Where to start? How can the son of a Eastern Oregon cattle rancher and a Gladstone native, bookkeeper/retailer start raising alpacas.

Don, that's me, left the cattle business in the early 60's searching for my first million by working the Aerospace industry in Portland Oregon... Well, if I would have made - it I might not be writing this now.

My wife Connie and I finished raising our family in 1993, two sons and two daughters. We lived in Ocean Park Washington until 1999 when we decided to move inland where we could be closer to our family, which was now including grandchildren. The move landed us in Woodland, WA. on a parcel of land large enough to raise a few animals,known by some as a "fat farm" - enough work to keep one from gaining weight.

Connie has a real "knack" for flowers and animals. We started with a couple of sheep but they couldn't eat enough grass to keep the pasture down so we got two cows and calves - boy, could they eat!

We sold our stock and after hearing some about alpacas, decided to get a couple so we could learn more about them. It was at the Clark County fair in 2005 where we met Dennis, Kim and family of Fancy Fiber Farms showing alpacas there with the 4-H group Curious Companions. We spent considerable time there learning that alpacas were not just another animal, but a lifestyle as well. This is where our journey with alpacas begins. We are learning more about alpacas each day, getting to know their personalities while they learn to trust us. We are anxious to gain enough knowledge that we will be comfortable as breeders as well as owners.