August 15, 2023
Hello Fellow PAOBA Members,
The following are a few updates from our hard-working PAOBA Committees:
Fiber Committee:
Co-Chairs
Sheri Hunt-Smith - sheri@alpacasofyork.com
Pam Ellenberger - pellenbergerrcf8@gmail.com
A super big shout out to the volunteers of the 2023 Fiber Sort in State College! Not only did we sort almost 300 fleeces, but we had fun and stayed absolutely focused on the job! Even after our wonderful Brunch at The Gardens, the food coma did not stop the flow of energy. We just can’t thank you all enough for your dedication! You all rock! Mike and Liz from Lazy Meadows Fiber Mill came through, as always, picking up our sorted fleeces to create our fabulous Paoba yarns. We will also be sending some to Michael at Belle Alto Fiber Mill, who also does a great job.
Fiber Committee has a dyeing yarn day Friday, September 22nd at Sheri’s house. Please contact us if you are coming or want to join our great group. We have been dyeing all year and have quite a bit ready for Farm Show 2024.
We are working on getting the spreadsheets completed with the fleece grades/data from the individual farms. When that is completed, checks will be sent out with the info attached of what batch your fleeces went in to.
Farm Show Committee:
Co-Chairs
Jeanette Mannin - jeanette@hiddenacresalpacafarm.com
Marcia Silkroski - info@silkiesfarm.com
Fall is coming and for many of us, that means our farms get busier and busier. We ramp up tours, hit the outdoor markets, host events, offer farm store sales, all while we birth fall cria and make creative gifts from our fiber. When the holidays are over, we look forward to The Pennsylvania Farm Show in the beginning of January. I say ‘look forward to’ because it is a great way to kick off the year by giving back to our state affiliate, educating the public, and selling more farm store items.
This could be a chance to keep cash flow moving in the first quarter and unload items that might not get noticed again until next fall. Your commission on submissions is based on the number of shifts you work. Keep in mind, if you contribute items to Farm Show, they must be at least 50% PA alpaca fiber. Wearables like shawls, sweaters, gloves, hats, scarves, socks and baby garments, do very well at the show. Gift items like needle/wet felted creatures, nesting balls, dryer balls, rugs, throws, toys, kits, soaps, accessories also do well. Get creative!! Participating member farms sold approximately $25,000 in product the past year! We also sell our PAOBA yarn and roving. The Yarn Project alone made approximately $29,000! Sheri Hunt Smith will oversee the farm store operations again this year, but a few of of us will be ‘in charge’ so she is not held captive at the show every single day. That is a heavy burden for one soul. She will contact you if you choose to submit items to help you get organized well before the show. Items need to be categorized and entered into the computer, so things run smoothly when the show opens.
Visitors make a point of coming to the PAOBA booth. Literally thousands of people migrate through our alpaca area during the week to visit with the alpacas, shop the store and observe in our Demo area – learning something about alpacas in each section. We always have a loom set up to create 2 shawls during the week. One is raffled off at the end of the show and the other will be put in the Eastern Alpaca Jamboree live auction. The 4H Programs have a big presence at the show as well. They support us and compete bringing more awareness to our farms and animals to the public.
Farm Show is HUGE and we need helpers to pull it off well!! Whether you have items or animals or demo time to contribute we can use you. We need helpers on the front end to set up a few days before the show. We need folks willing to bring their animals. We need demonstrators in all areas of fiber – knitting, crochet, weaving, drum carding, spinning, etc. We need people to sell raffle tickets, help customers find the perfect handmade gift, restock merchandise, keep the area neat, open and close the booth, and we ALWAYS need help breaking down when the show is over. Julie Wysong will distribute a Volunteer List. Please consider jumping on that quickly so we can have a record number of helpers this year. Invite your spouse, kids, farm helpers or any alpaca enthusiasts you know to get in on the experience. Sometimes people need a personal invitation from you to volunteer.
We have secured an Air BnB again this year. Is it a deluxe hotel? No. But it has beds, bathrooms, refrigerators, and plenty of space to relax after the show closes for the day. Hang out with other alpaca people and learn from each other! Make new connections. It’s easy to become ‘barn-blind’ when you are so focused on your own operation. PAOBA pays for this accommodation, so take advantage of it. Details about the house will be coming soon.
Farm Show starts Saturday January 6th and ends Saturday January 13th.
Show Committee:
Co-Chairs
Debbie Wambaugh - meepahfarm@gmail.com
DJ Penica - mamadj07@gmail.com
The 2023 Eastern Alpaca Jamboree was a huge success! We were at capacity after 20 days of our registration being opened. Including our amazing live and silent auctions, PAOBA's show profits were approximately $24,000. We are very excited about the 2024 Jamboree which will again be at the Harrisburg Farm Show Complex April 5th – 7th, 2024. We have a stellar lineup of judges:
Halter – Helen Testa, Jude Anderson, Amanda VandenBosch and Diana Timmerman
Walking Fleece – Diana Timmerman and Ken Hibbits
Performance – Ken Hibbits.
