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AlpacaNation Q&A with R'AlpacaLand LLC
Rita McGlone
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17050 Wheeler Green Rd, Marysville, OH 43040
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937-644-3774
AlpacaNation: Do you have a favorite Alpaca? Why is it your favorite?
R'AlpacaLand LLC: .
AlpacaNation: How did you become interested in alpacas?
R'AlpacaLand LLC: I fell in love with alpacas while on a whale watching vacation in the San Juan Islands in the state of Washington in 1987. I had not a clue what these funny little long neck critters were but their curiosity and large expressive eyes attracted me to them. Each morning I took a brisk walk along the road that ran adjacent to their pastures. They would follow me as far as their fence would allow them to go. On the third morning as I was walking around the bend to where the alpaca pasture came into view, I was deeply touched to find the curious little creatures all huddled in the corner of their pasture, necks stretched, waiting for me to come into view as I cleared the bend. I knew at that very moment that these adorable,inquisitive creatures with the large expressive eyes would somehow become a part of my life. My only regret is that I did not get into this business sooner. I enjoy them just as much now as I did six years ago.
AlpacaNation: What sets your farm and herd apart from others in the industry?
R'AlpacaLand LLC: We are small but we have high quality alpacas. We live in Central Ohio but we have traveled throughout the country purchasing our foundation herd. We have diverse bloodlines not as common in this region but highly proven and well respected and they are here,on our farm, for you to breed to as well as purchase. We are small but we offer many of the benefits that come with large alpaca farms, including financing. The difference b/t us and the big guys is the amount of time we spend personally with our alpacas. We know them and can quickly identify the behavior of an ill alpaca, generally we find it immediately. Our customers also get a lot of "one on one" attention as we teach them and share with them what we have learned. For us, that is a priviledge and I never want to become so big that we no longer have the time to work with our customers. There is no jealousy here but rather a true desire to see them succeed and hopefully, in some small way we can be a part of it.
AlpacaNation: What steps did you take to prepare for raising an alpaca herd?
R'AlpacaLand LLC: We attended several weekend seminars learning as much as we could on the care of the alpaca. We visited many farms both locally as well as in other states so that Charlie could see the various barns, fencing and pasture lay-outs. We talked to many breeders questioning them on all aspects of the alpaca business. And....we read, and read, and read, every piece of alpaca information that we could get our hands on. Rita also prayed a lot for guidance and wisdom.
AlpacaNation: How long have you been in the alpaca business?
R'AlpacaLand LLC: I purchased my first alpaca at the AlpacaFest in October 2000. I then traveled to Colorado to purchase 2 pregnant females four months later. It was not until early September, 2001 that I was able to move my foundation herd to my new farm. That is really when I consider my alpaca business to have started.
AlpacaNation: Describe your first alpaca purchase... would you do anything differently today?
R'AlpacaLand LLC: My first purchase took place during the OABA AlpacaFest, shortly after Charlie & I had crammed our brains with a full day of seminars. We were ready and eager to take the plunge. My first was more of an inpulse purchase b/c I was no where near ready but,I liked the looks of this young maiden and the breeder came highly recommended. In addition,I was eager to purchase her before the breeder took her in the show ring. I was afraid her price would go up if she took a ribbon. Looking back, I wish I would have learned a WHOLE LOT more about the quality of fleece rather then selecting an alpaca for her presence, looks & conformation. Fortunately for us, my impulse decision turned out to be a good purchase and I still have her. Her fleece is not the finest but she has nice crimp, great density, wonderful presence and conformation. To do it over again...I would learn more about fleece, research, ask questions and decide what colors I want to specialize in, or NOT before starting.
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