Cria Season Has Begun at Tucker Creek

To say that cria season is one of my favorite times of the year is like saying that dark chocolate is just another food group.

This year has started off with three wonderful additions--each with their own story. Each year we select a theme for naming these little critters and this year we are naming them after different types of candy (unfortunately not all of them are dark chocolate--but they are still really fun names).

The first one arrived on June 2nd and what a moose--22.2 pounds at birth. She is a beautiful medium fawn out of our matriarch, Queen Amidala, and Sun Tzu. The crimp on this little one is absolutely gorgeous. Sun Tzu's attributes are definitely showing up on this very controlling cria (just like her mother). Seemed only appropriate that one of them be called Candy.

Then on June 12th we got the first of only four cria bred from our beloved Wilson who died this past February. Wilson was only two and a half when he died and was one of the most precocious mischievous gorgeous males born on our property. He was co-owned with Rising Moon Alpacas in Preston, NV. 2007 was his first breeding season and we have been waiting patiently for his offspring to arrive. His first was out of Coastal Moon's Katrina (a medium silver grey). He is dark brown with a wonderful white and black face. He may be younger and smaller than Candy--but he is every bit his father's son and presents some stiff competition when it is time for cria races. Seemed only appropriate to name him after this sire--this is Tucker Creek's Wilson, Jr.

The most recent arrival is another Sun Tzu progeny out of our other matriarch, Tequila's Marcella, (she and Amidala don't fight--they just rule autonomously). He is the first true black born on the farm--should be exciting to see if he stays that color. His name is Sugar Daddy. Could this be the black herdsire Hailey Parker (Snowy River Alpacas) has been searching for?

The next one scheduled to arrive is Tucker Creek's Brandy owned by Stoneberg Alpacas. Eric is scheduled to be here on Monday to help us with nails and topknot trimming--maybe she is waiting until he arrives to deliver her Paul Revere female cria. We will keep you posted.

Fiber Sorting Seminar & Shearing

The Fiber Sorting Seminar was scheduled for Saturday, June 7th. Carrie Hull, one of the Coarse Broads, arrived on Friday afternoon and immediately started to help us plan the best flow for the seminar and our shearing which was to occur on the two days following the seminar. Participation for the seminar was well received and several decided to enroll in the classes Carrie and her partner, Robyn Kuhl, present in Idaho.

Probably the most telling comment as to the success of the weekend was after it was over, David and I scheduled Carrie for next year's shearing weekend. Her seminar will be an annual event and her services were what we have been looking for since we finished our first shearing in 2004.

Here is what Carrie accomplished in a very short amount of time (certainly when compared to what I would have been fretting about). When she arrived on Friday evening we had fiber in 44 bags from prior shearing days. By the time she left on Tuesday morning she had presented a full-day seminar on Saturday; starting sorting the fiber in the bags Sunday morning until the shearing crew arrived; sorted all the fiber shorn on Sunday; sorted the remainder of the shearing completed on Monday and then finished sorting the remainder of the fiber in the bags--all before she left. The end result is bags of fiber ready to go (no more processing on our end). To say that our first shearing with fiber sorting was a success is definitely an understatement. We also made notes on what could be done differently next year to make the process even more productive in 2009.

If you want to learn more about the services of a certified sorter or want more details on the North American Alpaca Fiber Producers Cooperative follow the links below:

http://www.fibersorting.com/

http://www.naafp.us/

We are happy to be members of the cooperative and will be soon be adding the Certified Sorted logo to our website.

IRS Increases Mileage Rates through Dec. 31, 2008

In case you have not yet heard the good news (if it can be called that), today the IRS announced an increase of 8¢ in the optional standard mileage rate for the remainder of 2008. As you may recall this is normally adjusted annually and announced in the fall for the following tax year. Guess they are taking pity on us due to the gas prices painfully being felt all across the country.

In summary, starting July 1, the following rates will apply:

• Business Mileage 58.5¢ per mile
• Medical Mileage 27¢ per mile
• Moving Expense Mileage 27¢ per mile

Unfortunately, an increase in the standard mileage rate for charitable mileage was not increased as it is set by statute and not by the IRS. It remains at 14¢ per mile.

If you want more details, or are having difficulty falling asleep, the full text related to optional mileage rates can be found in Rev. Proc. 2007-70. Here is the link.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-07-70.pdf

Suffice to say, the above increase is appreciated!

Taxes, Audits and Business Plans at National Conference

WOW, less than five years ago when we started raising alpacas I never would have expected that I would be speaking at the National Conference--but I am. Check out the list of talented speakers--there is a an impressive schedule of timely and productive topics to be shared at the conference.

