January 2013 Newsletter

MOPACA Newsletter
Fall 2012
Jan. 26, 2013
MOPACA Winter 2013 Seminar and Meeting –
PASTURE ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT FOR CAMELIDS IN THE
CENTRAL UNITED STATES
By John W. Vasser
When:
Where:
Price:
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Sigma-Aldrich Life Sciences Building, St. Louis, MO
$20 for MOPACA members and $30 for non-members. Discount will be
given for multiple attendees from the same farm. Lunch/snacks
included in fee.
New logo, new look
Host Hotel: Hilton St. Louis Ballpark –Rooms are $87 per night plus tax.
Reservations need to be made by Jan. 18, 2013 through the Education Committee.
Mr. Vassar has nearly 40 years of experience in agriculture. He holds degrees in agronomy,
wildlife biology and native ecosystems. He has worked as a soil scientist, in native seed
production, and has served as a consulting biologist for American Seed Trade Association. The
topics covered in the seminar will include types/species of forages, pasture establishment,
grazing systems, and non-grazing benefits of native grasses.
Because this is going to be a one-day seminar, the committee still needs feedback about having
a Meet & Greet. So far the feedback has been minimal. If you haven’t done so, please provide
your feedback on having a Meet & Greet using this link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/37R39YG
Stay tuned to the MOPACA website and your e-mail for the registration form and agenda.
More upcoming events!!
Fiber “U” 2013
Dear MOPACA Members,
Fiber “U” 2013 will be here
before you know it, so please put it on
your calendars for July 13-14. We are
already SOLD OUT of our vendor booths
and have received an impressive list of
75+ class proposals that are being
gone through to bring YOU an
assortment of amazing classes. Each
year our event has grown, but our
emphasis remains the same promoting fiber arts education in
the Midwest.
Registration will open mid-March,
so watch your e-mails as many classes
filled up and closed early. Wishing all a
happy holiday season.
The 10th annual MOPACA
Invitational Alpaca Show will be
here sooner than you think!!
It’s time to think ahead and
take advantage of the early bird
discounts you get as a
MOPACA member!
Deadlines:
Early Bird Discount on stalls
December 14, 2012
MOPACA Member Sponsorship
Discount December 14, 2012
Show Book Advertising February
8, 2012
Photo Contest March 1, 2013
Halter and Fleece March 8, 2013
Fiber Arts/Skein March 8, 2013
Sponsorship Opportunities March
8, 2013
Vendor Application deadline
March 8, 2013
Liz Mitchko – Fiber “U” Coordinator
liz@whirlwindranch.com
6th Annual Conference for
Care of Llamas and Alpacas
Please be aware that the
deadline for the show book is
February 8, 2013, and that many
sponsorship levels include show
book advertising. After February
8, the show book advertising
benefit will no longer be available.
Friday, December 7, 2012
8:30am-5:00pm
Sponsored by
K-State College of Veterinary Medicine and
Mid-America Alpaca Foundation
www.k-state.edu/vet/camelid12
Con’d p. 3
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2013 will bring new changes to the
shows! Change and evolution is a good
thing for the Show System, as
commented by the new Handbook. These
are the changes that will be coming in the
halter portion of the show as required by
AOBA:
Bred and Owned is no longer in the
Group classes but is part of the regular
halter competition.
The Bred and Owned will now be
offered for
Juvenile light and dark male and
female
Yearling light and dark male and
female
Two year old and mature light and
dark male and female
The Lights are WH, BG, LF, IL
The Darks are MF, DF, BR, BLK, G,
Multi/ID
None of the Bred and Owned entries
will be eligible for entry in their
respective full fleece halter class,
however they can enter any Group
Production class for which they are
eligible.
The other production classes will
continue as before.
This is my understanding of this
change. Please refer to the new Show
Handbook 2013 for a complete
description of the changes.
Looking forward to see everyone in at
MIAS ‘13!
Ed and Marta Howe
Event Coordinators MIAS’13
HA, HA, HA, HA
Entry is limited to one entry per Dark and
Light class in each age and gender per
breed type.
The Dark and Light Bred and Owned
classes shall be held immediately
following the brown and light Color
Championship of each gender. (The
patterned and grays are included in the
dark classes.)
The Best Bred and Owned classes shall be
held immediately following the last Color
Championship of the show for that
gender.
An alpaca can only be entered in one
category, the regular halter or the bred
and owned class.
