Golden Touch Farm

Back to Blogging!

2010-04-12T09:25:00.000-04:00

Well I can’t believe how long it has been since I’ve posted on the blog.
It is not because things have been dull and boring but rather extremely
busy, as usual!

Cria season last year went extremely well with the only exception of the
cria that needed resuscitation and Mom's prolapsed uterus. (see blog posted
dated July 09 for details). I’m happy to report that mom healed very
nicely and an ultrasound performed 3 months later confirmed she was ready
to re-breed. Hopefully this pregnancy will go much more smoothly.
The total cria count was 12 with an even split of males and females. In the next few weeks we will getting pictures up online of all the new animals, we will certainly keep you posted!

This winter was especially long and cold this year. Taking much more of a
toll on the two legged caretakers than the animals themselves. They are
all watching the grass grow and can’t wait to get on green pastures.

Lambing season began in Jan. and they all waited for the coldest days to
deliver. Mom’s and babies did very well despite the cold temps. It is
amazing how hardy lambs are. Of course they were all secure in a barn and
lambs were dressed with alpaca coats.

We have added two new alpacas to the herd. Gold Medalist, a 2 year old fawn
male from New York and Liza Jane, a 2 year old medium brown female also
from New York. We are excited to add these genetics to our herd. GM
already has some babies on the way so we can’t wait to see what he can
produce.

New Video: Grand Central Bird Station

2009-07-07T09:42:00.002-04:00

We posted a new video last night: Grand Central Bird Station - Enjoy a few minutes of the Hummingbirds and Orioles playing around the feeders!

Note: If playback stutters, hit pause and allow it to fully buffer. If you have an old computer, you can also turn HD Off in the Top Right Corner.

Grand Central Bird Station from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Believe in Miracles - They do happen!

2009-07-06T19:04:00.005-04:00

Friday started off as any typical day, morning chores where done so we decided with such beautiful weather we would take the boat out and do some fishing. We had a great day on the ocean and returned home around 4:00pm.

As always when returning home from an outing the first thing I do is a check on Mothers and new cria. Upon my entrance into the barn I saw a newborn cria laying lifeless in the hay with membranes still covering his face. Immediately my heart sunk and I flew over the railing, when I touched him he was cool, not breathing and had no pulse. Mom was a first time mom and she was very distraught.

I was not hopeful at all but instincts kicked in and I cleared the membranes off his face and then swung him upside down to clear any fluid that might be in his lungs. I then began CPR and mouth to mouth. After a couple of minutes he gasped his first breath. At first I couldn't believe it but it was actually him coming to life. Not only was mom standing over my shoulder watching me but twenty other alpacas witnessed this miracle with me.

I continued working on him until his breathing was at a regular rate, dried him up and put a coat on to help get his temperature up. I put him in a stall and proceeded to focus on mom and getting her in with her new son.

With my adrenaline pumping from what just happened I looked at mom and realized not only was the placenta hanging she had a prolapsed uterus. The uterus was hanging about a foot out from her body. I got her into the stall with her new son and then ran in to call the vet. I got my vets voice mail and when he didn't call back in 10 minutes I knew I needed a back up plan so I put a call out to my secondary vet.

Thankfully I was on the phone with her in 10 minutes and she said she would come but it would take her a while so in the mean time I was to keep the uterus as clean as possible, rinse with clean water and coat it with sugar. Sugar helps shrink the size making it easier to put back. While waiting for the vet I worked at getting this new little miracle baby nursing and was successful. I am still amazed when I think how quickly he bounded back to life. Mom was very cooperative despite how uncomfortable she was. She also let me milk her to get more milk for the little guy.

When the vet arrived she too was amazed at the cria and how he had rebounded. While mom was lying down she made her first attempt at replacing the uterus without success. Mom was still contracting and would put it out as the vet was trying to get it back in. We decided to give mom a little sedation to help relax her and then make another attempt in a standing position. If that was not going to work then off
to Tufts University we would have to go for surgery.

The second miracle happened when she got the uterus in and it stayed. The vet then sutured her vulva closed and she was started on antibiotics and Banamine for pain and inflammation. The next 12-24 hours were critical. I stayed in the barn for most of the night making sure the cria was nursing and that mom was not trying to expel the uterus. I am happy to say both mom and her son are doing wonderful, better than any of us expected. Mom is not totally out of the woods yet but we are all very optimistic. Her sutures will be removed tomorrow and the antibiotics will continue for the rest of the week. Providing no complications she'll be good as new. the jury is still out on the new little guys name but I promise you it will be a special one. Here is a picture of this bundle of joy.

Our Newest Cria! - It's a girl

2009-06-26T11:09:00.001-04:00

photo (6), originally uploaded by goldentouchfarm.

It has been raining every day for the last 3 weeks but we managed to snap some photos in between passing showers of the girls out in the fields. Here is a shot of our newest addition to the herd, name coming soon!

New Video: Hummingbirds in the Rain

2009-06-23T12:27:00.002-04:00

Hummingbird Sneak Peak - Summer '09 from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

We have been tremendously busy this summer (if you can even refer to it as that) so you will have to excuse the lack of video posts. Although we haven't been posting we certainly have been capturing tons of great footage, it is just a matter of getting the time to sit down and edit them all together.

This video was taken yesterday and sums up what the first month of Summer felt like for us - Cold, Wet, and Busy just like the Hummingbirds themselves!

NEAFP in the News!

2009-06-15T11:37:00.002-04:00

picture from the Herald News article - A New Fleece on Life

Recently the Herald News came out to our mill in Fall River to do a story on our Fiber Processing business, The New England Alpaca Fiber Pool (http://www.neafp.com). For those of you who do not know, along with running our Alpaca Farm, we also got involved in the commercial processing of Alpaca Fiber over 7 years ago. As new Alpaca Owners, one of the first questions we asked ourselves was "What can we do to utilize this fiber?" - We soon learned about NEAFP, which was conveniently located practically in our back yard and we became very involved in the day to day activities of commercially processing Alpaca in the United States into finished products for resale.

Since those early days we learned a tremendous amount about running a textile business in the United States, and eventually took over the company 5 years ago. Over the last 2 years we have seen tremendous growth in how much fiber we process each year, as well as how many products are being resold by Alpaca Farms to the general public.

Although the Economy is weak across the board right now, we couldn't be more excited about the future of our business and the U.S. Alpaca Fiber Industry as a whole. As more and more farms embrace the Fiber Side of their business, the animals and their fiber are being introduced to more and more people. Their charisma alone can win any cold heart over and we believe the entire industry is in for some amazing growth as more and more people embrace alternative investments and support local, sustainable businesses and agriculture in their communities.

When you have a free minute, head on over to the Herald News and read the article

We will be a vendor at the Providence Open Market June 6th!

2009-06-02T15:17:00.002-04:00

We are happy to announce that we will be setting up as a Vendor at the Providence Open Market this upcoming Saturday June 6th from 10am to 4pm. The open market is located just outside of Lippits Park, on the East Side of Providence.

We will be selling the majority of all of our Alpaca Products - including Survival Socks, Casual Dress Socks, Knitter's Yarns, Rugs, Tote Bags, Hats, Gloves, and all sorts of other great items!

"The Providence Open Market, now in its 3rd season, is the city’s only Open-Air Market where you can shop for handmade artisan goods and fine art. Now located in picturesque Lippitt Park, on the east side of Providence, at the juncture of Hope Street and Blackstone Blvd, where Providence borders Pawtucket."

Click Here for Directions

We hope to see you then!

Great Video and Article about Alpaca Farming

2009-06-01T13:56:00.001-04:00

Alpaca farm prepares for World Alpaca Conference

You can also find the full article by America's Heartland here

Catch up on all 45 of our Farm Videos!

2009-05-19T11:55:00.001-04:00

I was just going through our Vimeo account and it is hard to believe that we have uploaded 45 videos of our farm in the last year and a half. We have had such a tremendous response to them, and it really helps us showcase our farm to people across the globe. The best part about it is that it is a lot easier than you could ever imagine.

Believe me, I am not the most technically savy person in the house hold, yet capturing, editing, uploading, and sharing these videos is do-able by even me. I also have to give a lot of credit to Vimeo.com - their quality cannot be beat and the community is very helpful and friendly. YouTube.com might have a lot of eyeballs, but I have always believed in Quality over Quantity, and the immaturity that runs rampant through their comments are a huge turn off.

Below are all of our videos, catch up on all the ones you missed!

Hatching Chicks!

