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.