| Good Shepherd Farm Alpacas is owned by Chris & Rebecca Arnold. Copyright 2005-2008. All rights reserved. Website powered by Yahoo! |
I guess you could say our farm began many years ago when my
Grandparents Dallas and Nellie Estep first started. With my
grandfather's love for animals and my grandmother’s love for gardening
we now have a beautiful farm for our alpacas. While my family’s main
interest was horses, they had several other animals around when my
dad and his brother and sisters were growing up. Back then they raised
cattle, horses, chickens, and pigs.
The barn that now houses our alpacas was built over 30 years ago by
my grandfather, dad, and uncle. The wood used to build it was timbered
from the property and sent to a saw mill that was family owned. You can
see that the barn is very special to us.
The idea of alpacas started several years ago when my husband was watching
television and the “I love Alpacas” commercial came on. The idea got sidelined
for a while (a three year old and a new born baby) but always remained a
probability. Before it was time for our youngest son to begin preschool we began
to look into the different types of livestock we could raise and then we
remembered
alpacas. We began our research and decided that raising alpacas was what we
wanted to do. I had always been a “crafty person” so having livestock that we
can use it fleece and make so many different items from really interested me.
After reading so much about alpacas on the internet, it was time to visit an
alpaca farm. Then, as they say, “The rest was history” We were hooked! We
visited several farms and purchased our first bred female in December, 2005
from Glory B Farm located here in West Virginia. We boarded they’re until we
had our fencing in place. They arrived on our farm on Groundhogs day. It was
the most exciting Groundhogs day ever!
As I try to put into words the way I feel about these amazing creatures,
something keeps coming to mind.
I AM SO BLESSED!
I am blessed when I have these wonderful animals waiting at the gate for me in
the morning.
That sure beats morning rush hour traffic.
I am blessed when I am at the barn and it is so peaceful, and all I hear is the
quiet hum of my alpacas. That's much better than working in a noisy office.
I am so blessed when I can watch my children and my alpacas play in the same
pasture and not have to worry about our livestock injuring our children.
That’s something you can’t do with horses or cattle.
I am blessed when I hear my son say “Mom, lets go watch the alpacas” Their
even fun
for a four year old to watch! Sure beats putting them in front of the TV for hours.
I am blessed when our local newspaper comes to do an interview and my seven
year
old answers all of the questions before we get a chance to.
Children are so smart and soak in knowledge like a sponge!
I am blessed because my family is so much closer because of our farm.
Before we had our farm, we would only see them on holidays.
I AM SO BLESSED!
I can go on and on….
As I write this, we are anxiously awaiting our first cria (baby alpaca) to be born
on our farm. I thought we were excited when we were getting started. This has
been a wonderful experience for us. We cannot wait to see what the future hold
for us.
We hope that our children will be second generation alpaca farmers.
Grandparents Dallas and Nellie Estep first started. With my
grandfather's love for animals and my grandmother’s love for gardening
we now have a beautiful farm for our alpacas. While my family’s main
interest was horses, they had several other animals around when my
dad and his brother and sisters were growing up. Back then they raised
cattle, horses, chickens, and pigs.
The barn that now houses our alpacas was built over 30 years ago by
my grandfather, dad, and uncle. The wood used to build it was timbered
from the property and sent to a saw mill that was family owned. You can
see that the barn is very special to us.
The idea of alpacas started several years ago when my husband was watching
television and the “I love Alpacas” commercial came on. The idea got sidelined
for a while (a three year old and a new born baby) but always remained a
probability. Before it was time for our youngest son to begin preschool we began
to look into the different types of livestock we could raise and then we
remembered
alpacas. We began our research and decided that raising alpacas was what we
wanted to do. I had always been a “crafty person” so having livestock that we
can use it fleece and make so many different items from really interested me.
After reading so much about alpacas on the internet, it was time to visit an
alpaca farm. Then, as they say, “The rest was history” We were hooked! We
visited several farms and purchased our first bred female in December, 2005
from Glory B Farm located here in West Virginia. We boarded they’re until we
had our fencing in place. They arrived on our farm on Groundhogs day. It was
the most exciting Groundhogs day ever!
As I try to put into words the way I feel about these amazing creatures,
something keeps coming to mind.
I AM SO BLESSED!