Winners in each Bred and Owned class
will compete for the Best Bred and Owned
male and female (one winner in each
gender per breed type).
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Two friends were talking
one day.
“Where have you been
lately? I haven’t seen you
around,” asked the first
friend.
“I’ve been traveling out of
the country. I just bought
a herd of alpacas from
Pakistan,” replied the
second friend.
“Islamabad?” inquired the
first.
The second friend grinned,
“No, I just prefer alpacas.”
President’s Corner
President’s Corner
Nov 21, 2012
Winter!
I’d like to start by saying Thank you! to everyone I’ve had the pleasure of working with as president
of MOPACA. It has truly been a rewarding experience. While I will still be in a leadership position
within the organization, the day-to-day responsibilities will fall on new shoulders. Please extend a
warm welcome to your new president.
This summer was a challenge to all farmers and ranchers within the MOPACA region. Heat and
drought was not only tough on the pastures, but on crias as well. With colder weather approaching,
please utilize all of the resources at your disposal for your hay needs. The Missouri Extension has a
hay website, listed by hay type. While it may not be cheap, there are professionals that grow and
store hay. I’ve used the site with success. If you search but can’t find the site, please send me an
email and I’ll forward it to you.
I did receive an email from a farm in the western US that had a hydroponic system in place to grow
fodder for their animals. With high land prices and high hay prices, they keep their alpacas on dry lot
the entire year and use the system to grow food for their animals. I’ve done some research and it
seems that there are two commercial producers for this type of system: Cropking
(http://www.cropking.com/) and FarmTek.
Pasture reminder – it’s time to lime your fields. Use your soil sample test to make sure the right
amount is added to your pastures. It can increase the potential grass yield and help your pasture
maximize the fertilizer you will be putting down next spring.
On another pasture note, the Winter Education topic will be pasture management, including growing
warm season grasses. The majority of MOPACA members live within a zone that supports growing
warm season grass. If you are currently managing pasture, you will want to attend this seminar. The
biggest challenge of livestock production is to make sure there is forage during the cool grass slump
July through September each year. Instead of fighting the slump, plant a grass that has peak growth
during that time of the year!
I look forward to my new position within MOPACA and hope to see all of you at the Winter
Conference.
Happy Holidays!
Thanks,
Brian Willsey, President MOPACA
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From the Board
It’s been an eventful year to serve on the MOPACA Board. At the risk of missing someone, I’d like to single out several individuals for special thanks. Brian Willsey cheerfully jumped from the frying pan to the fire, accepting our request to serve out Tom Martin’s term on the Board of Directors even before his second term as president had expired. Brian will bring institutional memory to the board along with extraordinary dedication to MOPACA. Gwen Wolff has done yeoman’s work in shepherding the redesign of the MOPACA.org website and its integration with the Midwest Alpaca Farms site. Together, the two new sites will offer us all more opportunities to advertise our farms. And they will save MOPACA money because committee chairs will be able to post their own updates directly to the site without going through the web hosting company as we’ve had to do in the past. Sharon Heimes has delivered a beautiful, informative newsletter. If you’ve ever done a newsletter, you know that as
soon as one is finished, it seems as though it’s time to start the next, and Sharon’s professionalism has done MOPACA proud this year. Cindy Jasper has kept our budget on track, providing monthly reports to the board so that we could monitor spending as we went along. Kim Baake resumed her work as MOPACA’s administrative assistant this summer, orchestrating a smooth transition with Rosie Newberry. (If you watch mid-­‐Missouri television, be sure to catch Rosie doing the weather on KOMU, the local NBC affiliate.) Our educational events, the winter seminar and Fiber U, were well attended and received positive reviews, thanks to chairs Liz Mitchko and Deborah Vasser and their committees. Our show remains one of the premier shows in the industry, rivaling the national show in the number of halter show entries. Along with show coordinator Dale Pessin, show volunteers are too numerous to list here, but do be sure to share the board’s thanks with next year’s coordinators, Ed and Marta Howe and all the other volunteers as you see them at work in March. The web redesign work that Gwen Wolff has led grew out of a large project that the board took on as its central effort this year: seeking professional advice on MOPACA’s marketing efforts and graphic identity. (con’d. p. 6)
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We debuted a new logo, printed new member banners (if you haven’t picked yours up, let us know and we’ll see when we can connect to get it to you), and created poster files that you can customize to advertise local events. We have a professional report in hand that advises us to use MOPACA’s marketing dollars to bring the public in contact with our members. Brian Willsey chairs the Publicity Committee, and the committee’s first task will be to create a strategic plan that focuses on this goal. (If you have ideas or would like to join the committee, please let Brian know.) We’ve been busy this year, and when I see the list above, I can see why. But of course there’s always more to do. By the end of the year, the board will finalize an update to the strategic planning document and a budget that will guide work in 2013. You can expect another survey soon—
we need your guidance and priorities as we develop the plan and budget. We hope to finish the MOPACA Desk Manual and Web Manual by the end of the year. The Desk Manual lays out MOPACA bylaws and policies as well as the duties of each officer and committee along with timelines for those duties—all in one place. The Web Manual will serve as a cheat sheet for officers and committee chairs as we learn to make our own updates to the new website. Together, the two manuals should make leadership transitions waaaayy easier as new volunteers step into MOPACA leadership. As always, please let board members, officers, or committee chairs know your concerns and ideas, and please respond to the member survey when it hits your email box. We need your ideas to keep MOPACA fresh and relevant!