Workshops and Seminars at the 2008 AOBA National Conference

The workshops are scheduled for Wednesday and each of the seminars are scheduled to be presented twice on either Thursday or Saturday--so you should be able to catch all the topics that interest you.

Look forward to seeing you there.

Where's My Refund

April 15th has come and gone and most of the country has filed their taxes (not us of course, as any good retired CPA, I filed an extension). So now that you are sitting there waiting for your refund, when is it going to show up? The link below will get you all the details on tracking down your refund.

Where's My Refund?

But this year, we are waiting for more than just our refund. We are also waiting for our Economic Stimulus Payments. Check out the link below for the details on payments scheduled for returns filed by April 15th as well as a series of FAQs about the payments.

Economic Stimulus Payments on the Way

Now lets all get out there and spend those refund and economic stimulus payment dollars on more alpacas. If we are going to stimulate the economy, lets start with our own industry.

See you at Nationals!

Coarse Broads-Fiber Sorting for Maximum Profit Seminar

Now there are a variety of locations throughout the country to take advantage of the education being made available by Carrie Hull and Robyn Kuhl.

May 11th, 2008 Seminar to be presented: Fiber Sorting for Maximum Profit
Hosted by Snowy River Alpacas - Location: Colfax, CA
Contact: Hailey Parker 530-346-6885 or 916-216-1043 snowyriver1@earthlink.net

June 7th, 2008 Seminar to be presented: Fiber Sorting for Maximum Profit.
Hosted by Alpacas at Tucker Creek - Location: Astoria, OR
Contact: Peggy Stevens 877-915-0522 or 503-325-5725 info@alpacadigest.com

July 19th & 20th, 2008 Seminars to be presented: Fiber Sorting for Maximum Profit and Profitable Fiber Herds. Hosted by: Longwoods Alpaca Farm - Location: Cumberland, ME Contact: Pamela Harwood 207-829-4159 pdh@longwoodsalpacas.com

July 26th, 2008 8:15 Registration Seminars to be presented: Fiber Sorting for Maximum Profit and Profitable Fiber Herds. Hosted by: Middlecreek Meadows Alpacas, Robert & Wendy Kreider - Location : Middleburg Fire Hall in Middleburg, PA
Contact Wendy at : 570-374-2447 kreidercrew@peoplepc.com

August 2nd, 2008 Tampa FL. Seminars TBA - Hosted by FABA.
Contact Jane Dula at 321-273-0471

Here is a quote from a recent email I received sharing the benefits of using the services of a certified sorter.

"One breeder told me after I sorted 3 years worth of fleece for her that she learned more about her herd and making breeding decisions with me sorting her fiber than she has in several years of showing the animals."

I'm not telling you to quit going to shows--I'm just sharing with you that there are lots of pieces to the puzzle and the more information we have the better able we will be to make quality breeding decisions as well as maximizing the value of the fiber they produce.

Check out the list above and schedule to attend one that fits your schedule or geographic location. In the big scope of things this service is worth so much more than the charge per fleece. Just knowing that by the end of shearing day all of the fiber is ready to go with recommendations for its highest and best use along with details we can use for future breeding decisions--wish we had known about this years ago. I'll be going to see Robyn in action at Snowy River Alpacas in May and Carrie will be at our farm in June. Don't miss this opportunity.

Oregon State University 2008 Camelid Neonatal Conference

This is one of my two favorite seminars of the year. This event and the Camelid Symposium presented at the University of California at Davis in January of each year are the premier opportunities for us to get current information presented by the best camelid specialists in the country.

The 2008 Camelid Neonatal Conference will be presented at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, on Saturday, April 26th. This conference is a hands-on opportunity to learn how to give shots, tube feed a cria, body score your animals, correct a dystocia and a great opportunity to ask questions--and those are just the highlights. A portion of the day will include classroom presentations by Dr. Christopher Cebra and Dr. Pat Long and the text for the conference will be the most used book on our farm "Llama and Alpaca Neonatal Care" written by Drs. Smith, Timm and Long. This book is the first place we go if we have a question regarding a cria or mom. We have a copy in the barn, in the store, in our office, upstairs and downstairs and have even been known to travel with one during birthing season.

You get all the above and lunch too! Here is the registration form. Feel free to copy and paste it into an email and send it to bernadette.stang@oregonstate.edu or fax it to 541-737-6879. Don't miss this opportunity as it may not happen again until next year--though I keep trying to encourage them to schedule them more often.