Look for more information to come later in the year.
The PAOBA Fleece Show in Penn State during July 28-30, 2023, was certainly a major success! The three judges Arturo Pena, Diana Timmerman and Jude Anderson concentrated on 280 fleeces and were amazed at the continuous quality. We had 70 suri fleeces entered!! We were able to split genders in all color classes and even had a Combined Mix Championship!
The volunteers were exceptional. Everyone assisted with the various projects that had to be done. The atmosphere and energy were electric. Everyone supported the procedures and requirements. Packing and transporting boxes was certainly a labor of love! Thank you all for your time, energy and broken nails.
Congratulations to Julie Wysong for being the Grand Door Prize Winner. She will receive a free fleece show entry fee at our 2024 fleece show!!
Unfortunately, we struggled to find the best time for a member meeting, so we are looking to hold a Zoom membership meeting in November.
Educational Committee:
Co-Chairs
Carol Howard - carol@cincocsalpacas.com
DJ Penica - mamadj07@gmail.com
Arturo Pena, Jude Anderson and Dr. Robert Van Saun did an amazing job presenting at the 2023 summer seminar. We are currently working with Openherd to bring you a Fall Zoom educational opportunity. More information to follow. Please reach out with future seminar ideas.
Membership Committee:
Co-Chairs
Julie Wysong - juliesalpacas@gmail.com
Lena Galing - lenagaling@windstream.net
Current membership numbers:
Farm members - 53
Business – 11
Associate – 3
Gift farm membership – 3
Remember to renew your PAOBA membership by January 1, 2024, so your farm can be listed on the Farm Show Map!
Be sure to, check out our Gift Membership for new farms. When registering or renewing, fill out the jot form and then make a payment. It’s a 2-step process.
Please reach out to Julie Wysong (juliesalpacas@gmail.com) or Lena Galing (lenagaling@windstream.net) with any questions.
Upcoming Events:
The PAOBA Board of Directors would like to take this opportunity to give a Big Shout Out and Thank You to Diane Sheesley. Diane stepped up into the role of President in 2020 during the height of Covid and through uncertainty and challenges, has done an amazing job for PAOBA. We wish her the best!!
DJ Penica has been voted in as the new President of PAOBA.
The following are a few updates from our hard-working PAOBA Committees:
Fiber Committee:
Co-Chairs
Sheri Hunt-Smith - sheri@alpacasofyork.com
Pam Ellenberger - pellenbergerrcf8@gmail.com
A super big shout out to the volunteers of the 2023 Fiber Sort in State College! Not only did we sort almost 300 fleeces, but we had fun and stayed absolutely focused on the job! Even after our wonderful Brunch at The Gardens, the food coma did not stop the flow of energy. We just can’t thank you all enough for your dedication! You all rock! Mike and Liz from Lazy Meadows Fiber Mill came through, as always, picking up our sorted fleeces to create our fabulous Paoba yarns. We will also be sending some to Michael at Belle Alto Fiber Mill, who also does a great job.
Fiber Committee has a dyeing yarn day Friday, September 22nd at Sheri’s house. Please contact us if you are coming or want to join our great group. We have been dyeing all year and have quite a bit ready for Farm Show 2024.
We are working on getting the spreadsheets completed with the fleece grades/data from the individual farms. When that is completed, checks will be sent out with the info attached of what batch your fleeces went in to.
Farm Show Committee:
Co-Chairs
Jeanette Mannin - jeanette@hiddenacresalpacafarm.com
Marcia Silkroski - info@silkiesfarm.com
Fall is coming and for many of us, that means our farms get busier and busier. We ramp up tours, hit the outdoor markets, host events, offer farm store sales, all while we birth fall cria and make creative gifts from our fiber. When the holidays are over, we look forward to The Pennsylvania Farm Show in the beginning of January. I say ‘look forward to’ because it is a great way to kick off the year by giving back to our state affiliate, educating the public, and selling more farm store items.
This could be a chance to keep cash flow moving in the first quarter and unload items that might not get noticed again until next fall. Your commission on submissions is based on the number of shifts you work. Keep in mind, if you contribute items to Farm Show, they must be at least 50% PA alpaca fiber. Wearables like shawls, sweaters, gloves, hats, scarves, socks and baby garments, do very well at the show. Gift items like needle/wet felted creatures, nesting balls, dryer balls, rugs, throws, toys, kits, soaps, accessories also do well. Get creative!! Participating member farms sold approximately $25,000 in product the past year! We also sell our PAOBA yarn and roving. The Yarn Project alone made approximately $29,000! Sheri Hunt Smith will oversee the farm store operations again this year, but a few of of us will be ‘in charge’ so she is not held captive at the show every single day. That is a heavy burden for one soul. She will contact you if you choose to submit items to help you get organized well before the show. Items need to be categorized and entered into the computer, so things run smoothly when the show opens.
