The GLAA Board of Directors wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! A great Christmas present would be Winter Seminar tickets. Remember, your membership expires at the end of this month.
A MESSAGE FROM BROOK LANDEO OF HILLSBORO ALPACAS, OUR NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR: The GLAA Nominating Committee is seeking qualified candidates for the GLAA Board of Directors. GLAA’s Articles of Association define a qualified candidate as a full member in good standing in the Association. There is one (1) position available to serve a two-year term starting in 2019. The seat is currently held by Jim Konyn who will not be seeking re-election.
If you are interested in serving on the GLAA Board of Directors, please submit a statement on behalf of your candidacy to Secretary Rogers by March 15, 2019. If more than one candidate is nominated, ballots and nominee qualifications will be provided by April 1, 2019 to all members for a vote.
4-H GROUP: If you are interested in starting a 4H Alpaca/Llama group in your county, Kevin Stoer from LondonDairy Alpacas would be interested in helping you out. He has a successful 4-H group in Manitowoc County and is willing to answer any questions and share with you what he has done for starting a program.
MEMBER DIRECTORY ON WEBSITE: Many members have not submitted their farm information on the website. Go to the Member Directory and update your information and upload your logo.
FUTURE EVENTS
Please register and renew your membership early for planning purposes.
Seminar Registration Here
Renew Membership Here
Join GLAA Here
2019 GLAA WINTER SEMINAR – Great Lakes Alpaca Association is pleased to announce our next winter seminar on January 26th featuring Cheryl Gehly featuring Fiber 101 in the morning and Breeding Decisions in the afternoon. Primary focus will be furthering every alpaca breeder’s understanding of the importance and identification of uniformity of micron! It is all about fiber this year and is truly an event you don’t want to miss!
Seminar will again be held at UW-Madison in the Veterinary Science Building. All details will be provided in your registration confirmation email.
OUR SPEAKER/INSTRUCTOR Cheryl Gehly is a Senior AOA Fleece Judge, Judge Trainer and Instructor in the United States. She completed the International Alpaca Fleece Judging School in Peru in 2001. Cheryl is co-author of the AOBA judging and training book The Art & Science of Alpaca Judging. She is also co-author of the Suri Network Suri Herd Improvement Program (S.H.I.P.) Classification Form and is a certified classifier, evaluating conformation and fleece characteristics on suri alpacas throughout the United States. With 25 years as a teacher in her background, Cheryl has been an innovator for alpaca judge training since 2003 as chairperson of and liaison to the AOBA/AOA Judge Training and Certification Committee, responsible for establishing clinics for halter, fleece and oral reasons instruction. She is also a member and former chairperson of the AOA Judge Advisory Committee as well as being a judge liaison to the AOA Show Rules Committee. In addition to judging fleece shows throughout the US and in Canada, Cheryl teaches at breeder seminars throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
ATTENTION ALL SURI NETWORK BREEDERS IN THE SOUTH/CENTRAL WISCONSIN AREA!! Consider working together with fellow Suri Network Members to share lowered costs by scheduling SHIP (Suri Herd Improvement Program) classifications at your farm(s) around the GLAA Seminar date. Save on costs normally associated with having a certified classification of your herd such as travel, lodging and meals, and share classification fees. Contact treasurer@greatlakesalpaca.com for scheduling information.
Cheryl Gehly is Lead Classifier/Trainer for Suri Network SHIP. The primary goal of SHIP is to provide a variety of tools for herd improvement and management of Suri Phenotype and Fiber Qualities. SHIP provides concrete, objective data about individual herds and the opportunity to advance the national herd using that data for breeding and purchasing decisions. Detailed information at www.surinetwork.org/SHIP.
The GLAA Winter Seminar Topics
Fiber Characteristics 101 – Morning Session
This seminar will focus on the fundamentals of fiber morphology. Where does it come from? Why does it matter? Alpaca fiber components will be explored from the inside out in order to create a clearer understanding of how they contribute to general fleece characteristics. Particular attention will be paid to fineness, density, crimp/lock, uniformity, and brightness/luster.
Breeding Decisions: Selecting For Improvement – Afternoon Session
Knowing what you have, in order to select for improvement, is the key to making generational advancements in your herd. Participants in this seminar will learn how to critically evaluate the fleece characteristics of a variety of female alpacas and make decisions on what needs improvement. Many herdsire fleeces will also be available for assessment and matched to each female based on the potential for producing a positive gain in the offspring. Bring your herdsire fleece(s) with you to the seminar.
Host Hotel: Best Western Plus InnTowner, 2424 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53726, 608-233-8778, http://www.inntowner.com
Room rate will be $120 for Friday, 01/25/19. This rate is only good until January 3, 2019. When making your reservation, you must use the group code ALPACA to receive the discounted rate. The hotel offers a shuttle service to the seminar, and there is also free ramp parking at UW. Check in time is 3 pm and check out is 12 pm. There are only 10 rooms in this block at this price.
WISCONSIN ALPACA & FIBER FEST SPIN-OFF: REGISTRATION NOW OPEN for the WisAFF Handcrafters’ Spin-Off online at http://www.wisconsinalpacafiberfest.com. Specific submission requirements will be available on the registration page and include a carefully-weighed 2 oz. sample, color photograph of the alpaca and a copy of the ARI Certificate. Registration ends January 2, 2019. The 2019 Handcrafters’ Spin-Off will be judged by AOA Certified Judge and excellent fiber artist Wini Labrecque.
If you have any questions or need help preparing your fleece for the spin-off competition, contact Chris Rogers at 920.337.0646 or send an email to secretary@greatlakesalpaca.com.
Spin-Off entries must be prepared and mailed by January 5, 2019 to:
Whisper Meadows Alpacas
C/O Christine Rogers
4451 Whisper Lane
De Pere, WI 54115