2009-05-19T10:38:00.003-04:00

A few days ago the Chickens started hatching in the incubator and we now have 13 little chicks! There are some Silkies and the rest are Rhode Island Reds. We have had chickens for the last year and a half and absolutely love having Fresh Eggs each morning. Our neighbors, friends and family has also enjoyed the extras! You really can't beat the taste, I don't think we will ever go back to grocery store bought eggs.

Video: The End of Mass-Marketing w/ Seth Godin

2009-05-18T16:10:00.000-04:00

As a small farm constantly looking for new ways to connect with our local communities through grass roots approaches, we found this video very inspiring. Most certainly worth the 15 minutes!

Breif Synopsis: 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.

Handheld Hummingbird Feeders

2009-05-13T11:17:00.000-04:00

We recently purchased some handheld hummingbird feeders from http://www.theplantwhisperer.com and we are excited to see if we can get our growing H.Bird population accostumed to them.

It will be amazing to capture some video of Hummers eating out our hands, especially for when people come to visit the farm.

Here is a demonstration video of it in action:

The World According to Monsanto Documentary - Video

2009-05-11T11:38:00.003-04:00

The World According to Monsanto is an in-depth Documentary that looks at the domination of the agricultural industry from one of the world’s most insidious and powerful companies.

You can watch the other 9 parts in DVD Quality on YouTube

20% OFF at our Online Farm Store!

2009-05-11T09:19:00.003-04:00

Didn't get Alpaca Socks for Mother's Day? Well we can fix that, we are offering 20% off our entire catalog for the rest of the month of May. Use the COUPON CODE:
"motheralpaca" at checkout to receive the discount on all orders of $30 or more.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact us!

http://www.GoldenTouchNaturals.com - Our online Farm Store!

HD Video: Hummingbird Sneak Peak!

2009-05-11T09:16:00.001-04:00

We were glad to finally see the sun come out this weekend after 6 rain filled days and the birds enjoyed it too. After Mother's Day family dinner we managed to capture some great shots of the Hummingbirds getting out and stretching their wings at the feeders. Enjoy this sneak peak video!

Hummingbird Sneak Peak from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Video: Mortgage Broker turns to Alpaca Farming

2009-05-07T10:20:00.001-04:00

With the volatile stock market and shaky economy, the Swikard family said they are glad their 401(k) comes on four legs.

International Year of Natural Fibers 2009 - United Nations

2009-05-04T14:20:00.003-04:00

As you might have already known 2009 has been declared The International Year of Natural Fibers by the United Nations to help promote the production of textiles using Natural Fibers. They sent out an email blast this morning releasing all their marketing supplies ranging from the video embedded above to brochures and posters.

If you run a Natural Fiber business, farm, or run events these are great marketing collateral you can share with your community to help promote the International Year.

You can head here and download yours today! - http://www.naturalfibres2009.org/en/iynf/media.html

New HD Video: Sunset on the Farm

2009-04-30T09:33:00.003-04:00

Last night while the sun was setting the Alpacas were relaxing after a long day and we got some amazing shots of them. We got some great shots of some of our newest Cria, they are just too cute and starting to love the camera! Enjoy!

Note: If you notice a stutter on playback - hit pause and the let the video fully buffer. If you have an older computer it might help to turn HD Off in the top right corner.

Sunset on the Farm - Alpaca Barnyard from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Free Alpaca Sock Giveaway

2009-04-28T10:21:00.000-04:00

Everyone here at Golden Touch Farm couldn't be more excited about the overwhelming response we have received across the Planet about our Farm and Animals. Through the power of the Internet, we have been able to weave ourselves into others everyday lives with ease. Recently we have stumbled across Twitter and have been trying to decide what it's potential could bring to our Farm and in less than a month we are about to hit 1000 Followers!

We are firm believers in Quality over Quantity here on the farm so this will probably be the last time we celebrate a milestone regarding the amount of people following us. We are excited about the potential to connect with like minded people around the world and share our thoughts, ideas, and lives with each other in the process.

To celebrate - once we hit 1000 followers (993 currently) on Twitter we will be going through all of you early adopters and picking 5 random people to receive Free Alpaca Socks from our Farm! We will be giving away our Brand New Casual Dress Sock - which combines a durable body with lightweight alpaca knit to ensure comfort year round, regardless of climate!

Click through to find out more about these socks!

Visit our Farm Site - http://www.goldentouchfarm.com

Hummingbird Nest

2009-04-27T09:45:00.002-04:00

Check out that little nest, Hummingbirds truly are amazing and if you might have already noticed - we are pretty passionate about them here around the farm. We look forward to capturing some great close up HD Video of them this year and keeping you all in the loop. Have a hummingbird photo or video from your yard? Let us know and we will post it for all the other bird watchers that visit this site regularly!

The hummers are back!

2009-04-27T08:36:00.002-04:00

I've been waiting patiently for the return of the hummingbirds and this morning I saw our first male visitors! It was a great welcoming home sight as we just returned from a 4 day trip in Pennsylvania. Spring is in full swing!
If you don't have your hummingbird feeders out yet now is the time to do it.

Camelid Neonatal Seminar

2009-04-19T19:19:00.004-04:00

This weekend I attended a Camelid Neonatal Seminar given by Dr Cheryl Dewitt, in Connecticut. I have to say that this was by far the best seminar that I have ever attended, and I have attended many. Every aspect of breeding, reproductive issues, and emergency deliveries were not only discussed in detail but we actually had hands on training in a laboratory setting. We worked with deceased cria in uterine simulators to learn to evaluate abnormal birth presentations and how to correct them when possible or know when to call your vet. The hands on session was just fantastic and it really made you feel that if you were faced with one of these situations on the farm you are well equipped to handle it. For anyone raising Alpacas or Llamas I would highly recommend this seminar.

New HD Video: Lazy Spring Afternoon with the Alpacas

2009-04-15T19:21:00.003-04:00

Lazy Spring Afternoon from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

It was such a beautiful day and we had some free time so we got some footage of the girls in the barn yard. They are anxious to get out to pasture, hopefully that grass starts growing! You also get a glimpse at some of our newest additions to the herd!

Ted Talks: More Talks about Work/Agriculture/ and the Food we Eat!

2009-04-15T11:44:00.001-04:00

Everyone seems to love when we post Ted Talks so I put together a short list of other Talks I think you all will be interested in.

If you happen to stumble across any that you think should be added to this list by all means let me know and I will include it!

Dennis vanEngelsdorp: Where have the bees gone?

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/416

Dan Barber: A surprising parable of foie gras

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/406

Michael Pollan: The omnivore's next dilemma

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/214

Mark Bittman: What's wrong with what we eat

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/263

Ann Cooper: Reinventing School Lunch

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/348

Video: Mike Rowe celebrates Work, of all Kinds!

2009-04-15T11:21:00.002-04:00

I have been loving these Ted Talk Videos lately - There are so many interesting people out there doing amazing things and it is great to be able to get a glimpse into their insight. This one in particular hits home, as it is about the current "War on Work" waging in the United States. Mike Rowe does an amazing job in this talk - It runs about 20 minutes long so get a cup of coffee and check it out - You won't be disappointed!

Mike Rowe, the host of "Dirty Jobs," tells some compelling (and horrifying) real-life job stories. Listen for his insights and observations about the nature of hard work, and how it’s been unjustifiably degraded in society today.

Head to the original Ted Talk here.

10 Entrepreneurial Concepts to Live By

2009-04-13T12:59:00.002-04:00

While browsing the Internet this morning I stumbled across a great list that really rings true in our neck of the woods. Over the years as we have ventured into different businesses and industries, the same general ideas and attitudes are needed to succeed. I agree with all of these points so I figured it would be a great resource to pass along.

10 Entrepreneurial Concepts to Live By
by Andrew Baron via dembot.com

1. Always work with people who are better than you. You can only do a few things really well. One of them should be understanding your weaknesses and looking for the best possible help to fill the gaps. Seek help to manage MOST of everything else it takes to run a successful business. Hire people who will do a better job than you.

2. Treat everyone with the highest regards and pay the people who work for you greater than their value. While most people do not want to be leaders, most people want to feel good about themselves and be fulfilled. If people are paid better than normal, have good benefits and get a lot of appraisal and bonuses, they will be happier in life and in return will likely be more productive too. The smallest gestures, even for a poor company such as adding a bit more onto a pay check (giving surprise bonuses), paying for a cab - paying for lunch, all go a really long way. The greatest implementation of value for people is to have positions that allow for infinite growth. Nobody that works for you should ever have a fixed ceiling of opportunity. Consider cutting back on material expenses and pay more for people. Aspire for everyone to have a greater life-style. No matter how important your business is, this is life we are talking about and it’s short. While being caught up with speed towards the future, remember others who live for the day.

