Alternative entrepreneur: Alpaca farmer
BY: Janet Stevens
Inspired by a magazine article, Alison Notley took the brave decision to start farming alpacas in the Overberg.
In 2003, Alison Notley and her husband Christopher, reluctantly left Zimbabwe and relocated to a small farm in the Overberg where they began farming alpacas. “I had experience of breeding horses and dogs, so in 2004 I decided to start Helderstroom Alpacas by buying five, pregnant, two-year-old, huacaya alpacas - imported from Chile at a cost of R35 000 each,” Notley recalls.
Having retired from her former employment in conference management, she began spinning her own fibre, a job for which she now employs two local women who work with traditional Ashfordspinning wheels.
“We are thrilled that one of my spinners, Brenda Willemse, has just come first - for the second year running, in the Cape Guild of Spinners and Weavers annual, spinning competition,” Notley says.
Notley has also developed a network of talented,local knitters. The hand knitted, crocheted, woven and felted Spirit of Helderstroom range includes: multi-way ponchos, jumpers, cardigans, shawls, gilets, jackets, bags and babywear. “The knitters have great skills of originality and imagination and every item is unique - which ensures our goods remain distinctive,” she says.
Helderstroom Alpacas also employs numeroussustainable business practices like not using chemical fertilisers on their grazing. Rather than dying the fibre, Notley selectively breeds alpacas for a wide range of fleece colours, which include white, fawn, caramel, grey, brown and black. Even the alpaca manure is rotted down and, as a sideline, sold as a garden compost or ‘Inca Dust’ – an indoor plant food.
“To market our products I advertise in several local publications, have stands at local shows and Cape Town exhibitions and Just Pure and Sidewalk - two shops in Hermanus, stock some of our range. We also sell via our website or customers may visit Helderstroom Alpacas either by appointment or by attending our Open Days – the next one is on 4th December. Next year I want to try exhibiting in Johannesburg and I have begun investigating exporting to Europe; where their longer periods of cold weather should create greater demand for our products.”
“Our current income is mainly from the sale of garments. In addition we offer male alpacas at stud for a fee of between R3 000 and 4 000 and we make a few stock sales to farmers who use alpacas to guard flocks of sheep against predators,” Notley says.
Helderstroom Alpacas was recognised by the farming industry when Notley was presented with the Western Cape Department of Agriculture Top Female Farming Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2010 under the Smallholder Livestock category.
General farming tips
· Don’t expect to see a quick return on your money, particularly with quite a high, initial investment.
· Try to practice good water conservation and be organic, if you can. Customers are increasingly requesting organic produce.
· Do not cut corners with a high-quality product and constantly check that quality is maintained throughout its production.
· Create an attraction to visitors by having all your facilities on one site. Visitors come to us to meet our alpacas, see the process of spinning and browse through our shop of products.
· Farming is not for the fainthearted but the pleasures are many; the birth of a cria in just that colour you were waiting for or selling a product made from the fibre of your favourite animal. And you don’t have to sit in traffic jams to get to work!
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