Mary Licklider, Senior Board Member
MOPACA Officers and Board
of Directors
Please visit www.mopaca.org
for membership information,
meeting minutes, show
information, upcoming events,
herdsire gallery and past
newsletters.
Brian Willsey- President
Beverly Stock- Vice President
Sharon Heimes- Secretary
Cindy Jasper- Treasurer
Mary Licklider- Director
Gwen Wolff- Director
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When you receive your ballot for electing MOPACA’s 2013 officers, it will also include four proposed updates to MOPACA’s bylaws. The full bylaws are available at the Members Only section of the MOPACA website. Log on at the home page and you will be taken there automatically. We’ve listed the changes and the board’s rationale for recommending each change below. In each passage, the current language that we would delete is shown in strike-­‐through type, and new text to be inserted is shown in italic type. -­‐-­‐Section 2.1. To promote public awareness of alpacas and to bring national focus to the states in which MOPACA’s members are located Missouri and the contiguous states as a pleasant place to purchase and raise alpacas . . . While we can accept members from, for example, Alaska and Hawaii, it is not within MOPACA’s capacity or mission to provide publicity or support events that take place so far from our core membership. The board recommends this change to clarify that our focus is still on the nine original MOPACA states. -­‐-­‐Section 4.1.a.: (a) Annual Meeting. There shall be an annual meeting of the Membership, at which election of officers and or directors shall take place. The meeting shall be called by the Board of Directors. With most MOPACA communications happening via email and web in recent years, and with most elections in the last 10 years or so happening via mailed ballots, the board recommends that we delete the passage about the annual election happening at the annual meeting. We could still hold the election then if we chose to do so, but the bylaws would not assume that the election would necessarily happen at this meeting. -­‐-­‐Section 6.7.: 6.7. Election and Term of Office. Officers shall be elected annually by Members at the annual meeting of the Membership . . . This revision follows the same rationale as for Section 4.1.a above. -­‐-­‐Section 13.1. Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. The Articles of Incorporation and these By-­‐Laws may be amended at any meeting of the Membership or in any general election with respect to which notice of the proposed amendment has been given in the notice of the meeting or notice of the election ballot . . . Again, revisions to the bylaws that have been made over the last 10 years or so have almost always happened via a mailed ballot rather than at a membership meeting. By adding this option to Section 13.1, we recognize this option. 7
MOPACA Election
It’s that time of year again! You can expect to receive a ballot in the mail for the annual
MOPACA election within the next couple weeks. You will need to return your ballot in the enclosed
envelope so that it is postmarked no later than Friday, December 23. This will allow us to have the
votes counted in time for the January meeting of the new Board of Directors. In addition to the annual
election officers, you will also be asked to vote on several proposed revisions to MOPACA’s bylaws (see
“Bylaws Update” on page 7). You’ll find a sample ballot at the end of this newsletter.
As you will see in the candidate statements below, we have a wonderful slate of candidates for
you to consider this year. Liz Vahlkamp has agreed to run for the board, Eric Morti for president, and
Sharon Heimes for secretary.