3. Do everything right and fair. Make sure that you are always honorable, especially with yourself. Live up to your oral agreements. When it comes to operating your business, make sure and set it up correctly - pay every cent of tax that you legally owe. As long as you take the extra effort to do things right, you will eliminate a huge amount of stress. Even knowing yourself that you are keeping everything in order will make you feel better about yourself on a day-to-day basis. The people that work for you will also take you more seriously and also feel better themselves.

4. Learn to love consequence and happenstance. Things will happen all the time that will throw off your plans. Turn the stress around and into a challenge. Use the opportunity to think of new opportunities. Perhaps there are many new paths to take that you would like even more. Consequence is the stuff that artists dream of; It’s what creates new technologies and drives innovation.

5. Be transparent. This is almost cliche now, though this is why it is important and should not be missed: Without disregard for being humble, the more you reveal, the more people will understand where you are coming from. It’s not about blurting out some statement suddenly. It takes time to show yourself, who you really are. This motto applies to most aspects of life and business. The idea behind transparency is much more of a human personality trait. It’s for you yourself and the people that you care about; It’s for the audience that want to know when they ask; It gets to be that you no longer even think of this idea, it just becomes a part of your lifestyle. When you are fair, transparency will occur naturally because you will be proud and secure to reveal your true thinking.

6. Create a comfortable environment. A girl friend once told me about a miserable phase she went though when she and one of her girl friends were living in a basement with no windows, lots of dogs, mildew, low ceilings, old carpet, low lighting, etc. It sounded dreary to say the least. She wasn’t aware of the concept of space enough to understand that it was drastically effecting her mood. When she moved into a more comfortable apartment that was full of light and had higher ceilings, she regained her spirit. Having a great work environment is just the same. And websites are like spaces too. When you create your physical space or your space online, consider making it comfortable as possible.

7. Listen to your audience, friends and advisors. The more you can get feedback and audience participation, the more you will understand the positive and negative effects of your efforts. The more you understand the effects you are having, the more you can understand what to do in the future. If you trust yourself to filter the ideas and information that others give you, be quiet and listen more often. Allow the audience/journalists/experts in your field to describe your activity for you.

8. Have spirit and passion for what you do!

9. Time is of the essence. It starts with the age-old model of speed that can be applied to everything in life. In a war, for instance, the side that obtains the information first about where the other side is will have the advantage; The investor who knows the news first will have the stock advantage. The technologist who creates the first this-or-that will have that advantage to begin with. Speed=Potential. If you have something new, take action before it becomes old.

10. Stay in control by giving control away. The more you give up control to others, the happier everyone will be. Not only will the people who work for you be happier, it will allow you more time to focus on the things you do best.

Getting our Hobby Garden Ready!

2009-04-13T11:09:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend we spent some time getting our Vegetable and Herb garden ready for the quickly approaching growing season. The garden is roughly 45ft x 20ft, with a total area of 800 sq ft usable planting area (minusing the edging and pathways). This will be our 3rd year keeping a fairly decent sized garden, considering it is more a hobby for us than anything else and we are really excited about it.

Hopefully in the next 4 weeks we will be able to start transplanting some hardy seedlings, we will certainly keep you all posted on our little side project!

A friend of ours pointed out that there are some wonderful videos on YouTube that help explain in plain english the most important aspects of gardening, here is a great example:

Basic Gardening: How and Why you should all Compost - You can find a ton more videos here - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gardening&search=tag

The Hummingbirds are Arriving!

2009-04-07T10:57:00.003-04:00

Map via http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html

Time to get those hummingbird feeders out! This is by far our favorite time of year around the farm, as you might have noticed by all the HD Hummingbird videos we shoot throughout the year. This year should be even better, as we are setting up special feeders that will allow us to mount our cameras inches away from the feeder, expect some extreme close up shots this summer!

Remembering the Sun from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Video: Making Tea with Loose Herbs!

2009-04-01T10:44:00.001-04:00

I stumbled across this video recently and I think it is wonderful! Over the last years our kids have turned us onto making tea with loose herbs and we will never go back to buying bagged tea again. It is cheaper, better tasting, and there are a ton of wonderful resources out there, especially on this site, to find great local fresh herbs.

Here is a video produced by Mountain Rose Herbs that will walk you through the basics of making your own Loose Herb Tea!

Press: Golden Touch Naturals written up on American Pride, American Products!

2009-03-25T14:39:00.004-04:00

Thanks to our Google Alerts (which notifies us whenever we are mentioned on the internet) I just got word that we were written up today on the American Pride, American Products Blog. They review American Stores and American Manufactured Products and found our farm and store through Twitter.

You can read the entire write up here.

Documentary: Fridays on the Farm

2009-03-25T11:52:00.001-04:00

Feeling disconnected from their food, a filmmaker and his family decide to join a community supported organic farm. As he photographs the growing process, the filmmaker moves from passive observer to active participant in the planting and harvesting of vegetables. Featuring lush time-lapse and macro photography sequences compiled from nearly 20,000 still images, this personal essay is a father’s meditation on his blossoming family and community.

Watch the Video Here - http://vimeo.com/2100402

PRIVATE ON VIMEO - USE PASSWORD “fridaysscreener”

HR 875 - The Death of Farmers Markets, CSAs and Local Food

2009-03-23T10:42:00.000-04:00

From the Nourished Kitchen:

HR 875, also known as the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, was introduced by Rosa Delauro - a democratic party member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut - in February of 2009. The title of HR 875, The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, sounds innocuous enough - even comforting, but its implications yield a much, much different story.

HR 875 as it is written today, could very well mean the end of the vibrant and growing local foods movement. Yes - if it passes - it could herald the death of farmers markets, most CSAs, farmstands and even small family-run farms altogether.

Ostensibly, HR 875 or the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 would bring greater accountability to our imperiled food system. Indeed, with salmonella-infected peanuts and spinach laced with e-coli, who isn’t crying out for improvements in food safety?

However, HR 875 fails miserably in promoting food safety. Rather, than promoting true accountability and proper farming techniques that minimize the risk of introducing pathogens into the food supply, it simply will create greater barriers for our already struggling small farms and farmers markets.

HR 875 mandates that anyone who produces food of any kind - meat, milk, fruit, vegetables et cetera - and transports that food for sale be subject to warrantless government inspections of their farms and food production records. These random inspections can be conducted at the whim of federal agents without regard to farmers rights or property rights. Further, the law would allow federal agents to confiscate records, product as they see fit as part of the inspection process.

Agents could also implement draconian restrictions regarding how farm animals can be fed, how fields can be managed and the end result of these restrictions could mean the end of organic, biodynamic and sustinable agriculture practices as these practices are deemed “unsafe.” Farmers refusing to comply would be subject to penalties.

Read the Rest here - http://nourishedkitchen.com/fight-hr-875-food-safety-modernization-act-of-2009/

Contact your Representative Today regarding this bill - http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Burrr! Just when you thought it was safe!

2009-03-23T09:55:00.001-04:00

We were spoiled with a beautiful weekend and silly us, we expected it to stay like that! For a second there, I forgot we live in New England. As the saying goes, "If you don't like the Weather, just wait a minute." Unfortunately that holds true the other way around, if you are enjoying the Weather, know that it can vanish in just a minute.

After looking at the U.S. forecast it looks like a lot of you are getting Rain Today, whenever it is gloomy around here I always watch some of our Farm Videos from Summer to cheer me up - here is a small collection of our Hummingbird Videos we shot last year - can't wait until they come back!

Enjoy!

You can also see our Videos in High Definition here - http://www.vimeo.com/goldentouch/videos

Golden Touch Farm - Now on Twitter!

2009-03-19T14:02:00.004-04:00

Golden Touch Alpaca Farm is now on twitter - Please follow us at http://www.twitter.com/goldentouchfarm

We are going to try and keep it as informational as possible, while providing everyday updates about us and the animals, as well as current sales and events going on at the Farm Store!

P.S. - We are running our first Twitter Sale now - Find out the coupon code at twitter!

Field Trip - Meet Molly, a 3 week old Giraffe!

2009-03-19T10:15:00.001-04:00

The Weather has been great in New England this week and I figured it would be a great time to sneak away for a field trip with my new Grand Daughter. She slept the entire time but my daughter and I had a wonderful time. Our Farm Vet and Good Friend Peter Brewer owns Southwick Zoo of Menden, MA and a few weeks ago he called to fill me in on their new bundle of joy, Molly - a 3 week old giraffe.

