Before I talk about why I got back into alpacas, I want to address why I got out! First of all, I was spending far too much time by myself as work was the driving force of my life after Fred’s passing, and there was just no time for a social life and friendships. There were always too many work related issues to take care of with a herd of 200 to 250 animals! I also wanted our son Brent to feel that he was free to choose his own life path and that he did not have to follow in our footsteps with the family business. Once I sold all the alpacas in 2003, I announced it was time to sell the farm. To make a long story short, we learned neither one of us wanted to leave the farm lifestyle, so we set out to redefine our farm lifestyle!

All of this has had some interesting results, some of which were quite unexpected. By stepping back from the industry, I gained an entirely new perspective, not only on the alpaca business, but on myself as well. That experience has clearly showed me what I loved about alpacas and the alpaca lifestyle! This more objective point of view has allowed me to realistically appraise my contributions to the alpaca industry as well as what it has given to me over the years. I discovered that I just plain missed the friends and competitors I had known for years, the challenge of coming up with yet another new idea to keep alpacas and WoodsEdge in the foreground of people’s thinking, and the animals themselves. After all, 18 years of living and working so closely with alpacas made them an integral part of my life, and I realized I wanted them back.

Starting in 2005, Brent and I sold some of the real estate I had purchased with my alpaca funds, and decided to return to a lifestyle that we both missed, with its interesting people, many of whom have become treasured friends and allies over the years. In addition, this would provide us with another diversified stream of income as well as numerous opportunities to help others succeed in a business that has given us so much. Clearly, I was not ready to retire, and Brent was ready to assume more of a leadership role! Now, we have more new ideas than ever to share with others in the industry. Of course, we will continue to breed suri llamas with equal passion, but there is definitely room for both ventures to thrive, prosper, and succeed!

We are coming back to alpacas with a three point plan for success that we both feel will work well not only for WoodsEdge, but for others wishing to get started with alpacas!

NEW BUSINESS MODELS:

Diversification is our keyword here, for it provides valuable multiple streams of income that are required in the current business climate. By making Brent the Director of Operations, WoodsEdge Wools became a partnership rather than the sole proprietorship that it had been for many years. I no longer wanted to be the primary hands-on person, available 24/7 in the barn. I entrusted Brent as Director of Operations to run the business of the farm, thus leaving me free to do the creative projects I love, and to actually “have a life”. Now the time I spend in the barn is pure joy! I still know every animal on the farm by name, make many of the breeding decisions and serve as “coach” for females who come to WoodsEdge with reproductive problems—a challenge I still enjoy.

NEW BLOODLINES:

The thought of starting over as a new business meant that a new breeding program strategy was in order. Stepping away from alpacas showed me how different the industry is now from the way it was when we initially got into breeding alpacas back in 1989. So many things have changed, from breeding techniques to medical treatments to the latest trends in color, fiber characteristics and genetics.

It seemed to me that I needed to create a new niche if I was going to step back into this thriving industry. Building that niche would draw heavily on the experience I gained in 31 years of breeding livestock and finding the ways to bring that knowledge to bear on the future of alpaca farming. What is most exciting to me is meeting new people who are just getting started and helping to kindle their enthusiasm for the lifestyle. Brent and I are now carefully analyzing which animals fit our new breeding program, and what bloodlines to add to build a niche of premier quality.

NEW SUPPORT SYSTEMS:

Looking at the partnership prospective at WoodsEdge, Brent’s areas of experience will be invaluable to clients who will really appreciate the knowledge of someone who has been around animals his entire life. In order to support new breeders, he now does farm visits, barn and farm layouts and training in herd management. Though I have had 31 years of experience in breeding livestock, he has been part of this world since he was a baby. There are so many things that he knows simply because he absorbed the information as we went along. His hands-on experience and willingness to share it will help all our customers, new and established.

Helping new people get started, kindling enthusiasm for the alpaca lifestyle, and providing long-term support to our customers have always been an exciting part of the business for me. Now the addition of Brent’s experience and expertise will allow us to double our availability to those who need our help. To give you what you need when you need it, we have developed new support systems.

Another new support system we offer to help new breeders on the path to success is to show them ways to market their animals and successfully launch them at one of the Star Events auctions. We have a wonderful new sales and event center that was designed with such events in mind. I truly love the creative challenges that come with meeting the marketing needs of customers. Whether you are selling four or forty alpacas, there are ways to adjust the marketing models to your needs. You can choose detailed consulting to help you become successful more quickly, our availability at WoodsEdge for farm visits giving you the benefit of two knowledgeable consultants at once, or one-on-one support in whatever facet of the business in which you need assistance.

I feel that I moved away long enough to see how I could do things differently while still maintaining the high standards WoodsEdge is noted for. Using our combined expertise and experience to help new breeders succeed is enormously satisfying for both Brent and me. With new business models, new bloodlines, and new support systems, being back is more like being renewed. We’re ready to help you succeed!

©2007 WoodsEdge Wools Farm LLC