Evergreen Terrace Farms Alpacas

Sunbeams

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 19:31:00 +0000

We've had days and days of fog. It's called an "inversion"; warmer air sits atop the cold air on the ground like a bully, keeping all of us trapped in cold damp Oregon winter. A friend of mine declared that after many days of white sky, of white clouds laying on the fields, the air smells particularly of grey-green cooked broccoli.

At the same time as this white-on-grey, emotion-scrubbing weather, my dear cat Patrick was fading. He was only nine and in robust health until a month ago when he began wasting away. Yesterday, a Monday, we had to put him down. After school, we held a ceremony for him with our little girls and buried him in our pet graveyard by the chickens, at the edge of the the woods. The sky was white and the fog obscured the edge of our driveway, and, even though we knew the sun was setting because of the time, we couldn't tell because the light refused to change until it was suddenly dark.

This morning, Tuesday, I helped the girls get ready for school, made their breakfasts, buckled shoes, combed hair, found coats and backpacks. After they left with their dad and I had finished by breakfast, I went out to do chores. I was trying to remember what my husband had told me about the dosing for the medication we were using to combat the Coccidia that was making some of our alpacas ill. I was making sure to pat the dog who turns inside out with joy whenever anyone looks her direction. I was trying to do anything but think about Patrick in the cold ground.

That was impossible to do when I went to the chicken coop to let the out since I had to walk right next to the pet cemetery. I wrestled with the door to the pen, picked my way to the coop through the sloppy mud, and released the hens who flew out in a flurry of feathers and squawks. I checked their water, and stepped out of the coop to see this:

Evergreen Terrace Farms' Back Acres

Now, just before lunch, the sun is blazing in a January blue sky, puffy clouds are where they belong--way, way above me. I actually smiled when a sunbeam caught me by surprise as it reflected off the pond near my house. I'm still suffering the loss of the grand personality that used to live with me.

He's not suffering, though. So says the sunbeam.

Patrick and a Princess

$100 alpaca deals and more!

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 21:36:00 +0000

http://www.etfarms.com/packages/

Go to our website and see what kind of packages we have for you today! We have everything from pet quality to breeding starter herds available!

m

Welcome, Cria!

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:57:00 +0000

Meet baby Lovejoy, named after the Reverend Timothy Lovejoy from the Simpsons. He is actually a little copy of his granddam, Consuella. He weighed in at 17 pounds, 5 ounces.

His dam is Lisa Simpson and his sire is G.K. Willie.

Welcome, cutie!

m

Alpaca yarn and roving at WOU on Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:53:00 +0000

I will have a booth on Friday, June 29, from 2-5 pm at the bookstore.

Come visit me!

Preschool visit

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:34:00 +0000

A preschool its coming to visit today, so I have a mini display for them, pled t some coloring sheets. They'll getting lecture on how yarn is made and they'll get to pet an alpaca. Fun!

More pics after they leave. :)

Evergreen Terrace Booth at the Salem Sheep to Shawl Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:13:00 +0000

Come visit me at our booth at the Sheep to Shawl festival at the old Mission Mill in Salem!

On Friday, I am picking up our lovely white roving for all you hand spinners. I will bundle them together with wooden drop spindles into kits for you aspiring spinners. I will also have a selection of yarns and a whole bunch of raw fleeces in lots of colors for sale.

Plus, three of our alpacas will be at the festival, too. Come see Apu, George and Doc all grown up!

Mention this blog or our Facebook page or our Twitter feed and get 10% off of your entire purchase!

See you Saturday!

m

A reminder of why we bought alpacas in the first place.

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 05:23:00 +0000

Actually, this picture represents many of the reasons we moved out of town, period. I grew up for the most part on a couple acres outside of town. While we didn't have any animals larger than cats when I was a kid, playing outside in the woods was definitely an experience I wanted to share with my kids.

So, here's your cute for the day.

