Back to Blogging!

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

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!

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.

New Video: Hummingbirds in the Rain

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!

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

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

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!

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!

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.

Handheld Hummingbird Feeders

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

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!

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!

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.

International Year of Natural Fibers 2009 - United Nations

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

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.

New HD Video: Lazy Spring Afternoon with the Alpacas

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!

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!

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

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!

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

 

Golden Touch Farm - Now on Twitter!

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!