Visitors make a point of coming to the PAOBA booth. Literally thousands of people migrate through our alpaca area during the week to visit with the alpacas, shop the store and observe in our Demo area – learning something about alpacas in each section. We always have a loom set up to create 2 shawls during the week. One is raffled off at the end of the show and the other will be put in the Eastern Alpaca Jamboree live auction. The 4H Programs have a big presence at the show as well. They support us and compete bringing more awareness to our farms and animals to the public.
Farm Show is HUGE and we need helpers to pull it off well!! Whether you have items or animals or demo time to contribute we can use you. We need helpers on the front end to set up a few days before the show. We need folks willing to bring their animals. We need demonstrators in all areas of fiber – knitting, crochet, weaving, drum carding, spinning, etc. We need people to sell raffle tickets, help customers find the perfect handmade gift, restock merchandise, keep the area neat, open and close the booth, and we ALWAYS need help breaking down when the show is over. Julie Wysong will distribute a Volunteer List. Please consider jumping on that quickly so we can have a record number of helpers this year. Invite your spouse, kids, farm helpers or any alpaca enthusiasts you know to get in on the experience. Sometimes people need a personal invitation from you to volunteer.
We have secured an Air BnB again this year. Is it a deluxe hotel? No. But it has beds, bathrooms, refrigerators, and plenty of space to relax after the show closes for the day. Hang out with other alpaca people and learn from each other! Make new connections. It’s easy to become ‘barn-blind’ when you are so focused on your own operation. PAOBA pays for this accommodation, so take advantage of it. Details about the house will be coming soon.
Farm Show starts Saturday January 6th and ends Saturday January 13th.
Show Committee:
Co-Chairs
Debbie Wambaugh - meepahfarm@gmail.com
DJ Penica - mamadj07@gmail.com
The 2023 Eastern Alpaca Jamboree was a huge success! We were at capacity after 20 days of our registration being opened. Including our amazing live and silent auctions, PAOBA's show profits were approximately $24,000. We are very excited about the 2024 Jamboree which will again be at the Harrisburg Farm Show Complex April 5th – 7th, 2024. We have a stellar lineup of judges:
Halter – Helen Testa, Jude Anderson, Amanda VandenBosch and Diana Timmerman
Walking Fleece – Diana Timmerman and Ken Hibbits
Performance – Ken Hibbits.
Look for more information to come later in the year.
The PAOBA Fleece Show in Penn State during July 28-30, 2023, was certainly a major success! The three judges Arturo Pena, Diana Timmerman and Jude Anderson concentrated on 280 fleeces and were amazed at the continuous quality. We had 70 suri fleeces entered!! We were able to split genders in all color classes and even had a Combined Mix Championship!
The volunteers were exceptional. Everyone assisted with the various projects that had to be done. The atmosphere and energy were electric. Everyone supported the procedures and requirements. Packing and transporting boxes was certainly a labor of love! Thank you all for your time, energy and broken nails.
Congratulations to Julie Wysong for being the Grand Door Prize Winner. She will receive a free fleece show entry fee at our 2024 fleece show!!
Unfortunately, we struggled to find the best time for a member meeting, so we are looking to hold a Zoom membership meeting in November.
Educational Committee:
Co-Chairs
Carol Howard - carol@cincocsalpacas.com
DJ Penica - mamadj07@gmail.com
Arturo Pena, Jude Anderson and Dr. Robert Van Saun did an amazing job presenting at the 2023 summer seminar. We are currently working with Openherd to bring you a Fall Zoom educational opportunity. More information to follow. Please reach out with future seminar ideas.
Membership Committee:
Co-Chairs
Julie Wysong - juliesalpacas@gmail.com
Lena Galing - lenagaling@windstream.net
Current membership numbers:
Farm members - 53
Business – 11
Associate – 3
Gift farm membership – 3
Remember to renew your PAOBA membership by January 1, 2024, so your farm can be listed on the Farm Show Map!
Be sure to, check out our Gift Membership for new farms. When registering or renewing, fill out the jot form and then make a payment. It’s a 2-step process.
Please reach out to Julie Wysong (juliesalpacas@gmail.com) or Lena Galing (lenagaling@windstream.net) with any questions.
Upcoming Events:
- August: Vote on By-Law Revision
- September: Nominate Candidates for 3 positions on the Board. Kick-off PAOBA T-shirt design contest.
- October: Board member elections.
- November: Zoom Membership Meeting.
The PAOBA Board of Directors would like to take this opportunity to give a Big Shout Out and Thank You to Diane Sheesley. Diane stepped up into the role of President in 2020 during the height of Covid and through uncertainty and challenges, has done an amazing job for PAOBA. We wish her the best!!
DJ Penica has been voted in as the new President of PAOBA.