have found a completed since she has been instrumental in more cost effective one, and is being updated organizing it and assuring its success. Thank- with more information. Members get one free ad you for your dedication these past years Jane! with apicture a year. Members can also put Welcome to Aaron Ciepliski, Ambrosia photos on the website and we are requesting Alpacas, Bienfait, SK who has volunteered to that members submit photos for the website. join the board!! There is still one opening for With our billboard initiative it is critical that we another board member, please contact Lloyd have an attractive website! Ottenbreit, President, if you would like to do your part in keeping the SABN a progressive network of alpaca owners! SABN Newsletter Page 2 FIBRE COMMITTEE REPORT - Most people who sell product report a by Cathy Merkley on behalf of committee high demand, high level of repeat customers members Polly Schindel and Elaine Wyatt and extremely effective word of mouth advertising for alpaca product, with socks being In order to maintain the purebred breeding stock the number 1 seller. industry, we must develop the fibre industry to Canada does not produce enough fleece create a commercial alpaca stock industry. We to sell raw or classed fibre in the world market. all know this is true, so how do we get there? No one is purchasing fibre on any large scale in Canada. Mini-mills, community mills and A Bit of History midsize mills rarely buy fibre, but offer custom Canadian Camelid Fibre Co-operative processing. Members voted to dissolve the co-op in Investment of time and money is higher to December 2009 due to inability to meet financial take the fibre to the retail ready product, but commitments. The CCFC had great success in profits are much higher than the sale of raw a number of areas, but due in part to the fleece. Many producers bring alpaca products in complex nature of the organization, the number from Peru to sell when unable to supply their of tasks, the huge amount of work done by a market with Canadian product. few volunteers and the lack of participation by alpaca breeders, the CCFC could not continue Filling the Gap operations. With the demise of the CCFC, a void has The successes that CCFC achieved were been left in the alpaca fibre industry. CLAA establishing a world class sorting and classing purchased classed sock yarn from the co-op system, determining products appropriate for and made a each class of fibre, establishing mill protocols batch of socks, with orders pre-sold. The sock and product specifications, developing products manufacturer was the one hired by the CCFC in where quality was second to none, serving the past and all of the purchases were run members who submitted fleece and/or through the CLAA office, with the labelling, purchased product for retail. packing, invoicing and shipping done by volunteers. The CLAA will follow that with a The Current Situation second sock run and if they can purchase Most alpaca breeders have said that they appropriate yarn, a third. The yarn is purchased want someone to purchase their raw fleece at from a Canadian company, the socks are the farm gate and do not care to be involved in produced in Canada and can be marketed as processing or retailing product. Canadian made. They are equal in quality to the Individual producers stockpile fibre, sell CCFC socks, are produced in two styes- terry raw fleeces or carded fleece to hand spinners, and casual- and retail for similar price to CCFC have small lots processed at mini - mills or pool sock. The CLAA will continue this process as fibre over a number of years or with other small long as there is a demand for socks from CLAA breeders and have yarn or socks or other members. products made that they then sell at the farm gate or craft shows. These individuals seem to Where Do We Go From Here? be in the minority among alpaca The CLAA has established a fibre committee producers. with John MacLeod, Alice Groeneveld, Shirley Lack of manufacturing is an obstacle that Krause, Polly Schindel, Elaine Wyatt, Cathy producers face. Mini-mills and others are Merkley and Daniel Eslake as the CLAA board overwhelmed with demand for processing. committee liaison. Several mini-mills report 12 -18 months wait times for processing. SABN Newsletter Page 3 FIBRE COMMITTEE REPORT Contʼd Saskatchewan Fibre Mill Update Meetings began prior to the vote to Tara Jaboeuf has acquired machinery from dissolve the co-op with discussions regarding Prairie Fibre Mill in order to do the front end the achievements and failures of the CCFC, work of washing etc. Tara will work in what can be done to build on the achievements cooperation with Sheila at Prairie Fibre Mill and and avoid repeats of the pitfalls and how best is anticipating being ready for production in the CLAA and/or a new co-op could best serve September. Tara is located near Saskatoon at the needs of alpaca producers in Canada. After Dalmeny and is confident that Sheila and she the dissolution of the CCFC, past board can look after transportation of fibre from one members were invited to join the CLAA Fibre mill to the other for producers’ convenience. Committee as members of the committee or to provide input. Jill MacLeod has joined the SaskinDemand - Lynn Hilderman reported committee. The CLAA fibre committee sent a list that the show has been cancelled for 2010. of questions to Deb Griffey, owner of Shears to Discussion about having our own Fibre in You Mill in Ontario. It is a mid-sized mill that has Demand show somewhere followed. Lynn been operating for a number of years. She Hilderman will chair the committee to coordinate answered the questions from her perspective some kind of show with other fibre producers to and has offered to act as an industry consultant showcase fibre in Saskatchewan. Committee to the committee. Volunteers are Cathy Merkley, Cathy Newby, The committee is investigating various Tara Jaboeuf, Polly Schindel and Rachel Vos. scenarios for starting up a new generation co-op and has consulted with an expert from the Alberta provincial government. The CNASF group has offered to pay to have a business plan for a new organization prepared. It may be that a new co-op will not resemble the old one that tried to be all things to all people. It may CRYSTAL more likely be a corporation run by investors that may focus on one or two small areas in an attempt to create financial success and build from there. SPRINGS Individual producers can carry on as they have been. Private groups, regional clubs, or provincial networks could start pooling fibre and ALPACAS sending it for processing in larger lots than individuals could achieve. This might be a pro- active step to prepare for a future potential Robert and Joyce Ferrari, Box 94 processing or sale of fibre. Please forward your Livelong Sk, S0M 1J0 306.845.2411 input or suggestions to the SABN or the CLAA [email protected] Fibre Committee. We need ideas for developing the fibre industry, up and coming milling opportunities, individual initiatives, co- Registered and non-registered operation on a regional, provincial, or national alpacas for sale level and any other aspects for the future of the Also Raw Fibre, Hand-knit alpaca fibre industry in Saskatchewan and Canada. Articles, SABN Newsletter """"""Page 4 SABN / U of S ALPACA FIBRE PROJECT The Secondary Products Initiative Dr.