Peter is absolutely ecstatic over her - and I can't blame him. Yesterday I saw her for the first time and she most certainly carries herself well. She has recently been featured on Good Morning America and the Boston Globe because of an infection that endangered her life.

Here is a blip from that article:

"After fighting off an infection, 3-week-old Molly the giraffe is back home at Southwick's Zoo.

Molly's veterinarian, Peter Brewer, said she probably had an umbilical infection she could not fight off. Molly's mother could not produce milk, he said, and zookeepers instead fed her cow's colostrum, a nutrient-rich milk produced right before and after birth. Brewer said it's usually effective.

"But when she went off the cow's colostrum, she had low white blood cells and got the infection," he said. "We brought her to Tufts University Veterinary School in North Grafton to get her better before it became severe."

Brewer said since Molly came home about a week ago, after a one-week stay at Tufts, her health has improved.

"I took blood from her the other day and her white cells are back up," he said. "She is eating well and we hope she is out of the woods."

After several weeks There is a playfulness and charisma behind those big beautiful eyes - she is in wonderful shape!"

Marketing Research - Using Google Insights

2009-03-12T12:34:00.003-04:00

Recently we have discovered Google Insights which is a great way to gauge internet search trends for certain keywords, which are then mapped out for you. This is a great tool to find out what terms and ideas are growing in popularity. For us in particular, Made in USA is important as we are committed to keeping all of products made in this country by Certified Green Manufacturers. As the country gets back to the basics, more and more people are realizing the importance of supporting their local and regional economies.

When you have some free time head to Google Insights and do some of your own investigation work, it just might help you plan that next big regional marketing push!

New Casual Dress Alpaca Socks added to Farm Store!

2009-03-09T12:21:00.003-04:00

We are happy to announce the addition of a brand new sock to our Fiber Nook and Online Farm Store.

Our Casual Dress Alpaca Socks combine the durability everyone loves about our Survival Socks with a lightweight knit so you can enjoy your alpaca socks in every season! The Upper Calf and top of the foot is a lightweight alpaca knit to keep your feet the perfect temperature while the bottom of the foot has an Alpaca Terry Loop knit for extra padding and comfort. We re-enforced the Heal and Toe and added support in the middle of the foot and above the ankle to ensure a proper fit every time. We are really excited about these new socks and we are sure you will be too! Available in Charcoal Grey and Fawn - Hypoallergenic, Undyed, Made in USA with N. American Alpaca Fiber!
Contents: 80% Alpaca, 15% Nylon, 5% Lycra

When you have a free moment be sure to check them out at Golden Touch Naturals.

Thanks!

When we aren't running the farm or business we like to...

2009-02-19T11:53:00.001-05:00

Sit back and enjoy the Weather. Since a very young age I can remember being an avid Weather lover, always mesmerized by the sheer force of Mother Nature. Luckily living in New England we are able to experience a wide spectrum of what Mother Nature has to offer, as the old saying goes - "Don't like the Weather? Just wait a minute."

We have been embracing the use of online video to market and advertise our farm for a little over a year now and we have learned a tremendous amount in that short time period. When we first set out to publish online video of our Farm, Vimeo.com was just becoming popular and it was a perfect fit. Not only do we host our Alpaca Videos there, but we also take part in their very active community, and we actually now moderate their HD Weather Channel.

If you, like us, love Weather in all it's forms, I encourage you take a few moments and check out our Weather Chanel, we have over 100 videos ranging from Time Lapses to violent Lightning Storms. The majority of the videos are in High Definition, and we are always looking to add more so don't hesitate to send in your submissions.

You can get a quick glimpse into the channel by looking at the widget embedded below, or you can head directly to The HD Weather Channel on Vimeo to see each video in it's full glory.

Head to HD Weather Channel Here.

Introducing our 2 New Jr. Herdsires!

2009-02-04T16:33:00.005-05:00

We are very excited to announce the addition of two brand new Jr. Herdsires to our alpaca herd, Black Tiger, and Asteroid's Kryptonite. We can't wait to get their genetics into our herd, stay tuned for more updates.

Click here to check out the entire slideshow

Our First Grand Daughter is Here!

2009-01-23T11:00:00.003-05:00

After the year we had in 2008, as a family, as an Alpaca Farmer, as a business owner, and as a Mom, a Wife, now a Grandmother, and a person, I didn't think 2009 could get any more wild but then you take something like the miracle of birth and your heart skips a beat.

My oldest daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on Wednesday 1/21/09 at 5:49 A.M., weighing 6lbs 5oz and measuring 20 inches. Kelly and Matt named her Erin Florence and every time I set my eyes on her I am just completely awestruck. No matter how much you think you are ready for something like this, it always catches you off guard.

We are all so excited, and can't wait for them to settle in with their new bundle of joy, there is nothing quite like having a little one running around the farm, and we couldn't be more excited for it.

Our Holiday Ohio Trip - 2 New Herdsires!

2009-01-13T17:22:00.003-05:00

(Note: Images of the new boys will be added a.s.a.p.)

Right after the holidays we made a trip to Ohio. Before Thanksgiving I had purchased a young male alpaca with the hopes of adding him to our herd sire row. I am always on the look out for up and coming males that can add to my breeding program and when I saw Asteroid's Kryptonite listing from Starling Farm, he immediately caught my eye. After looking at his fiber samples, and pedigree I made the decision to purchase him.

We planned our trip right after Christmas as our window of opportunity to travel was very limited. Chris has a very aggressive travel schedule and we are also expecting our first grand daughter the beginning of February. With our fingers crossed we decided to leave on Dec. 27, 08. I have to say we couldn't of picked a better weekend weather wise, it was clear and mild. It was almost hard to believe that the week prior, New York and Ohio had a snow storm each that dropped 12 inches. Fate was on our side!

On the way we also made a stop at Spirit Wind Alpaca Farm and had a wonderful visit with Karen and Jerry. If time had not been pressing us I could of stayed for hours talking alpacas and fiber. We finished the rest of our journey that day arriving in Ohio at 7:00 pm and the temperature was 67 degrees (unheard of for the time of year).

The plan was to pick up Kryptonite at 8:00 the following morning. We were also transporting another alpaca "Just Sam" for Cyndee Thompson in New Hampshire. Just prior to arriving at the farm my nerves started racing and I began questioning my decision. I asked myself, Were my expectations too high? and Was I going to be disappointed? Having never seen the animal first hand, there is always that gut feeling that you missed something in the photos and fiber samples. It would have been very disappointing to travel all that distance to be let down, but I have to say all those questions quickly disappeared the minute I laid eyes on him. It was love at first sight and he was more than I expected him to be. It was so great to meet his owner in person, Jackie Kraft. We had talked so many times through email or on the phone and now I had the opportunity to meet her in person and put a face with the name and voice.

We loaded up the "boys" and had a brief visit before packing up ourselves and heading back towards home. We had one more stop to make and that was at Humalot Alpaca Farm. Brenda and Jim were only an hour away from Jackie Craft and I didn't want to miss the chance to meet them and some of their alpacas. I had called her the day before and told her we would be in the area and if possible to stop in. Being a holiday weekend you just never know what peoples plans are. They warmly welcomed us with a tour of their farm and alpacas, finished off with a great cup of coffee. We enjoyed our visit so much and their alpacas we bought one more. Humalot Black Tiger. Tiger is just over a year old, is true black, with a fine, yet dense beautifully crimped fiber which is very hard to find in black so I'm happy to add him to our herd sire lineup. In this one trip across half the country and back we managed to add some great genetics to our existing herd and are excited about future breedings.

The trip was so much fun but a little too rushed for my liking. We left here on my birthday, Sat. morning at 4:30am, stopped at three alpaca farms, spanning over 1400 miles and still managed to arrive at our farm by 10pm Sunday. Birthday's don't get much better than that!!! I wonder how I can top it next year.

United Nations: International Year for Natural Fibers 2009

2009-01-12T11:47:00.002-05:00

Since 1959 the United Nations has designated International years in order to draw attention to major issues and to encourage international action to address concerns which have global importance and ramifications. This year, the UN has named 2009 as it's International Year for Natural Fibers.

The goals of the UN are:
* raise awareness and stimulate demand for natural fibres;
* promote the efficiency and sustainability of the natural fibres industries;
* encourage appropriate policy responses from governments to the problems faced by natural fibre industries;
* foster an effective and enduring international partnership among the various natural fibres industries.

