Alpacas of Cedar Brook Farm -- Getting to Know Us and Our Exceptional Support Program

Our commitment to you: To help you choose with more confidence, offer you plans which are more affordable, support you more completely... to make alpaca ownership the best it can be!

In 1997, having spent the last 20 years of our life owning inns and a real estate company, we started a quest with a very definite criteria... to find an enjoyable and income producing lifestyle in a country location that would continue to provide us with the same level of tax advantages we had enjoyed with our previous businesses.

Our research led us to alpacas... we were impressed with their calm temperament, compact size and ease of care; they also satisfied our desire to invest in quality rather than quantity. We started visiting alpaca farms to get a feel for the animals, the lifestyle and the type of people who raise alpacas. We found the animals to be charming, the lifestyle to be appealing and the people to be warm, friendly, supportive and extremely patient with our many, many questions.

We bought our first alpacas in the summer of 1998 -- they truly became the highlight of our career choices! Even during the time we agisted (boarded) our first alpacas -- two high quality breeding age females and an irresistible sweet juvenile girl -- as we transitioned from "firm to farm", we felt a part of something very special... hearing about their progress and visiting them was pure delight.

As we located, purchased and prepared our farm in anticipation of their arrival our excitement grew... their first day on our farm was certainly a red-letter day for us! Everyone adjusted smoothly due to our wonderful support team -- a very patient skilled vet with camelid experience and a caring, knowledgeable breeder -- both welcomed our many questions.

Looking back, we did the BIG THINGS right -- we bought excellent breeding stock, bred to the finest males and we learned from professionals -- three things we would never change. The smaller things, on the other hand, are always changing as we continually become aware of updated information through seminars, conferences, current research projects and serving on local, regional and national committees.

Currently we are pleased to both serve on the Advisory Board of the UMass Amherst Camelid Studies Program. The goals of the program are to expose students, owners and practicing veterinarians to the latest techniques in camelid medicine, surgery, reproduction and management.

Kathleen also had the privilege of being a part of the AOBA Judges Training and Certification Committee for three years, both as a member and the chair. It was most interesting, enlightening and satisfying to be an integral part of the process that oversees the education and training of the judges in order to assure that you, the alpaca owner and breeder, will have a show ring experience based on the highest possible level of knowledge, professionalism and fairness. The experience provided us with a comprehensive understanding of the show ring process, rules and judging criteria that will serve us well for years to come.

Having obtained a comfort level and detailed knowledge of the underpinnings of the show ring experience, we, along with Kingdom Alpaca and Northern L'pacas, decided to organize the first AOBA certified alpaca show in Vermont... the Green Mountain Alpaca Fall Spectacular was the amazing result. We chose a state of the art facility near Burlington VT, hired nationally respected senior judges, and held a Level IV show with over five hundred alpacas. The feedback from the participating breeders has been overwhelming -- they found the show enjoyable, professional, and are all very proud of the championship banners and ribbons they took home. In addition, through the show we were able to raise significant funds for the UMass Amherst Camelid Studies Program and the Quechua Benefit, a non-profit organization dedicated to delivering assistance to the Quechua children of Peru. We would love to have you participate in or visit this year's show! Please contact us -- details can be found here.

Over the past ten years Cedar Brook Alpacas has become a well-respected alpaca breeding farm. We have provided emerging breeders with their initial breeding stock accompanied by a high level of support. Established breeders have purchased top genetics to enhance their breeding programs. We have done well in the show ring and are especially pleased with the success that our customers have also experienced in the show ring -- a sampling of the results can be found here. As you can see, our enjoyment of alpacas, the related experiences and the ongoing learning curve have all been wonderful!

We offer an exceptional support package designed to simplify the first days, weeks and months of alpaca ownership:

· Affordable packages which include at least two breedings, long term payment plans and comfortable down payments. For financing information, including our "Guarantee a Girl" program and our "Herdsire of Your Choice" program with our Show Quality Females, please click here.

· Contracts with full reproductive guarantees

· Agisting (boarding) available for long term or until you are ready to take delivery -- first 30 days free! We take care of the breeding, birthing, cria care and rebreeding for you. We offer flexible visiting times, but please call ahead.

· Affordable delivery within New England and for longer distances.

· Assistance in selecting a qualified vet near you.

· Site visit -- we will visit your farm and offer our input on barns, fencing, pastures, etc.

· Hands-on training -- you are welcome to come to the farm to watch and/or work with us to learn about the daily care of your alpacas... a real confidence builder for new owners.

· Complete medical records

· Detailed outline of routine daily care which your alpacas have been receiving including a starter supply of grain, minerals and hay.

· Shearing services: Since it can be difficult to get a shearer to stop by for only a few animals, we will be happy to include your alpacas in our shearing schedule -- just trailer them in and we'll take care of the rest.

· Pictorial "family tree" including as many generations as available -- an excellent tool when making breeding decisions.

· Extensive herd management materials including copies of our medical record forms, our well-care schedule and cria checklist for you to use or adapt to your own needs, books on alpaca care, births and fiber, contact information for livestock insurance companies, list of sources for hay analysis, list of reputable suppliers and catalogs specializing in alpaca products and equipment... everything we have found helpful!

· Applications and contact information on memberships in national (AOBA*) and regional (we are members of NEAOBA*, VLAA*, and ABOV* ) organizations, the Alpaca Registry and fiber co-ops. *Click HERE to view full organization names

· You are invited to attend seminars, conferences, meetings and shows with us.

· When your alpacas are ready to attend their first shows, we welcome you to share our pen space and display area. We can transport and/or show your alpacas -- or train you to show them to their best advantage. Be assured they will have had extensive halter training and leading while they are on our farm.

· Complete and ongoing support for marketing the alpacas you wish to sell.

· Call us! Call us! Call us! Call with any questions you may have... we haven't forgotten those first few months and we are committed to being there for you!

We are located in Irasburg, a small town in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont -- very easy to find and just a few minutes off of Exit 26 on Interstate 91.

Whether you are interested in purchasing or would just like to know more about alpacas, we would love to meet you and have the opportunity to show you around the farm and introduce you to our alpacas.

We are looking forward to hearing from you -- just call 802.754.2021 to let us know when you are coming and to get detailed directions.