United Nations: International Year for Natural Fibers 2009

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!

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!

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!

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

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

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!

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!

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

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!

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!

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

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!

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.

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

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!