Liz Vahlkamp, Candidate for the Board of Directors. Liz and her husband
Chris purchased their first alpacas in March, 2004 to breed and sell animals under
the name Salt River Alpacas. Liz quickly realized the great opportunities that
existed for the fiber side of the business. With that in mind, Liz launched a line
of needlepoint yarn sold into retail stores in the United States using the name Salt
River Mills. Then, with that experience underway, Liz took on the position of
Chairperson for the Suri Network Product Development Committee to assist in
further developing a profitable outlet for Suri fiber. When it became clear that
greater infrastructure was needed to support the fiber side of this industry,
Liz resigned that post and started The North American Suri Company to purchase alpaca fiber for
cash. Over the last two years, Liz has also served as an Executive Board Member of Alpaca United an organization dedicated to the promotion of all alpaca fiber to the commercial textile world. Liz
and Chris continue to operate their breeding operation in Paris, MO and are passionate about the
future of this great industry!
Eric Morti, Candidate for President. Eric had no farm experience prior to the
alpacas and little experience with animals until he married Nina. Professionally he
started as a petroleum geologist. When the oil business went bust in the mid ‘80’s he
turned to finding sources of groundwater contamination at a manufacturing facility
in Kentucky. Their first exposure to alpaca yarn and alpacas was at a sheep show in
Waterloo, Illinois. They started their research, bought their first animals in August
2002, and became known as Wisdom of the Fox Alpacas. They joined MOPACA
shortly thereafter. The herd now numbers over 130 animals, roughly 80 suris and 50
huacayas, living on their farm just outside Carbondale, IL. Fiber has always been
their first focus and they have worked steadily to improve their herd. They have worked as volunteers
at MIAS and Eric has served on the Product Development Committee and the Board of Trustees for
the Suri Network. They continue to support the industry and uses of this wonderful fiber.
Sharon Heimes, Candidate for Secretary. Sharon and her husband Brian have
been married 22 years and have 2 daughters, Anna and Mae. They bought their
first alpacas in 2009 after spending about 8 years researching and preparing to be
alpaca owners and breeders. Prior to that, she had been known both as Dr.
Heimes, pediatrician and Mrs. Heimes, high school sewing teacher. One of the
many joys Sharon has found since joining the alpaca community is the
networking that results from becoming involved in MOPACA. She has been
MOPACA secretary for the past year and also coordinator of the 2012 and 2013
MIAS silent auctions. She looks forward to her continuing involvement.
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Meredyth Jones DVM, MS, DACVIM Assistant Professor, Food Animal Field Services
College of Veterinary Medicine Texas A&M University Q: Dr. Jones, what, if any, are the potential issues with alpacas and cattle sharing the same pasture? A: In general, this should work fine. Behaviorally, I expect you to have no problems. From a disease standpoint, there are some things to consider. First, the parasites that cause the biggest issues in each species don’t typically cause big issues in the other. So, there is actually some advantage to sharing grazing between alpacas and cattle. I would not ever recommend sharing with alpacas and sheep/goats, however. Also, both cattle and alpacas get BVD and, although we don’t know how alpacas originally got it, it is likely that it came from cattle. I would suggest that the alpacas and cattle be screened for BVD (this is just a good idea anyway). Cattle can be done with a variety of blood tests or an ear notch, while alpacas should only be tested using whole blood PCR testing. If the animals are fiber only, they won’t require any special nutrition and should be able to sustain themselves on what the cattle are grazing. If the cattle are fed supplemental feed during the winter, for example, it would be worth looking at the copper level, as well as the copper level of the mineral they have out. Cattle can tolerate higher levels of copper than alpacas and so there might be a slight risk of copper toxicity in the alpacas if they tanked up on cattle feed. I would say that this risk is generally low, but worth considering.
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What is the risk? What should we do?