I am blessed when I have these wonderful animals waiting at the gate for me in
the morning.
That sure beats morning rush hour traffic.
I am blessed when I am at the barn and it is so peaceful, and all I hear is the
quiet hum of my alpacas. That's much better than working in a noisy office.
I am so blessed when I can watch my children and my alpacas play in the same
pasture and not have to worry about our livestock injuring our children.
That’s something you can’t do with horses or cattle.
I am blessed when I hear my son say “Mom, lets go watch the alpacas” Their
even fun
for a four year old to watch! Sure beats putting them in front of the TV for hours.
I am blessed when our local newspaper comes to do an interview and my seven
year
old answers all of the questions before we get a chance to.
Children are so smart and soak in knowledge like a sponge!
I am blessed because my family is so much closer because of our farm.
Before we had our farm, we would only see them on holidays.
I AM SO BLESSED!
I can go on and on….
As I write this, we are anxiously awaiting our first cria (baby alpaca) to be born
on our farm. I thought we were excited when we were getting started. This has
been a wonderful experience for us. We cannot wait to see what the future hold
for us.
We hope that our children will be second generation alpaca farmers.
Good Shepherd Farm lies in the southern West Virginia Appalachian Mountains.
This beautiful teeming landscape is home to the world’s finest livestock investment.
We welcome guests to our farm by appointment . With just one visit, guests will have
the opportunity to view our herd and meet the people who make up Good
Shepherd Farm. We provide our guests with the opportunity to gather information
based on our adventures in the alpaca farming industry and business ownership.
We hope this website will qualify as the next best thing to a farm visit. Be sure to
view our extensive research regarding our animals lineage. This valued information
is the base for our breeding program. We are devoted to raising alpacas and
welcome the opportunity to share our interest, knowledge and experiences with
others.
Be sure to visit our links page and add your link to the growing list. On the links
portion of our site is a list of alpaca resources that may not be found anywhere else
on the web. At least not all in one place!
Thank you for viewing our website. After your visit give us a call or send us an E-mail
to let us know of your visit. Our website will be ever changing as our herd increases
so save it in your Favorites. We look forward to reading and answering your e-mail
and hopefully meeting you in person.
My God bless you and your family.
This beautiful teeming landscape is home to the world’s finest livestock investment.
We welcome guests to our farm by appointment . With just one visit, guests will have
the opportunity to view our herd and meet the people who make up Good
Shepherd Farm. We provide our guests with the opportunity to gather information
based on our adventures in the alpaca farming industry and business ownership.
We hope this website will qualify as the next best thing to a farm visit. Be sure to
view our extensive research regarding our animals lineage. This valued information
is the base for our breeding program. We are devoted to raising alpacas and
welcome the opportunity to share our interest, knowledge and experiences with
others.
Be sure to visit our links page and add your link to the growing list. On the links
portion of our site is a list of alpaca resources that may not be found anywhere else
on the web. At least not all in one place!
Thank you for viewing our website. After your visit give us a call or send us an E-mail
to let us know of your visit. Our website will be ever changing as our herd increases
so save it in your Favorites. We look forward to reading and answering your e-mail
and hopefully meeting you in person.
My God bless you and your family.
| Member of the following Alpaca Organizations |
Alpaca Registry, Inc (ARI), headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska is the largest alpaca pedigree registry in the world. ARI is the
only organization of its kind in the United States, but also registers alpacas in Canada and other countries throughout the world.
Using advanced DNA technology, ARI validates the parentage of alpacas submitted for pedigree registration. Once an
alpaca's parentage has been validated, ARI issues a registration certificate that provides known lineage and assigns a unique
number to each alpaca. ARI itself is a tremendous asset to the entire alpaca community. Created in 1988, the ARI
methodology and database are some of the most sophisticated and accurate of any livestock industry anywhere in the world.
The vast majority of alpacas in North America are registered with ARI. The Registry protects the existing gene pool and helps
ensure each breeder's investment is protected from cross-breeding with other camelids and precludes the registration of an
alpaca if its parents were not ARI registered alpacas. ARI is currently a closed registry which means that every alpaca that is
registered must be DNA tested and validated as an offspring of two other ARI registered parents. If this can not be validated,
the alpaca will not be registered.
