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Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Anderson
Hi Jessica, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The story begins in Alaska in 2004. I never imagined that one day I would raise livestock. I didn’t even know what alpacas were until my friend, Julie, told me about them. I went to Julie’s farm a couple of times and helped on shearing day. From the moment I first saw an alpaca I was smitten. They are adorable, but not like other animals. They were enchanting in a way they don’t seem like they belong in our world kind of way.
However, I lived in a condo in Anchorage, AK. Raising them was out of the question.
At the time I felt like something was missing from my life. But I just couldn’t put my finger on what it was. I felt lost, I wasn’t happy at my job, which I couldn’t figure out, I worked at a wonderful place. It was like a second family. I just didn’t think being a nurse was it for me.
In 2008 Julie decided to move from Alaska to Missouri. It was less expensive to raise alpacas there. Before she left we went out for supper. She told me that one of the things she wanted to do to earn money for her farm was to agist(board) other people’s alpacas.
That got me thinking. Julie had told me about the website Alpaca Nation. That night I started learning about alpacas. I really liked the pattern alpacas. I found two that I was really interested in, Blackforest’s Vanilla Cappuccino and Lady Isobel of Scotland Yard. I became obsessed. I spent several hours every day searching the internet and learning everything I could about alpacas. A few weeks later I emailed Julie. I had decided I wanted to buy Vanilla Cappuccino. I asked Julie if I could agist her at her farm. She said yes. I emailed back and asked her what I should ask the breeder about her. She gave me a list of questions. I contacted the breeder. Vanilla Cappuccino was bred, so I would get two for the price of one. I went back and forth emailing Greg, the owner of Blackforest Alpacas and Julie. I ended up not only getting Vanilla Cappuccino, I also got her herdmate Snow White. Julie said buying alpacas was kind of like buying a car. She wasn’t kidding. I paid $11,000 for the pair. Crazy! People are shocked when I tell them that I bought my foundation herd on the internet. After I signed the contract and paid the down payment they moved to Julie’s farm in late September of 2008. She called me when they arrived, she said, “I want your alpacas, they’re so nice!”
Meanwhile back in Alaska, I decided to get a second job. I worked my regular job at the clinic Monday through Friday and worked Friday and Saturday nights doing private duty nursing. I worked over 60 hours a week. I spent my free time learning everything I could about them. I also decided that since I was going to have all this fiber that I should learn how to do something with it. I had my friend, Mary, teach me to knit. The first year I knit everyone in my family a garter stitch scarf. A year later I learned how to knit mittens. Mittens are my best selling item.
In the spring of 2009 I added Chelsea to my herd. I had asked that she be bred as well. They tried to breed her several times, but she wouldn’t, she would run from the male, but not spit. I asked several times if she could already be pregnant? Her owners, said no, they hadn’t had any fence breaks, she was just immature. They sent me pictures after shearing and she looked as big as Vanilla Cappuccino, who was due any day. I asked again if she could be pregnant, they said no. On June 20th I received an email from them, the subject line said, “Surprise”. The had been putting up hay that morning and noticed a new cria running around the pasture. When they went to check it out they realized it was Chelsea’s. A true black little girl. Ha, I knew it!! June 26th Vanilla Cappuccino or Cappy as she was now known had her cria. Another girl, this one was white with a brown spot on her chin. I named Chelsea’s cria Blackberry Surprise and Cappy’s cria Iced Vanilla Frappe(I wanted her cria to have a coffee themed name too). We call her Ivy for short.
I visited Julie’s farm that June in hopes of seeing Cappy’s cria. She had her about a week after I returned from Alaska. Snow White had her cria in September, another girl. Unfortunately, she was stillborn.
I went back to visit in October. I got to meet both crias and Chelsea for the first time. That fall I also added Penuche, aka Penny to my herd. When she arrived Snow White went back to Colorado to be rebred. Snow White came with a live birth guarantee. So I was able to have her rebred for free.
In the spring of 2010 Penny had her cria, a boy I named Butterscotch Chip. Around that time Julie and her business partner decided to get out of the alpaca business. I had to decide if I was going to sell my herd, agist them somewhere else or start taking care of them myself. I put my condo up for sale and started making plans to move them and myself to Minnesota.
When I found out I had to move my alpacas I called my dad and asked him if I could move to his farm with them. I sent him the money and he and my brothers in law started building shelters and fences. I added Lady Isobel to the herd, her owners reduced her price and I couldn’t resist. I also bought what was left of Julie’s herd. Snow White and Isobel arrived in Minnesota in June, the rest of the herd arrived in July. I arrived in Minnesota on August 27, 2010. When I got there dad showed me how to do chores. He got a kick out of showing me how to take care of my animals.
The first 9 years that I raised alpacas I lived with my dad at his farm. I searched on and off for a place of my own. But everything I liked was two expensive and everything I could afford needed too much work. I had pretty much given up. Then in March of 2019 my aunt shared a facebook post of a place that was for sale. It turns out I knew the family. I called them and went to see the house. I couldn’t believe how perfect it was. The right size, it had outbuildings for my animals, lots of area for pasture, closer to work and in my price range. Perfect! Then I found out they had already accepted an offer. I was devastated. I told them to call me if the sale fell through. I drove by the place everyday on my way to and from work. I kept thinking, that’s supposed to be my farm. About 6 weeks later, on shearing day, they called me. It looked like the sale was going to fall through and they asked if I was still interested. Of course I said, “Yes!”. But I was hesitant to say anything to anyone in case it didn’t work out. Two weeks later they called again. The sale had fallen through. I took my mom and my sisters to look at it. They all agreed it was perfect. I made an offer, they accepted and 6 weeks later I closed on it. I spent the first month moving all my stuff. I spent nights there and would go to my dad’s before and after work to do chores. Mid-July my family and a few friends spent the weekend helping me put up fences and the alpacas moved in.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are lots of ups and downs with raising livestock. Over the years I’ve lost several animals, that’s the hardest part. Alpacas are very stoic animals and often don’t show signs of illness until it’s too late to help them. But there have been lots of happy times too. Seeing a cria(baby alpaca) be born and watching them go from being a limp blob to standing within an hour, then walking and running. It’s hard to make a name for yourself in this business and you really have to work hard to get people to buy your products. I’ve spent a lot of time educating people about the values of natural fiber. I make enough money to care for my animals but have not been able to quit my day job, I still work as a nurse. I don’t have much free time. I spend my evenings and days off cleaning barns, knitting, dyeing yarn, and whatever else needs to be done to keep the farm going.
Another obstacle is fiber processing. Most mills have a long turn around time. Anywhere from a couple of months to a year or more.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My main focus is on the fiber that my animals produce. Alpacas are shorn once a year. I then send their fiber to a mill where they clean it and turn it into yarn. I then sell the yarn and things I make from it. I dye my own yarn and have a variety of beautiful, natural colors.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
That I have a day job. There are people that when I meet them are surprised to learn that raising alpacas is not the only thing I do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @frostyacresalpacas
- Facebook: Frosty Acres Alpacas