NASHVILLE — June 7, 2018 — Since the United States first commercially imported alpacas in 1984, alpaca breeders have worked hard to produce offspring with the finest, softest, most lustrous fleece. Until recently the primary focus of the industry was on breeding to build a national herd of superior fleece producing livestock able to compete in the global market. The time has come to focus on the fleece!
The inaugural 2018 Alpaca Owners Association (AOA) Natural Fiber Extravaganza sponsored by Long Hollow Suri Alpacas/New Era Fiber takes place July 13-15 at the Wilson County Exposition Center in Lebanon, Tenn., and will feature a variety of workshops and seminars for seasoned alpaca producers, natural fiber enthusiasts and those interested in learning more about alpacas, their fleece and the many products made from alpaca fleece.
Seminars are led by experts in the topic of their discussion and include:
- Agricultural Grant Funding;
- Agricultural Resources a Livestock Farm;
- Digital Marketing;
- Essential Oils and Alpacas;
- Fiber as a Business: What Do We Do With It?;
- Generating Revenue Streams for Your Farm;
- Is Agritourism Right for Me?;
- Is There a Fiber Farm in Your Future?;
- Livestock Chiropractic: Joint Relief;
- Livestock Dental Diseases: Care and Prevention;
- Marketing and Branding Your Livestock Business101;
- Marketing Paca Poop;
- Practical Marketing Tips for Your Farm;
- Strategies for Maintaining a Healthy Herd;
- Understanding Orthopedic Livestock Diseases/Lameness; and
- Where We Are and Where We Want To Go.
Hands-on workshops give participants the opportunity to work with natural fibers and create a variety of fiber arts. They include:
- Beginning Spinning;
- Blending Alpaca on the Drum Carder;
- Characteristics of Fiber: Evaluating Your Fleece;
- Crocheting 101;
- Crocheting: Corner to Corner;
- Designing and Knitting Irregular Triangular Shawls;
- Drop Spindling;
- Dyeing Yarn to Make a More Unique Product;
- Five Things You Need to Know to Make the Best Yarn;
- Intermediate Spinning;
- Knitting Chemo Patient Hats;
- Knitting with Different Yarn Weights;
- No Fear Fleece Skirting;
- Orchil Dyes from Lichens;
- Sorting and Grading: What, Why and How;
- The Distaff: Spindle Spinning with Comfort and Control;
- Understanding Suri Fiber; and
- Weaving: Rigid Heddle.
Posted June 7, 2018
Source: Alpaca Owners Association (AOA)
