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I’ve always been a “fiber fanatic” so when I had an opportunity to purchase my first alpaca in 1996, I couldn’t believe my good fortune! I’d read about these endearing animals, had done some research, but didn’t quite see how they were going to fit in with our herd of miniature horses. Now I had a chance to make a dream come true and I jumped at it! Imagine my surprise when my husband said “but you can’t have just one!!!” I took him at his word and by the end of that first year, we had acquired a very nice herd of females. Next came a wonderful male, Dewey Meadow’s Jazz, and our breeding program was off and running! The crias started arriving and for the first 3 years we only had girls! Not a bad way to start a business.......
For the next few years we continued to breed and show our champion miniature horses. Our children were in college, getting married and eventually having babies. Life at it’s finest! I soon realized that trying to maintain 2 livestock businesses and keep up with the demands of an evolving family were becoming increasingly difficult. We made the decision to sell our remaining miniature herd and focus exclusively on our alpacas. It took awhile! This spring our last four horses left the farm - well, except for 2 of our originals. Change is inevitable and welcome!
Our herd has changed a great deal from those first females. Most of those girls have moved to new farms to provide other breeders with the benefit of experienced productive moms. We have retained their daughters and granddaughters to continue the strong foundation begun 10 years ago. Our herdsires, including Derwydd Accoyo Pacha, represent the finest bloodlines and are making their mark with exquisite crias. We expect this trend to continue with the addition of our junior herdsire, Peruvian Acomayo. He brings the legendary attributes of Hemingway and Accoyo Legacy to our herd and we are very excited to see the results! His first cria will arrive in 2007.
Two years ago we expanded our horizons with the addition of suris to our herd. I’ve always been fascinated by the elegance and presence of these beautiful alpacas. Together with Carpe Diem Alpacas, we now own a small but elite herd of suris, including the 2005 Futurity Color Champion, Shepherd’s Pasture Vashti, a Captain Morgan daughter. Last year, Vashti presented us with a gorgeous true black daughter by Mahogony Prince. You’ll have a chance to see her at the shows this fall! Her name is Pearl and she’s truly a gem!
My love affair with fiber continues. I’ve learned to spin, weave, felt, and needlefelt! My first love is knitting and colors the way I look at fiber. I love nothing more than developing yarns with exciting characteristics and then watching the faces of those who feel this wonderful fiber for the first time. Love at first touch!
We invite you to visit GlimmerGlass Alpacas - we feel certain that you’ll come away with a sense of our love for these wonderful animals, our commitment to their well-being, and our dedication to the success of our clients.
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