"Since the 1960s, the use of synthetic fibres has increased, and natural fibres have lost a lot of their market share. The main objective of the International Year of Natural Fibres is to raise the profile of these fibres, to emphasise their value to consumers while helping to sustain the incomes of the farmers. Promoting measures to improve the efficiency and sustainability of production is also an important aspect of the Year." - Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations

We couldn't be more excited about the possibilities for growth in the U.S. Alpaca Fiber Industry this upcoming year as more and more Alpaca Farms embrace the Fiber side of their businesses.

For more information on this International Effort, you can visit their Site, or download their press kit.

Bird Watching on this Rainy Day!

2009-01-07T17:17:00.001-05:00

Here is a quick video we shot with our new HD Camera, the Canon HV30. We couldn't be happier with it! Tons of different birds in this one, including our Wild Turkeys!

Bird Watching on this Rainy Day from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

New Puppy on the Farm!

2009-01-02T14:28:00.000-05:00

New Puppy! from Corey Riley on Vimeo.

We have a new puppy on the farm! Her name is Sophie and she is a Golden Retriever, 8.5 weeks old. She is a little ball of terror, but we love her all the same. It has been too long since we have had a puppy in the house. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays from Golden Touch Farm!

2008-12-21T15:13:00.000-05:00

Everyone here at Golden Touch Alpaca Farm wanted to take a quick second and wish you all a Happy (and warm) Holiday! We have been getting slammed with snow this past weekend but all our Alpaca are safe and cozy in their barns.

Here is a video we shot over the weekend.

Note: If you experience stutter on playback, click off the HD ON button in the top right corner of the video. It also helps to allow the video to fully buffer before hitting play. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays from Golden Touch Farm from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Worst Kind of Weather

2008-12-17T21:55:00.001-05:00

New England has certainly had it's fair share of horrible Weather over the last week. Between the freezing rains, the ice storms, and now the snow that has gone through much of the area, many people are still without power and the rest of us are looking for new and innovative ways to stay warm and dry.

Living in a Coastal Town on the Southeast coast of New England, we tend to get more Rain and Freezing Rain while the rest of the area gets snow. This is a blessing and a curse, but truthfully I would rather shovel snow a few times a year than slip around in the mud all winter. Since we started shooting Video of our farm, I always tend to warm up after finishing up my chores with a cup of coffee and a clip from the summer. Today, I warmed up to one of my favorite humming bird videos, "The Swarm!". Check it out below!

The Swarm! from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Last Minute Holiday Shopping - The Ecofriendly Version

2008-12-15T14:44:00.001-05:00

There is not enough time in the day to run the Farm, Manage the Businesses, Keep our House in a presentable condition, and then on top of all that Plan, Decorate, and Shop for the Holidays. To save time we have been doing a lot of our shopping online this year, particularly doing business with Certified Green and Eco-Friendly businesses based in the United States.

We want our Holiday Shopping money to benefit hard working American Families, the story behind each product and how it is made is so important to us and more consumers need to realize that their is a lot more costs than just the bottom price.

When you have a free moment, head over to http://www.storyofstuff.com/ and watch their 20 minute video. It goes into great detail about who benefits exactly benefits from the current way consumers are spending money.

If you are looking to shop at "Guilt Free" stores across the country, be sure to head to Greener Pasture's Blog, where they list 54 Eco-Friendly Stores with 54 Holiday Discounts.

This year we asked Santa for more hours in the day!

Happy Holidays to all from Golden Touch Farm!

Wild Turkeys are Taking Over!

2008-12-10T10:28:00.000-05:00

Last night as I was finishing up the Animals I noticed that the females in our back field were looking awfully alerting. They did not give off the alarm call but they most certainly were spooked by something in the field. I finished up in the Cria Barnyard and rushed to see what the fuss was about. I was happy to see that it was just our lovely Wild Turkeys making their rounds. I ran back to the house and grabbed the camera to grab some quick footage of them just before they went back into the woods.

Note: If you experience stuttering on playback pause the video and click off the HD ON button in the top right corner. It also helps to allow the video to fully buffer before hitting play, Enjoy!

Wild Turkeys at it Again from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Getting in the Thanksgiving Mood!

2008-11-26T15:34:00.000-05:00

We are posting this now because we won't have a chance tomorrow with the whirlwind that is our Thanksgiving tradition. Each year we invite family and friends over to our farm and cook up a massive meal and enjoy each others company. This year we will be hosting for over 30 people and cooking a 25lb Turkey as well as a Ham. Needless to say, it will be busy around these parts tomorrow, actually starting a few days ago, but once we are in full swing I am certain I will not be around the computer.

We wanted to take this moment to wish you all a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving. Although this year has certainly been one for the History books, and not all in the positive light, what we have learned more than ever is above anything else, You can always count on your Family and close Friends and that is what we will be celebrating this year.

To get you in the mood, below is a video we shot last winter of Wild Turkeys that graze our yard from time to time. Not all turkey's are for eating! Over the years they have become more and more part of our family and I think they feel the same way. Enjoy the Video!

The Snowbirds, and Turkeys from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Westport Rivers Vineyard Holiday Open House

2008-11-19T14:26:00.004-05:00

Golden Touch Farm is happy to announce that we will be attending this year's Westport Rivers Vineyard Holiday Open House as a vendor as well as having our alpacas on display for the day. Come out and meet our precious animals, browse our alpaca clothing and accessories, and take a tour of the vineyard and taste some of their wonderful wines and champagnes. An event for the entire family!

Here are the details! Hope to see you there!

Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery will be holding its Annual Holiday Open House on Saturday, November 29, 2008 from 11am - 5pm at their family farm winery in Westport. This Annual event is a fun day for the entire family and an opportunity to sample local flavors and festivities. Buzzards Bay Brewing will also be open and hosting their Holiday "Lager Cafe" from 11am - 9pm. Both venues will feature outstanding local foods, world class wine & award winning beer as well as live entertainment.

Location: 417 Hixbridge Rd., Westport, MA
Admission is Free

* Wine Tastings - throughout the day
* Walking Vineyard Tours
* Kettle fires throughout the day, Hayrides - bring your blanket
* Pony rides by Pony Express available for a fee
* 11-2pm Michael Higgins the Chain Sorcerer
* Live entertainment and Christmas music all day, Christmas caroling, 2:30-4:30 The Showstoppers
* Local vendors and baked goods: Kettle Corn by Giggles, Delicious hot sandwiches available from Route 66 Diner, Dartmouth Orchards - hot cider & apples, Local artisan cheeses by Shy Brothers Farm and Martin's Cheese, Equal Exchange Coffee & free Hot Cocoa, Starfish Bakery, Black Cat Cookies, Kandies & Confections, Hana's Honey, Langdon Farms Homemade pasta sauces
* Children's activities in our Long Acre House, Ornament decorating
* 11:30-2pm Story Teller and Children's Author Gretchen Pyne, "Lulu's Rose Colored Glasses"
* 4:00 pm Christmas tree lighting ceremony
* In the Russell Gallery (above our Company Store), UMass Dartmouth Fine Arts Graduate Students show and sales

Co-Op America's Green Gift Guide is Out!

2008-11-12T10:09:00.002-05:00

Co-Op America has recently posted this year's 2008 Holiday Green Gift Giving Guide on their site and we are excited to be a part of it this year.

"This holiday season we're making green gift giving easier—and helping you save money too. Our Green Gift Guide features special offers from businesses listed in the National Green Pages™. So this year, show you care by giving gifts from businesses that support people and the planet."

Check out Our Listing and over 50 other stores offering Great Savings for Green Products!

Vote Today!

2008-11-04T09:58:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to Vote Today. It is shaping up to be one of the most important elections of our lifetimes, regardless of your Politic Beliefs, it is essential we all exercise our right to voice our opinion.

2008 Cria Photo Album

2008-11-02T20:51:00.002-05:00

Now that all of our Cria for the year are on the ground and running, I figured it would be a great time to upload some pictures we have taken over the last few weeks. We truly were blessed with such amazing additions to our herd. Be sure to check out the entire gallery here.

Last cria born of the season!

2008-10-31T19:42:00.002-04:00

Yesterday on Oct. 30,08 our last cria of the season was born. Cocoa delivered a 19 lb. 2 oz boy. Both mom and baby are doing very well. This season we had a total of 10 cria born with 7 of them being females and 3 males. Five of those mothers were maidens and they all had easy births with wonderful mothering instincts. It is nice to have them all on the ground and doing so well. One of my favorite times is to watch all of the cria play, usually early in the morning and then again at dusk. They run like the wind, in the barn out of the barn, it is quite the game of tag. What a great season!

