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AlpacaNation Q&A with JRAM Alpacas, LLC
Ruthann McVicker
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3522 Silvana Terrace Rd., Stanwood, WA 98292
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360-652-1102
AlpacaNation: Tell us about yourself...
JRAM Alpacas, LLC: My husband, Jay, and I met in high school in Myrtle Creek, OR. I was 13; he was 15. We were both farm kids and loved being with the animals and enjoyed the natural wonders that surrounded us. We were married four years later and as Jay was in the Navy, we spent time at several duty stations. During our 45 years of marriage, Jay was a corpsman, a medical technologist, a college teacher, a shop owner and eventually a manager in a customer care facility for a major telecommunications company. I was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom to our 4 children. As they got older, I began working in telecommunications. Office work had never really been on my radar and I always wanted to go back to the farm. Discovering alpacas allowed us to do that. Jay used to say that when he reached the beginning of our driveway after a long day, all the stresses of the day dropped away.
AlpacaNation: How did you become interested in alpacas?
JRAM Alpacas, LLC: Quite by accident. I had actually been researching sheep - exotic sheep with unusual wool. After exploring a small country road on a weekend drive and passing a field containing a herd of unusual-looking animals, my husband asked, "Llamas?" “Alpacas!” I answered, remembering about them from a history lesson in 4th grade. “What are they?” he wanted to know. “Don’t know,” I said, but that short conversation was the beginning of our alpaca adventure. Both of us were working in the telecommunications industry at the time and wanted a change to a less stressful lifestyle. We also wanted another source of income once Jay retired. After spending time researching and visiting several farms, we felt alpacas would be a good fit for our “new” life change.
AlpacaNation: How did you decide on your farm name? Is there a special meaning behind the name?
JRAM Alpacas, LLC: The name of our farm – JRAM Alpacas – was created by putting our initials together -my husband, Jay, and mine, RuthAnn. We wanted a name that was "us". We began in 2002 with the purchase of five pregnant females. After boarding our alpacas during a year-long search, we found our beautiful farm and moved in with our alpacas in late 2003. We had just begun to settle into our new-found life when, sadly, after a short illness, Jay passed away. His hat still hangs by the back door of our farm house and his spirit is everywhere around the farm.
AlpacaNation: What advice would you give to those just getting started in the industry?
JRAM Alpacas, LLC: Research, research, research. Visit as many farms as you can – both large and small. Read, attend seminars and shows, talk with breeders. Find a breeder who will provide you with "hands on" learning experiences and will be available to mentor you while you are learning about the business. Yes, alpacas can captivate you with their eyes and their antics, but there is so much more to caring for them. Understand that there will be vet services to pay for, pastures to weed, feed and clean, shelters to build, and many tasks that aren’t often thought about.
There's a huge learning curve. In fact, there's something new to learn everyday. And, there are so many good people in the alpaca industry that are eager to help you.
AlpacaNation: What has been your biggest lesson learned in terms of breeding?
JRAM Alpacas, LLC: Patience! The gestation period is 11.5 months and I am always eager to see the result of the chosen male-female "match up".
I've learned to evaluate my females carefully - and impartially - so that I can choose a male that will compliment what the female already possesses and improve on what she doesn't have. After that, it's wait and see and hoping that the choices were the right ones.
AlpacaNation: Do you have a favorite Alpaca? Why is it your favorite?
JRAM Alpacas, LLC: They are all my favorites, each one for a different reason. One of my favorites is Faith, a non-breeding female who has become the self-appointed guardian of the moms and babies. She will stand at the top of the hill in their pasture and survey her "kingdom", alerting if the deer are passing through or the neighbor's cat is hunting in the field. She is the "auntie" to all the babies. They know she will neck wrestle, play tag and watch over them while they nap. She is worth her weight in gold!
AlpacaNation: What is your greatest achievement or favorite memory since you started raising alpacas?
JRAM Alpacas, LLC: One of my favorite memories happened when I was showing my girl, Sweet Rosie O'Grady, at Alpacapalooza. Rosie had a habit of cushing when she didn't want to be on the lead and then not getting up again. My greatest fear was that she would cush in the middle of the judging or worse, not even want to enter the ring. However, I had nothing to worry about. Rosie conducted herself like a lady and won a 5th place ribbon. As the judge gave her reasons for each placement, she got to Rosie, talking about Rosie's crimp and consistency, and then she complimented us on how well Rosie behaved in the ring. As we left the ring, the judge thanked me for having such a well-mannered alpaca. I was so proud of Rosie!
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