Our alpaca fiber Cooperative is ten years old!!

It was this day in March of 1998 that slightly less than 400 visionary alpaca owners formed the Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America (AFCNA) and incorporated the new organization in the State of Colorado.

The Co-op’s financial books are currently undergoing an independent audit, the data entry of 2006 clip data is being completed and preparations are being made to send out the first profit distribution in AFCNA’s history. It is quite appropriate that this should take place in conjunction with the 10th anniversary.

2007 Clip Collection

The AFCNA Board has struggled for some time with the issue of organizing regional clip collection. Having come to the conclusion that regional organizing begins at the local level, the Board decided to encourage members’ organizing themselves by subsidizing the shipment of alpaca fiber clip to the grading facilities in New Mexico.

This appears to have met with a great deal of success. Groups in several areas of the country came together, and by combining their clip were able to take advantage of the subsidized shipping rates.

For example:

• Alpaca Breeders of the Rockies – over 900 pounds
• Ohio – over 1400 pounds
• Washington – Over 850 pounds
• Georgia – over 500 pounds
• California/Oregon – over 1200 pounds

The preliminary totals of fiber shipped in 2007 is roughly 20,000 pounds! This is a 250% increase over what was collected in 2006 – a tangible demonstration of the increased support and participation of Cooperative members.

2008 Clip Call – Dates are still being discussed, now is the time to begin planning. AFCNA will once again subsidize regional collection efforts by paying some or all freight costs depending on the weight of alpaca fleece being shipped.

What an amazing turnaround...congratulations to the board of AFCNA.....