Westport Farmers market ends for the season.

2008-10-13T10:01:00.002-04:00

Saturday was the last day of the Westport Farmers market. It was a great season, we made many new friends and had many of good laughs. We look forward to seeing you all again next season. Have a safe and warm winter!

Fall Day on the Farm

2008-10-03T18:48:00.002-04:00

Fall Day on the Farm from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

If your computer can handle it, be sure to check it out in HD on Vimeo!

3 New Products added to Our Farm Store!

2008-09-11T11:53:00.004-04:00

Everyone at GTF is happy to announce the addition of 3 brand new products to our Farm Store. All the new products are made from 100% Prime Alpaca, the very best alpaca collected from across the country.

The Cable Knit Dress Scarf

The New Heirloom Baby Blanket

and finally, The Throw Afghan

Head on over to http://www.goldentouchnaturals.com and check them out!

Tropical Storm Hanna passes through!

2008-09-07T17:49:00.002-04:00

I'm happy to say tropical storm Hanna did not leave much evidence behind. Other than a few tree limbs down and no power for 4 hours you would of never known we had a tropical storm.
The cria were happy to see the sun shinning this morning, as they were all pronking at first light. So cute! Yesterday they would come out of the barn every time it stopped raining but the minute the rain would start they flew into the barn like the wind.
Life is Good!

Baby's have been popping!!!

2008-09-03T20:46:00.002-04:00

Wow, where does the time go, it has been so busy I haven't had a chance to announce the last three cria that have been born. SORRY!!
On August 14, 08 Golden Touch's Cappauccino, aka "Cappy was born. A male, deep chocolate brown with black points. He weighed in at 19 lbs. The delivery was uneventful and both mom and baby are doing well.
On August 16, 08 Golden Touch's Sweet Persuasion, aka "Suede" was born. A female, medium brown in color and weighing in at 14 lbs. Suede was born a couple of weeks early and is a little spit fire. She is growing like a weed and has no trouble keeping up with the older cria.
Today, September 3, 08 Golden Touch's Moon Beam, aka "Beamer" was born. A female, dark silver gray with a lighter gray tuxedo pattern. She weighed in at 17 lbs. 8 oz. Mom is a maiden and is tending to her baby just wonderfully.
We have three more cria due in September and one due the end October. Our herd sire Teddy is father to 4 and all have been females and Dante is dad to 2 so far and he has one male and one female. I am thrilled with both herd sires as they have produced some awesome babies.

Our Farm mentioned in Boston Globe Article

2008-08-27T18:11:00.002-04:00

The Boston Globe wrote an article about Westport, MA and how it has become a charismatic destination through out New England.

Golden Touch Farm and our Alpacas are mentioned as a must "Do" while visiting.

Read the article here.

Next Farmer's Market with the alpaca scheduled!

2008-08-11T11:01:00.002-04:00

The alpacas will be back at the farmers market on AUGUST 30,08 from 8:30 to 1:00. The alpacas were a huge hit this past Saturday and have been requested to return.
Once again thank you to all who came, it was great fun meeting all of you and also spending time with familiar faces. For anyone that missed out we'll be back so mark you calender for August 30, 08. The Westport Farmers Market it located on Main Road at the Westport Grange Building. See you there!!!

Thanks for coming out Saturday!

2008-08-10T11:46:00.003-04:00

The Alpacas had a wonderful time meeting all of you at last Saturday's Farmer's Market. We are currently working on scheduling another similar day a little closer to the Fall, as well as a Farm Day of our own, an open house of the farm open to the public. Please stay tuned for more information on these events.

Alpacas at Westport Farmer's Market this Saturday!

2008-08-06T12:44:00.003-04:00

Since 4th of July weekend we have been setting up a booth at the Westport Farmer's Market. This upcoming Saturday (August 9th) we will be bringing several of our Alpacas to the market to showcase the animals and their fiber. From 8am to 1pm the Alpacas will be on display, so come and get a hands on education about these amazing animals, their fiber, our farm, and the benefits of clothing made from their fiber.

Want to know more? Look for our article in The Chronicle, on the 2nd Front Page showcasing our animals and our farm! Released today, Wednesday August 6th. If you don't have access to the paper, read the article online at:

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080806/PUB02/808060377

We look forward to seeing you all at this Saturday's Farmers Market!

Wordle - GTF

2008-07-26T19:37:00.003-04:00

Click the Thumbnail to see our blog Wordle'd

Our Farm Right Now - Video Post

2008-07-25T14:59:00.000-04:00

Golden Touch Farm - Right Now from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Remembering the Sun - More Hummers!

2008-07-25T12:41:00.002-04:00

While the Alpacas, Sheep, Deer, and Donkeys were cooped up staying dry, I decided it would be a great time to throw together some Hummingbird Clips of sunnier days. Enjoy this Hummingbird Capture, some truly amazing shots!

Remembering the Sun from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

6/24 ThunderStorm Video

2008-06-25T13:02:00.004-04:00

For all of you in the Southeastern, MA area you know how violent the T'Storms were yesterday as they swept through the area. Thankfully everyone is intact, and the garden and flowers soaked up the rain. Here is a video we threw together of the storms and the birds.

Rain is Beautiful from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Overdue cria finally arrives!

2008-06-25T10:06:00.003-04:00

Last night about 6:30 Golden Touch's Amazing Grace a.k.a. Nayla finally gave birth to a medium fawn female cria. Nayla was due for her baby on June 12, 08 and has never gone beyond her due date more than a day. So it was a great relief for both of us that she gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby. Seeing that she was born on my daughters wedding anniversary I wanted to give her a name that tied into the wedding. My daughters flowers were Stargazer Lily's so we decided it would be a great name for our new addition. Introducing Golden Touch's Stargazer Lily, weighing in at 22 lbs.

New Cria - totally unexpected!!!!

2008-06-20T11:43:00.003-04:00

This morning has proven to be quite an interesting day. We have been on cria watch for three of our females that are due this month (one being overdue). After morning chores and a shower I went back out to check on all the females, the girls I'm patiently waiting to deliver were quite comfortable resting chewing their cud. I decided I would go for another walk to the back pasture and check on the other female pen, well low and behold Cover Girl had just given birth to a true black female cria. The funny thing was I was planning on breeding Cover Girl this Spring. I attempted to breed her for the first time last Fall but she never acted ready and would run from the males (no wonder). I assumed she was still immature and would hold off until Spring, Surprise, Surprise. I know last Spring we did have a break in to the girls pen with Teddy and Dante and I didn't think they had a chance to breed anyone, boy was I wrong. I strongly suspect Dante is the father as his mother was a true black. I will know for sure when I send in the blood to match up the DNA.
I happy to say that Cover Girl is the most attentive mother especially for her age. She has plenty of milk. I will post a picture of Golden Touch's Black Lace this afternoon. She weighed in at 18 lbs. 2 oz.

First Cria of the Season Born

2008-06-11T10:44:00.005-04:00

With the Summer Heat Wave sweeping across New England, our first Cria of the season was born and it's a girl to boot. Golden Touch's Light My Fire (Tee Tee) gave birth to Summer Sizzle, a 22.6lb light fawn girl. It is Teddy's first Cria on the ground, and we couldn't be happier.

Alpaca Page Updated!

2008-06-10T11:10:00.003-04:00

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to make a post about the new and improved Alpaca Section on our website. We have categorized our herd into Females, Herdsires, and Fiber Pets to make it easier for interested parties to find exactly what they are looking for. We also have added easy to access information on the Alpaca Lifestyle, as well as the Investment opportunities associated with raising Alpaca as livestock.

Now that the section is live, we will be constantly updating pictures, descriptions, and adding new Animals so check back often. If you see something you like, Request More Information on the animal.

We have packets made up of our Investment Quality Females as well as our Herdsires available for Stud to send to interested parties. If you live in the area, schedule a time to come and visit to get a first hand experience with the animals. If you are unable to come out to the farm, we also are able to capture video and images of specific animals so you can really get a good feel for the animal before making a decision. Check back often as our Alpaca Section will always be evolving.

It's baby time again!!!

2008-06-02T19:51:00.003-04:00

Cria watch has begun on the farm. Baby time at the farm is always so exciting. It doesn't matter how many births we experience every one is just as exciting as the first one. The four girls due this month are being closely watched, just waiting for the signs of impending labor. The last month of their pregnancy always goes slowly, as they say the last mile is the longest mile. So true! To keep them comfortable, on hot days we spray their belly's down with a house. Even though the temperatures have not been on the high side, it really helps keep their bodies feeling cool and refreshed.
I'm overly anxious to see this crop of cria as they are sired by my two new herd sires, Teddy and Dante. These will be their first kids to hit the ground. If we are lucky enough to catch the birth happening we will try to get a video of it for all of you to see. If we can't get the video we will surely post some photos.

