You can always tell when Thanksgiving is almost upon us. Firstly the radio and TV are awash with features on how to cook turkey without giving your in-laws food poisoning, an irrational fear that apparently grips most American wives it according to the media.

And the second indicator that Thanksgiving is almost here is the arrival of the AOBA paperwork for the Farm and Ranch Guide.



The Farm and Ranch Guide is the definitive list of alpaca farms in North America. So new people to the industry use it to locate and plan farm visits which we know usually end in the buying of some alpacas.
Experienced alpaca breeders also carry a copy in their car at all times either so that they can swing by an alpaca farm anywhere they may happen to be and turn the trip into a tax deductible business trip.
Or should they have the misfortune to breakdown while towing a trailer full of alpacas they can locate the nearest alpaca farm who might just be able to help them out.

Being in the guide is just about essential in my view and costs around $500. However, having a full page color ad is optional and at $2000 or more a little expensive for my tastes.

Personally I would sooner spend the $2000 buying the AOBA sales leads. That's the names and addresses of all those people who have expressed an interest in alpacas and been mailed a copy of the Farm and Ranch Guide.

Well no risk of turkey poisoning at our house. I put the range on auto clean today and the glass door on the oven imploded....I call it divine intervention and we will now be dining out for Thanksgiving.

Adrian Stewart