In addition to maintaining the growing database of alpacas and DNA records, ARI manages lists of animals owned or sold by
owners. Certificates of Registration are printed and provided to owners, displaying up to five generations of ancestry. Online
queries available to ARI members can provide recorded and validated ancestry for any alpaca in the database regardless of
the number of generations, as well as other information.
only organization of its kind in the United States, but also registers alpacas in Canada and other countries throughout the world.
Using advanced DNA technology, ARI validates the parentage of alpacas submitted for pedigree registration. Once an
alpaca's parentage has been validated, ARI issues a registration certificate that provides known lineage and assigns a unique
number to each alpaca. ARI itself is a tremendous asset to the entire alpaca community. Created in 1988, the ARI
methodology and database are some of the most sophisticated and accurate of any livestock industry anywhere in the world.
The vast majority of alpacas in North America are registered with ARI. The Registry protects the existing gene pool and helps
ensure each breeder's investment is protected from cross-breeding with other camelids and precludes the registration of an
alpaca if its parents were not ARI registered alpacas. ARI is currently a closed registry which means that every alpaca that is
registered must be DNA tested and validated as an offspring of two other ARI registered parents. If this can not be validated,
the alpaca will not be registered.
In addition to maintaining the growing database of alpacas and DNA records, ARI manages lists of animals owned or sold by
owners. Certificates of Registration are printed and provided to owners, displaying up to five generations of ancestry. Online
queries available to ARI members can provide recorded and validated ancestry for any alpaca in the database regardless of
the number of generations, as well as other information.
The West Virginia Alpaca Organization was established in 2007 by the Alpaca Breeders of West Virginia. We are dedicated to
the development of a robust and sustainable alpaca industry in the United States. Our mission is to represent the West Virginia
alpaca industry and be a resource for camelid enthusiasts.
WVAO’s function is to promote alpacas, educate the public and support our members. This organization is tackling the issues
that face our alpaca community such as veterinary care, farm labor, supply resources, state taxes, predator control, youth
education, fiber processing and much, much, more.
Come and join our wonderful community that is dedicated to West Virginia Alpacas
the development of a robust and sustainable alpaca industry in the United States. Our mission is to represent the West Virginia
alpaca industry and be a resource for camelid enthusiasts.
WVAO’s function is to promote alpacas, educate the public and support our members. This organization is tackling the issues
that face our alpaca community such as veterinary care, farm labor, supply resources, state taxes, predator control, youth
education, fiber processing and much, much, more.
Come and join our wonderful community that is dedicated to West Virginia Alpacas
AOBA
The Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association (AOBA) began in 1988 and gained non-profit status in 1991. It serves the
following purposes: (1) To promote public awareness and membership appreciation of the Alpaca's unique qualities; (2) To
educate the membership on the care and breeding of the Alpaca; (3) To promote the growth of the Alpaca industry as a whole;
and (4) To foster the establishment of the breed outside of its native land by encouraging husbandry and breeding practices
based upon, but not limited to, herd health, overall soundness, and alpaca fiber production and products.
AOBA's elected seven-member Board of Directors and 14 Committees such as: Marketing, Education, Affiliates, Fiber,
Government, and Show are volunteers. The AOBA office in Nashville, Tennessee oversees national operations. Since AOBA's
formation, with 87 members and a known alpaca census of 392, its membership has grown steadily to over 4,000 members
with over 120,000 registered alpacas in North America.
The Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association (AOBA) began in 1988 and gained non-profit status in 1991. It serves the
following purposes: (1) To promote public awareness and membership appreciation of the Alpaca's unique qualities; (2) To
educate the membership on the care and breeding of the Alpaca; (3) To promote the growth of the Alpaca industry as a whole;
and (4) To foster the establishment of the breed outside of its native land by encouraging husbandry and breeding practices
based upon, but not limited to, herd health, overall soundness, and alpaca fiber production and products.
AOBA's elected seven-member Board of Directors and 14 Committees such as: Marketing, Education, Affiliates, Fiber,
Government, and Show are volunteers. The AOBA office in Nashville, Tennessee oversees national operations. Since AOBA's
formation, with 87 members and a known alpaca census of 392, its membership has grown steadily to over 4,000 members
with over 120,000 registered alpacas in North America.