Enjoy.
m

A natural

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:36:00 +0000

My youngest and her future. :)

Video: Introduction to spinning with a drop spindle

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 22:24:00 +0000

Here is part one of a tutorial on how to use a drop spindle like the ones I sell on Etsy.

Drop spindles are what women used for eons to spin fiber. Often, they would spin as they walked into town during market day, tuck the spindle and fiber away in their bag while they stocked up on provisions, and then would spin some more as they walked home. For most families, that was how all yarn for all their fabric was made.

I taught myself to spin using a drop spindle and alpaca fiber. When I have a booth at an alpaca show or a farmer's market, whenever I am not talking to a customer, I am spinning with my drop spindle. My spinning wheel takes up way too much room in my car to ever leave my house, and the yarn I make on the drop spindle is so much more interesting.

Let me know if you find this informative!

maren

p.s. just in case you were wondering, no, it's not me in the video. This is something I am re-posting from YouTube.

Video: How to Card Alpaca with Hand Carders

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:44:00 +0000

I am actually looking to replace my hand carders, but I found this video instead. I like how she demonstrates how to make cute little roving bats out of the carded fiber, too. Enjoy!
m

Some homespun yarn pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:10:00 +0000

Who knew that my best selling items on Etsy.com would be the lumpy homespun I make on my drop spindle? I get the lumpiness by using raw fiber and just flicking the tips with a carder (which is actually a dog brush from the pet store). This makes for an inconsistent draw, which results in lumpy, slubby yarn that is full of "character."

These were all mini-skeins of about 50 yards or less each, and I sold them for $5 a pop because I wasn't sure the yarn was strong enough to hold together.

Good news! People loved them.
Bad news! Now I'm out.

I have to decide if I want to make more. I made these as a time-killer while I sat in my Farmer's Market booth. I don't really have time to kill during the school year when I teach. We'll see.

For now, I don't have any more of these little gems.

m

White Roving and Quilt batting on the way!

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:48:00 +0000

I took 58 lbs. of white alapca fiber to the mill on Saturday, and I expect to get some 40 of it back as white roving.

The rest of it, moslty 2nds that won't make nice roving, will be blended with wool and sent through a felting machine. This will be perfect for making super-warm, luxury quilt batting. It will be white, so it can be used with any quilt material and won't show through.

This should all be available in April. I'll be sure to announce when I pick it up from the mill.

Thank you to all of those who voted in our poll on Facebook and here on the blog. Your opinions really matter to me.

--m

Whipworms?

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:35:00 +0000

Hey, here's a question for you all:

Do any alpaca people out there have experience with whipworms? Specifically, does Panacur work to cure them? We know that Ivormec is nearly useless in controlling them.

Please comment below or email us.

Thanks!
maren

A Fiber Poll

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Hi!

So, we're taking a load of alpaca fiber to a fiber mill, and I wanted to know what you all thought we should make? Here are some choices:

White Roving
Colored Roving
Bulky Yarn
Sport Yarn
Lace Yarn

What would you have us make? Comment below or email us!

m

Sold!

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:39:00 +0000

Three fiber boys are SOLD!

Thank you to Debbie in Eugene and Pat and Mike of Aumsville for giving our little boys loving homes!

We'll miss you fellas!
m

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:33:00 +0000

Hey Spinners and Knitters!

Feel like treating yourself with a little alpaca fiber to play with?

Use this coupon code at our Etsy shop and get 10% off!

OCTOBER2011

Remember, whole fleeces always ship for free!

Enjoy!

Web Coupon #2 for ETF alpaca products

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:29:00 +0000

Here's another coupon!
m

ETF at Polk County Bounty!

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:56:00 +0000

Come see us at the Polk County Bounty today! I'll be in a booth from 2-6PM, rain or shine. Come by to buy some alpaca product, or just to say "Hi!"

m

Web Coupon #1 for ETF alpaca products

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:08:00 +0000

Hello!

Here is the first web coupon for Evergreen Terrace Farms alpaca products! Just print this out and bring it with you when you come to see us at the Polk County Bounty (PCB), July 21, 28, August 4, and 11.