New Video - Birdwatching in May

2008-05-31T13:57:00.002-04:00

Now that May has come and gone(almost) the Feeders are really starting to pick up with all kinds of great activity.

Birdwatching on the Farm from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

New Video - Hummingbirds of May

2008-05-21T13:29:00.000-04:00

Hummingbirds in May from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

New Video - First Day on the New Grass

2008-05-13T00:27:00.003-04:00

GTF's Alpacas - First Day Out of Barnyard from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

You can watch it in full HD Quality here - http://www.vimeo.com/1006506

Spectacular bird watching!

2008-05-10T09:06:00.002-04:00

This Spring has been great for bird watching. We have enjoyed the wild turkeys on a daily basis in our pastures and in the yard. I'm glad they find our farm a fruitful place to stay.
The Baltimore Orioles are here in droves, with the apple trees blossoming along with the maple trees they are just all over the place. Check out one of the latest videos and catch one visiting the hummingbird feeder.
We have 5 blue bird nest boxes up and I'm happy to report that 2 out of the 5 are actually occupied by blue birds. I love to see the male blue birds in flight as their color is just magnificent.
The male Goldfinches have turned from a dull olive green to a brilliant yellow hoping to attract the females. Good luck to them as there seems to be a lot of competition.
The hummingbirds are in full swing at the feeders. I purchased larger feeders this year so I won't be filling them twice a day in peak season (then again maybe I will be) The new feeders hold 32 oz. as opposed to 16 oz.
If you enjoy birds it is a great time to get out in the yard and see what is happening in your neck of the woods.
ENJOY!

There's no place like home!

2008-05-06T14:34:00.002-04:00

For the last two weeks Chris and I have been on the road at alpaca shows. The first was MAPACA in PA and the last one was Buckeye Alpaca Show in Columbus Ohio. We had an information booth for ( NEAFP) The New England Alpaca Fiber Pool and it was great meeting many of our customers in person and making many friends along the way. Columbus Ohio was a haul, 14 hrs to be exact and driving straight through after a long day made it even seem longer.
Thanks to everyone who stayed behind to take care of the farm, you all did a great job and I really appreciate that. It's nice to be able to go away and know everyone is in good hands. THANK YOU!!!

Bird Watching - Baltimore Oriole Siting

2008-05-06T13:46:00.001-04:00

It is not just the Hummingbirds that are back around. Now that the Apple Tree's are in blossom, the Orioles have decided to hang out for a while. Here is a short clip we shot yesterday. Head to Vimeo.com for the full HD version (if your computer can support it).

Bird Watching - Baltimore Oriole from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Hummers finally arrive!

2008-04-30T20:30:00.003-04:00

We had our first sighting of the hummingbirds today and it is always like a holiday when they arrive. Last year they showed up on April 29 and I was curious how close to that date would they show and low and behold it's April 30. I wonder if they would of showed up yesterday if the weather had not been so lousy.

New arrival

2008-04-14T11:07:00.002-04:00

On Saturday April 12 we had a baby chinchilla born. Mom and baby are both doing well. I'm not sure if it is a male or female yet as I don't want to interfere with the bonding process. He/she looks just like mom, light gray. I'll post a picture in a couple of days.

All eyes to the sky!!!

2008-04-14T10:58:00.002-04:00

The hummingbirds should be arriving any day now. They have already been spotted in MA so if you don't have your feeders up already now is a good time to get them out. I've had my feeders up for a couple of weeks and can't wait to spot my first hummer. I'll be sure to let you know when they arrive.

New Farm Video - Faces of the Farm

2008-04-11T14:43:00.001-04:00

Many Faces of Our Farm from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

New Video uploaded today. Watch it on Vimeo for the full HD Quality Treatment.

Golden Touch Naturals Online!

2008-04-08T10:09:00.002-04:00

After several months of working hard, our farm store, Golden Touch Naturals is up and running and we couldn't be happier with the finished product. It is a place where we can share all of our wonderful Alpaca Products, as well as other like minded one of a kind goods.

Our Alpaca clothing ranges from strong and sturdy Boot Socks to Knitters Yarns and everything in between. All of our Alpaca items are made in the U.S. with North American pooled fiber, in certified Eco-responsible mills. There is such a high demand for guilt free products, and we are glad to meet that need. We are one of the only Alpaca stores to carry over 25 items 100% Made in America.

We also wanted to use our online Farm Store to showcase other like minded items, such as Organic Soaps and Herbal Teas, Local Artwork, Handcrafted Jewelry, Stone Thrown Pottery, and a ton more Back to Basic and One of a Kind items. The majority of these items are Made in New England artisans and crafters who in turn support their own local economies.

We invite you to check out our store today and find something special for yourself or family and friends.

www.goldentouchnaturals.com

All Friends and Family of Golden Touch Farm are encouraged to use the Check out Code: Teddybear to receive an extra 10% off your Shopping Cart. Thanks for your continued support!

Perhaps our last Snow of the Season?

2008-02-23T13:54:00.003-05:00

The Alpaca's didn't seem overly impressed with our most recent snow storm and I can't blame them, it was fairly uneventful. Perhaps it is our last of the season, but then again, this is New England.

Partner's Village Visit a Success

2008-01-28T14:01:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we spent a few hours at Partner's Village Store in Westport, MA showcasing our Alpacas, their fiber, and the finished products made from it. It was an amazing event. People came out from all over Southeastern, MA to experience our wonderful animals. Dante and Teddy both were wonderful, keeping a great demeanor even with the crowds of people. To read up on the entire vent head to :http://www.aldenhill.com/essay/community.htm

Over the weekend we also launched our new Farm Site, with some great changes we are excited about. There are a ton of great videos added that showcase our entire farm.

The Neglected Blog

2008-01-24T11:25:00.000-05:00

How fast does time fly?

Quick apology to all those who read this religiously, it seems a few months have come and gone without updates from the Farm. We just have been incredibly busy over the last several months and this blog slipped below the radar.

Golden Touch Farms is in the process of opening up an online farm store, Golden Touch Naturals that will feature a variety of U.S. made Alpaca Products, Organic All Natural Health and Beauty products, local art and many other one of a kind items. We also will be selling our alpaca goods in several different Retail stores across Southeastern Massachusetts. Stay tuned for a store listing near you.

When we aren't turning the barn into a nursery for this years batch of baby lambs, we will be migrating our website and blog over to the new online store and farm website. I will keep this blog up as a living history of the last year or so, but all new business and news will be on the new platform.

Quick Note: We will be at Partner's Village Store in Westport, MA this Saturday (the 26th) from 11 to 2 to discuss Alpacas, their Fiber, and the finished products made from them. We would love for anyone interested in the farm or products to swing through.

Turkeys are here to stay!

2007-10-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

Well we see the turkeys just about every day. Some days they come right up into the side yard and we watch them from our dinning room window. They also spend a lot of time in the back pastures. There must be an abundance of food for them to keep them here for this long. Most people say turkeys don't stay in one area very long, they are always on the move. We are enjoying them and boy are they getting big.

Cocoa Pebbles reunited with the herd!

2007-10-13T20:58:00.000-04:00

Cocoa Pebbles finally got to return with the rest of the herd and boy was she happy. After a week and a half of confinement it was a great day for all of us to let her return with the herd. She had finished her antibiotics, all of the swelling had subsided, no temp and a good appetite was a prescription for freedom.
Last night at dusk she started to pronk with the spring cria and young females. It was so much fun just to watch her run and kick up her heels. It was tragic to lose her cria but I am ever so thankful to have her.

The Hummingbirds Are Gone!

2007-10-07T02:35:00.000-04:00

With the change in seasons our hummingbirds have moved on to bigger and better things for the winter. We look forward to them coming back next Spring. In the mean time, here is a small collection of some of the footage we captured this summer. Enjoy!

"Sweet Annie" update!

