Discover the most common ways to process your herd's fiber. Details at alpacafiberchallenge.com
During the 9-day Stop Hoarding Your Fiber Challenge, you will learn about...
Alpaca is one of the greatest resources produced on Earth today. It is remarkably warm, strong, soft, water-resistant, stain resistant, fire retardant, exceptionally durable, and comes in the greatest color diversity of all natural fibers. We will discuss how we use these qualities to produce outstanding and highly desirable products.
The 8 Steps of Alpaca Fiber ProcessingUnderstanding these steps will give you insight into how fiber becomes a product so you can decide what steps you want to do, which steps to pay someone else to do, and how to scale your efforts to meet your business goals.
Hand ProcessingIf you are new to alpacas or just have a few animals, hand processing is the best place to start. Alpaca fiber is quite unique and using the right equipment is important to creating a quality product. We will discuss how to get started in this process and when to use the services of a mill or co-op as a compliment.
Artisan Fiber MillsFiber Mills are growing in popularity in the United States because it is the fastest way to get consistent product made from your own herd. We will discuss what services are available, how to choose a mill, and how to prepare your fiber for submission.
Fiber Co-opsCo-ops can vary in how they function, but the premise is the same - combine your herd’s fiber with other alpaca herds to create a large quantity of product that provide a return. This is usually in the form of cash payment and/or the ability to purchase product at wholesale cost and resell through your own store.
Options for Coarse FiberDue to genetics or age, coarse fiber is produced in every herd. Even though the fiber may not be fine, it still possesses the exceptional qualities known to alpaca and has many uses. We will discuss the most common product options for coarse fiber.
Options for Your Second & ThirdsJust like coarse fiber, 2nds and 3rds still possess the exceptional qualities known to alpaca and can bring revenue into your business. Perhaps you already know of some ways. We will discuss the most common uses for your seconds and thirds