NEAFP Note - May 2009
Video of the Month - Seth Godin: On the Tribes We Lead

Seth Godin argues the Internet has ended mass marketing and revived a human social unit from the distant past: tribes. Founded on shared ideas and values, tribes give ordinary people the power to lead and make big change. He urges us to do so.

We couldn't agree more, with technology and the internet it has never been easier for a person or business to share their ideas and products with a wide audience of the like minded. Through online video, blogging, and now twitter people from across the globe are connecting, sharing, and brainstorming ideas that will shape the future. Instead of consuming culture, news, and information from mainstream media like TV, Newspapers, and Magazines people are able to create culture and easily broadcast it themselves. Watch this inspirational video on how you can share with the world what your passions are.

Seth Godin's Full Bio

Alpaca Radar

NEAFP is happy to announce that we are introducing a new feature to our monthly newsletter, the Alpaca Radar. Each month we will be choosing a handful of Blogs, Twitterers, and other online Resources that we think really showcase how beneficial online networking can be. For our first month we chose three Bloggers who we believe run some of the top Alpaca Blogs in the United States. They update often with a ton of great resources that Alpaca Farms and all people interested in Agriculture can benefit from. Above all, their passion shines through with each post and that, in our opinion, is the most important aspect of showcasing your Farm, Animals, Products, and Resources online. With the rise in self publishing and the decline of mass marketing's effectiveness, genuine people who truly believe in their businesses and our passionate about what they do, day in and day out, serve as great examples of how you can successfully broadcast the Alpaca Lifestyle to the general public.

• AlpacaFarmGirl.com - Katy Spears has been raising alpacas for 9+ Years and manages her herd of over 60 alpacas on her farm in Alabama. Between tending to her herd and raising her family she manages to maintain a very active and resourceful Alpaca Blog and Twitter Account. She also has a feature on her blog called Fiber Art Fridays, where she encourages Fiber Artists from around the Internet to showcase their fiber projects and bring attention to their creative works and websites. Be sure to swing through and submit your Fiber Projects this upcoming Friday!
• A Taste of Life at Windrush - Rosemary Metcalf, also known as AlpacaLady, has over 10 years experience raising Alpacas alongside her husband Ric. Rosemary's passion for all things Alpaca really shines through on her blog where she passes on all kinds of great information, from how to utilize your fiber to showing your animals and everything in between. She offers a great glimpse into the everyday life of managining an Alpaca Farm.
• AlpacaBytes.com - Alpaca Bytes is the brain child of Lindsay Klik LaBella owner of Dutch Hollow Acres. Lindsay has been part of the equine community raising and showing horses for over 15 years. She specializes in training trail and carriage horses and has participated in many shows. In 2006 while watching Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs she first saw the alpaca. She spent years researching the fuzzy animals and finally brought home her first fiber boys in 2008. Her herd has quickly expanded to breeding stock and has fully immersed herself into the "alpaca lifestyle." Her love for farming and professional knowledge as a geek in her day life permitted Lindsay to create AlpacaBytes.

Have an Alpaca Blog of Twitter Account you would like to showcase in our NEAFP Notes? Let us know by contacting Support with your link and a brief description of your site and farm.

NEAFP's Library and Resources Updated!

This month we have gone through all of our NEAFP Notes, Blog Posts, and Resource Articles and added them to our existing Library Page. If you haven't checked it out already, it is a great resource of all the Guides, Alpaca Farming Resources, Marketing and Sales, and other great Articles we have written and collected over our 10 year history. Have an article or resource you think the entire U.S. Alpaca Community can benefit from? Let us know and we will post it!

We are beginning to finalize dates for upcoming shows that we will be attending as an Informational Vendor, and doing Fiber Collections. We would love for everyone to come out and say hello, get your hands on some of our new products, and let us haul your fiber back to the mill. This is a wonderful way to save on Fiber Shipping Costs!

• 4/4 to 4/5: The Alpaca Fiber Symposium - Belmont, NC at Gaston College
• 4/23 to 4/26: MAPACA Jubilee - Harrisburg, PA
• 5/2 to 5/3: Buckeye Alpaca Show - Colombus, OH
• More Shows to be Announced!
• 9/18 to 10/4: The Big E - Springfield, MA

Find Out how to Participate in Fiber Pickups and Save on Shipping HERE!