Fabulous Fleece

In recent years, some unusual livestock operations have been popping up in Ohio and around the Midwest.  Some people are betting the farm that raising alpacas – animals more commonly seen in the Andes of South America – will earn them big money. 

Raising alpacas has proven to be profitable for Libby and Jerry Forstner, who with their sons Tripp and Tyler, run Magical Farms in Litchfield, Ohio.  It’s one of the Heartland’s largest alpaca ranches.  

Jerry Forstner describes the animal: "It’s actually a camel. It’s in the camel family.  It’s the smallest member of the camel family. The Dromedarius camel, Bactrian camel, llama, guanaco, vicuna are all in the same family called Camelid.”  

The Forstners left city life behind in the early 90s, tried horse farming, and then decided there was more money in alpacas.  Forstner says, “Now we’re farmers.  Yes, we are.  We were never farmers before.  The interesting thing about alpacas is about 85% or so of the people that get into it never farmed before.”

That may be because many prospective farmers look upon raising alpacas as an investment business in which the animals themselves are the product rather than the fleece they produce.  Alpaca fleece is in demand for lightweight clothing and outerwear, but the income potential for that pales in comparison to the business of breeding and selling the animals themselves.  In addition, a system of restrictions on the sale of imported alpacas keeps prices and stud fees high.  

Today, there are more than 4,000 alpaca breeders in the United States.  That’s up from just a few dozen twenty years ago.  Libby Forstner says, “It’s sort of a lifestyle and… I was wanting to get away from going to an office wearing nylons and high heels.  So I was looking for something that would take me out of the office and allow me to be more charge of my own hours.”

That lifestyle change seems to be a theme for many alpaca ranchers.  As new people move into the business, sales increase, raising the value of herds across the country.  The alpacas themselves are “cute,” clean, easy to care for, and need very little land.  

Jerry Forstner says, “We love the challenge. It’s a relatively new animal to America, so the breeding decisions are new and fun and we’re trying to create the perfect alpaca in the world.”

There are an estimated 50,000 alpacas in the United States.  Ohio has the most alpaca ranches and the largest herds.  The Forstners alone have some 1,600 alpacas on their farm.  

An animal’s value depends on its fiber and form.  Farm manager Tripp Forstner explains:  “Well, you want it to be square and you want to have their legs straight and you want them, when they’re standing up properly, to have a nice square appearance to them.  You would also like them to have a nice full head and a good bite.”

Prices for alpacas on the Forstner farm can start around $12,000 per animal.   Each newborn is an addition to the investment.  In a mini-maternity ward of sorts, 16 alpaca moms are waiting to give birth – sometimes with a little help.  Tripp Forstner says, “When a baby is born, we’ll pull the mom and baby into a little pen.  From there we will monitor the baby for five days.  We’ll check weight and temperature and make sure everything is moving along as normal. If that’s all the case, they’ll go out into the fields with all the other babies their age because they belong and want to be outside.”

The Forstners show their alpacas and sell fleece products as well as the animals themselves.  Jerry and his son say it comes with its own set of risks and rewards.  And they dismiss those who call it raising alpacas a fad.  Says Jerry Forstner, “It’s been a long fad.  It’s been going on for 20 years.  Most fads come and go within a year.  I don’t know what the exact definition of (what) a fad is, but no, this is a long term investment.”

“You get attached. They’re beautiful, they’re easy to care for and you get your favorites and sometimes it feels like you’re selling your pet, your cat, your dog.  And that’s tough to do sometimes.” 

Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association
http://www.alpacainfo.com/