MAA Members in the News

Alpacas: Investments in a bear market By Sarah Trent (published: December 11, 2008) CUMBERLAND – When Pam Harwood and her husband built their home on Longwoods Road in 1989, they knew they wanted livestock. But between working and raising two boys – and with no farming experience – the animals were put on hold. In 2002, Harwood was a hockey mom working in the investment industry. Diagnosed that year with breast cancer, Harwood decided it was time to diversify, and her thoughts went back to farming. During chemotherapy, she learned how to knit – it was such a cold winter, she said – but discovered that wool was much too scratchy for her bare head. A friend suggested trying alpaca, which has finer, softer fibers. "I loved it," said Harwood, 51, cooing as she ran a hand over a fine, fuzzy gray skein. "It's wonderful to work with, just the pleasure of feeling it." So she started visiting area alpaca farms and researching the industry, which is relatively new to this country. Alpacas – which look like long-necked sheep and are in the same family as llamas and camels – have been farmed in Peru for centuries, but were only introduced to the United States in the 1980s. Easy to take care of, since they drop manure in a communal pile, and part of a burgeoning fiber industry Harwood was excited to support, she figured that farming alpacas would be a good change and a solid investment. And it was, she said, gazing at the 24 alpacas grazing her front pasture. In a tough economy, Harwood said, the investment in livestock seems especially stable – while a 401K might have lost 40 percent of its value over the past few months, the herd at Longwoods Alpacas has grown. Four animals recently sold to a New Hampshire start-up farm turned to seven before the new farmers could even pick them up. And unlike stocks, Harwood said, those animals can be insured. Tax write-offs supportive of farming have also proved helpful, she said, making farming attractive even to the inexperienced. (In the alpaca industry, she added, everyone in the U.S. is inexperienced, without generations-old tried-and-trues to learn or trust.) Those tax write-offs, she said, help her in turn to support feed stores, veterinarians and fencing and building supply companies and contractors, among others. "What goes around comes around," she said, "and money filters through the economy." Her business also supports and is supported by the mill industry – Harwood uses a rug mill in Texas that she said is growing and hiring new employees despite the current bear market. She also occasionally uses other fiber mills in Maine, when they're equipped for her needs. "Entrepreneurs are who are going to help us keep our heads above water," she said. From a business standpoint, Longwoods Alpacas is doing fine. The knitting keeps Harwood occupied, fiber sales keep the feed bins full and the vet bills paid, and, like any other investment, she said, alpacas have their returns: births lead to more livestock, the sale of which can bring in anywhere from $2,000 for a non-breeding male herd of four to more than $20,000 for a proven, breeding female. Like Harwood, Nicole Carter of Pownal came to alpaca farming as a non-traditional farmer. With a full-time job in publishing and online media, she, too, was fulfilling a dream of putting livestock on her land. "We knew we wanted to use our land for an agricultural business," she said, in addition to her husband’s wood lot and saw mill. "Years ago we had animals for food and pets, but we decided we were done eating them," Carter said. So in 2004, after some research, farm visits, and a trip to a breeder show at Pineland Farms, she bought a small herd of non-breeding alpacas. A few months later, she decided to get into breeding as well. "The lifestyle really appealed to us," Carter said, "as well as the emotional aspect of having babies. We fell in love." Carter continues to work full time – alpacas don't take much time to care for – and expects it will stay that way. The 28 alpacas (including eight babies and five boarders) on Upper Farm Alpacas take up much of her spare time, but she said she wouldn’t have it differently. "I can't imagine how I could have filled my time in a better way," she said. Sarah Trent can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 108 or strent@theforecaster.net. FYI: For more information on Pam Harwood's farm, check out longwoodsalpacas.com. Nicole Carter's farm is online at alpacanation.com/uppterfarmalpacas.asp. The Maine Alpaca Association can be found at mainealpacafarms.com.

---

This site is designed and maintained by
Dog Bone Designs of Waldoboro, ME
If you have any questions regarding this site send us an email