2007-10-04T19:52:00.000-04:00

Annie and Mom are doing just great! Mom is very attentive over her expect in the nursing dept. She loves being with her and when I take her out to put her on the scale mom is not happy but she is not crazy about her nursing either. Interesting situation! I think part of the problem is she is a first time mom, secondly there was so much confusion the day she delivered and the day after with Cocoa Pebbles (who just happens to be her best friend). She is probably talking to Cocoa Pebbles saying if you let her nurse off you then I will keep an eye on her.
We will continue to work on it and see what happens, but in the mean time Annie is being supplemented and thats okay too. At every feeding she is put on mom and then given a bottle to top her off. It is not that Mom doesn't have any milk, she has plenty she is just not very patient.
Today Annie weighed in at 16 lbs. not a huge weight gain but gaining and that is the most important. She is very alert and active and as sweet as they come.

Cocoa Pebbles update!

2007-10-04T19:46:00.000-04:00

Cocoa Pebbles is feeling much better today. The swelling on her bottom is reduced almost 75%. She also has the sparkle back in her eyes and wants out of her pen and get back with the rest of the herd. I think in the next couple of days she will be able to do just that as long as she doesn't spike a temp.
She has been through so much in the last few days and I'm so happy she is recovering as fast as she is.

Cocoa Pebbles goes into labor!!

2007-10-02T20:15:00.000-04:00

Not long after returning from Springfield and settling in with the new cria I noticed that Cocoa Pebbles was not acting herself. She wasn't crazy about eating her dinner and she was content to go off and lay by herself. She was due as well and she too would be another first time mother. I kept a close eye on her watching for any signs of labor. At 3:00 a.m. I went out to the barn to feed Annie and check on Cocoa Pebbles, sure enough she was in labor with the head and front feet already out. Unfortunately it was obvious the cria was already dead. I dashed back to the house to get my husband for assistance. We were unable to get the shoulders of the cria to pass. I knew this was a huge problem and vet assistance would be needed. I also knew that she needed to go to the vets clinic in the event a C-section would be needed. My heart broke for the cria but my attention was on mom I did not want to lose her too. My vet is 45 minutes away so rather than call him at 3:30 in the morning we decided to hook up the trailer and get ready to head there and call him on the way.
By the time we reached the vets Cocoa Pebbles was very stressed and very uncomfortable. My vet did a great job and was able to get the cria out without a c-section or dismemberment. Cocoa Pebbles had some tears and did quite a bit of bleeding after delivery. The next concern was to stop the bleeding and not to have a prolapsed uterus. My vet explained that when they strain as she did they loose calcium and having a low calcium level can also cause a prolapse. She was given I.V. fluids with calcium, antibiotics, along with other meds. I stayed at the vets with her most of the day and brought her home in the afternoon when we thought it was safe for transport. There was still a chance for a prolapse and of course bleeding so she needed to watched closely. I'm happy to report she is doing well. The swelling on her bottom is reducing and she is eating and all bodily functions are working. She is still very very sore and is cautious how she gets up and lays down. She is in barn in a private stall along side Splash and her baby. It was important to keep her quiet and very clean. She has been a trooper through all of this and I'm happy she is going to be okay, as long as things continue on this track. She will not be bred again for at least 6 months to give her body plenty of time to heal.
It sure has been an emotional roller coaster the past few days, extreme highs and lows in less than 12 hours. But at the end of the day I wouldn't trade this life for anything different.

Introducing Bittersweet Annie

2007-10-02T15:49:00.000-04:00

Bittersweet Annie's arrival on Sept. 30, 07

The last few days have certainly been an emotional roller coaster. It all began with a very hectic schedule over the weekend, we had an information booth for the New England Alpaca Fiber Pool at the Big E and a wedding in Boston on Saturday night. We planned on driving up to Springfield early Saturday morning and run the booth until 2:00p.m. run to the hotel to change and then dash to Boston for a 6:00 wedding. After the wedding we drove back to Springfield and planned to run the booth all day then break down and return home Sunday evening. All was going as planned and running smoothly until my cell phone ran at 6:30a.m. Sunday morning. I knew immediately something was going on. I quickly learned we had a new baby born and she was already dry and sitting in a cushed position. There was only one problem, she was laying in between my two pregnant dams and there was a little bit of confusion on who the mother was. Both of these pregnant girls were first time moms so just picking up the baby and see which dam follows you wasn't working. After several phone calls back and forth it was determined to be Splash's baby. They were put into a stall in the barn to have some quiet bonding time and to be monitored to be sure the cria was nursing. Several hours had passed and the cria still was not nursing, not that she didn't want to, her mom was just not cooperating. New moms can be like that the first few days. Of course I was anxious to get home to meet my new cria and help with the nursing situation. I know the family members at home couldn't wait for me to get home either. I had them give her some powdered colostrum to hold her over until I got home. Everyone here at the farm did a fantastic job over seeing things for me. They kept me in the loop at all times and dedicated their day keeping watch. Thank you!!!
Annie weighed in at a bouncing 14 lb 8 0z. She is still be supplemented with a bottle but is doing quite well.

Hummers on the Move!!

2007-09-24T20:17:00.000-04:00

Well it is that time of year again when the hummingbirds start leaving on their long journey South. This year in peak season I was filling my hummingbird feeders three times a day, going through 15 lbs. of sugar a week. That is a record breaker for us, last year I was going through 10 lbs. a wk.
I will continue to keep my feeders up until the end of October for any birds passing by that might need to stop in and catch a drink. Wishing them all a safe journey and I'll be looking forward to seeing them again in the Spring!

Westport Art Group visits the farm!

2007-09-24T19:53:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday the Westport Art Group visited the farm for a morning of painting. I was impressed to see a turn out of about 25 painters. Everyone was free to roam the farm and paint anything that caught their eye. At first I was worried that they wouldn't find enough interesting things to paint but that quickly changed as everyone seemed to settle right in. At the end of the class the instructor lined all of the painting up and critiqued them. Most of the paintings were of the alpacas but the donkeys and sheep caught some of the lime light as well. Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time and I hope they plan another field trip next year.

A Big Thank you!!

2007-09-09T17:25:00.000-04:00

For all of you that sent me private emails on Samantha, THANK YOU. Your kind words have meant so much.

Turkeys, Turkeys, and more Turkeys!!!!

2007-09-09T17:13:00.000-04:00

For the last couple of weeks we have had a group of hen turkeys with their young hanging at the property. This morning I went to let the dog out and when I looked they were all in the yard. My tough cat "Mercedes" was stalking them. I quickly got the camera and took some pictures. There was a total of 35 and it was quite the site. They stayed in the yard for a few hours then migrated through the female alpaca pen back to the woods.
I've talked to several people and they say they normally don't stay in one place. I'm happy they have been here as long as they have. I know we have an abundance of food for them to eat, so they probably hate to miss a meal.
For all of you that follow this blog you know in the Spring we had Tom Turkey here and we would hear him gobble. We always saw him alone, never in the company of hens. Well he certainly did his work and although we didn't see him with the hens they certainly caught up with each other.

Invasion of Wild Turkeys

2007-09-09T15:51:00.000-04:00

Today we finally caught some photos of the wild turkeys on the prowl.

Broken Hearts!

2007-09-03T20:23:00.001-04:00

On August 27, 07 we lost our "old gal" Samantha. Samantha was a 20 year old female alpaca that we have owned for the last 6 years. She was blind and because of her blindness we had developed a very special bond. She was the farm favorite to all that came to know her. Despite her blindness she was so trusting, always calm, and not afraid of new situations.
It all began last Sunday, I was out with the girls in the afternoon to give them a belly hose and she readily came over for her turn. She was her normal self. I went back out at 4:30 and I could tell she was in abdominal distress. She would stand and then immediately lay back down and kick her hind legs out to the side. Then to start the whole process all over again. My husband and I moved her to the barn in front of the fan. I took her temp which was normal, she was not hot to the touch. I immediately gave her some probotics to get her ruminant working. I also gave her some banamine for pain and a shot of antibiotic. I wanted to cover all the basics especially when you don't know what your dealing with. There wasn't a change in her diet, she never had loose stools, and she was always covered for meningeal worm. She seemed to settle down and very couple of hours I checked on her. She was laying in a cushed position, she was bright and alert. I went out just around 11:00 and she had moved herself out of the barn and was laying in the barnyard under the trees. She was still bright and alert. I felt confident she was feeling much better so I retired for the night. At 6:00 a.m. I found her dead. She was still in the same area and there was no signs of struggling. My heart was broken. We decided not to do a necropy on her as she had lived a very full life and their life expectancy is 20 -25 years.
She was a very special girl and I can't tell you how much I miss her. She will always hold a very special place in my heart and I'm thankful for the lessons she has taught me. She is one of the reasons why I am so passionate about my alpacas.

Golden Touch Farms Video projector

2007-08-23T00:04:00.001-04:00

I put videos I create on Vimeo. You can see my profile.