This is NOT good at our Etsy shop. Sorry.

Look for a new coupon next week!

See you at the PCB!

m

Whole bags of fleece ship FREE!

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:22:00 +0000

Hi!

Not only did I put our Etsy shop onto Facebook, but now, all whole bags of fleece now ship for FREE! Look at the Etsy widget on the right side of our blog page or under the Etsy tab on our Facebook page to see what's there!

m

ETF at the Dallas Polk County Bounty!

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 23:33:00 +0000

Look for our farm (Evergreen Terrace Farms) booth at the Polk County Bounty in Dallas, Oregon, on July 21, 28, and August 4 and 11. This is a new(ish) farmer's market.

July 28th is actually during the Dallas Summer Fest celebration, so come on down for a good time and some alpaca stuff!

We'll have yarn, fiber and information about our alpacas.

Check back here for Web-only coupons!

Alpaca Fiber and fleece for sale

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:00:00 +0000

Come out to see our alpacas' fleeces!

We have blacks, browns, fawns and whites for sale. Many fleeces are from ribbon-winning animals.

Prices vary, but are generally as follows:

$3/oz for prime blanket fleeces (firsts)
$2/oz for good seconds (neck fiber)
Bags of thirds (legs and belly fiber) are FREE.

15% off the total price of whole bags of fleece.

Visit our website for more information: www.etfarms.com

Instant Alpaca Fiber Herd! - $800

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:46:00 +0000

Ever want a herd of fiber alpacas, but don't have a lot of money?

Here's your chance!

We need to make room for this year's crop of baby alpacas, so we are offering four (4) alpacas for the total price of $800!

Included in the price are your choice of the following male animals:

White Suri -- "Snowball" 6 years
White Huacaya -- "Duffman" 6 years
Black Huacaya -- "Dr. Hibbert" 2 years
Brown Huacaya -- "Furious George" 2 years
Brown Huacaya -- "Apu" 2 years

All of these boys have superior fiber, are halter trained and have really great personalities. They would make great 4-H projects, fiber producers, or pasture pals.

Bought separately, these animals are listed between $100 and $750 each.

To learn more about the animals and find directions to the farm, go to www.etfarms.com.

June 2011 Alpaca Fiber Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:42:00 +0000

Alpaca Fiber Sale
at Evergreen Terrace Farms
Friday, June 17th and Saturday, June 18th 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

We have too much fiber!
We have all colors from white to browns to black (except gray).
We have fine, soft baby alpaca fleeces and tough, strong felting fleeces.
Most fleeces are raw (unskirted). Alpaca fleece does NOT need to be scoured as sheep's fleece does.

Prices depend on quality, but can be roughly broken down as follows:

$3/ ounce for Prime ( excellent quality blanket) fleeces
$2/ ounce for Seconds (good quality blankets or neck/flank of Prime animals)
FREE Thirds (black bags)

The alpacas will be on display and available for petting. Free popsicles for the kids!

Follow link for directions:
http://www.etfarms.com/contact/

playing catch-up

noreply@blogger.com (Gallus Gallus) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 22:21:00 +0000

Alpaca Festival of Oregon video

above is the video Eduard Schwan put together for the AFO. Awesome. (I thought I looked pregnant then. You should see me now!)
Consuella had a little boy, also found in the field, dry and bouncing, on July 16th (I think). We're calling him "Krusty the Klown," and Lisa's baby "Mona Simpson" (Homer's mom).
Sophie had surgery on her jaw for the infected tooth (lumpy jaw) that had plagued her since January. The surgery was a success and she no longer needs daily antibiotics! However, we discovered some sort of skin problem on a back foot that has been difficult to treat.
We've bred four girls for 2011 babies. We haven't bred the maidens because the economy is soft and we are at alpaca capacity on our farm.
My (human) baby is due any time now, which explains both the lag in posting on this blog and the future posting on this blog. I hope around the first of the year to get back on a regular posting schedule.

That's it from here!
m