David E Anderson, DVM, MS, DACVS
Professor, Large Animal Clinical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee
With the spread of West Nile Virus (WNV) throughout the USA, there has been an increased interest in the dangers associated with this disease. Along with the many confirmed cases of infections of birds and humans, there have been several dozen cases diagnosed in llamas and alpacas since the WNV entered the USA. Although many llamas and alpacas confirmed to be infected with the virus have died, many have survived with supportive treatments. In field studies, the prevalence of llamas and alpacas testing positive for exposure to WNV ranged from 15 to 50% in different herds. Fortunately, extremely few of these animals develop clinical signs. The WNV most commonly infects birds. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Humans and other animals become infected when infected mosquitoes feed on them. Clinical signs that might cause us to suspect WNV infection include apparent depression, lethargy, weakness, muscle tremors, decreased appetite, fever, staggering, recumbency, seizures, coma, and death. If these clinical signs are observed, consult a veterinarian as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment. Early intervention by a veterinarian will improve the likelihood of survival and recovery. The best prevention is through vaccination and environmental management. As with all vaccines utilized in the llama and alpaca industry, this would be considered extra-­‐ label use. In research conducted at The Ohio State University and Oregon State University, llamas and alpacas responded to vaccines labeled for use in horses. The duration of antibody response varies from 3 to 6 months. If the animal had been vaccinated in previous years, a booster vaccine is recommended. Environmental management can greatly reduce risk by eliminating the density of mosquitoes in the area. Mosquitoes require stagnant water with relatively low oxygen content to lay eggs and facilitate survival of larvae. In general, mosquitoes will not lay eggs on turbulent waters. Stagnant water should be drained (runoff, puddles) or changed (e.g. water buckets) frequently. Water areas, such as ponds, that cannot be drained, can be made to be inhospitable to mosquitoes by adding ornamental fountains or sprinklers. These disrupt the water’s surface and increase oxygen content diminishing the propagation of mosquitoes. Mosquito treatment of water sources and environmental and personal mosquito repellants should be used cautiously and according to label directions. 6
News from the Mid-America Alpaca Foundation
2012- The Year in Review
As we approach a new year, it is always good to look back to see what has been
accomplished during the current year. Here is a list of projects that the Foundation
has completed:
Iowa State and the University of Illinois were added to the veterinary colleges
receiving Foundation externships. We will end the year with six MAAF externships
being offered to veterinary students.
With the help of the K-State Camelid Club, all twenty- seven veterinary colleges
received copies of the Camelid Medicine Starter Series at no charge. These DVDs will
be placed in the libraries of the Small Ruminant Clubs at these schools. FYI, you can
view this series on the Midwest Alpaca Farms web site (see Health Care videos.)
A joint project with Marty McGee Bennett and the Foundation focused on veterinary
student camelid education. All twenty-seven veterinary colleges in America received a
copy of Marty’s book, The Camelid Companion and two of her DVDs focused on
alpaca handling techniques.
As a result of the Marty project, several veterinary colleges have scheduled Marty on
campus to teach handling techniques to veterinary students. These are your future
veterinarians focusing on alpaca health care. Now that is a very good thing.
The Foundation launched its first issue of the Foundation Post, our new newsletter. If
you missed this issue you can view it on the Foundation’s web site
www.midamalpacafoundation.com .
2013
The Foundation will create a new MAAF externship in 2013 which will bring the total
veterinary colleges receiving externships to seven. This scholarship will be identified
and reported in 2013.
On behalf of the Foundation Board, thank you all for your support.
Pete Caffrey
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SAMPLE BALLOT
MOPACA ELECTION
DECEMBER 2012
PART 1: ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Please vote for one candidate for each office.
Member, Board of Directors (3-year term)
_____ Liz Vahlkamp
_____ Other ____________________________________________________________
President (2-year term)
_____ Eric Morti
_____ Other ____________________________________________________________
Secretary (2-year term)
_____ Sharon Heimes
_____ Other ____________________________________________________________
PART 2: REVISION OF MOPACA BYLAWS
Please vote yes or no for each proposed change to the bylaws.
Question 1
Should Section 2.1 be amended to strike “the state in which MOPACA’s members are
located” and add “Missouri and the contiguous states” as follows?
Section 2.1. To promote public awareness of alpacas and to bring national focus to
the states in which MOPACA’s members are located Missouri and the contiguous
states asa pleasant place to purchase and raise alpacas . . .
_____ Yes
_____ No
Question 2
Should Section 4.1.a be amended to strike “, at which election of officers and/or directors
shall take place” as follows?
Section 4.1.a.: (a) Annual Meeting. There shall be an annual meeting of the
Membership, at which election of officers and or directors shall take place. The
meeting shall be called by the Board of Directors.
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Question 3
Should Section 6.7 be amended to add “annually” and strike “at the annual meeting of the
Membership” as follows?
Section 6.7.: 6.7. Election and Term of Office. Officers shall be elected annually
by
Members at the annual meeting of the Membership . . .
_____ Yes
_____ No
Question 4
Should Section 13.1 be amended to add “or in any general election” and “or notice of the
election ballot” as follows?
Section 13.1. Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. The
Articles of Incorporation and these By-Laws may be amended at any meeting of the
Membership or in any general election with respect to which notice of the proposed
amendment has been given in the notice of the meeting or notice of the election ballot
...
_____ Yes
_____ No
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