On June 3, I wrote about our saguaro cactus out front. I will try to get the pictures of it on today.

I belong to the Alpaca Breeders of Arizona. They are getting together fiber from alpacas all over the state to process into useful items, like yarn, socks and rugs. I think it is pretty cool and I would like to contribute my fiber but I don't think it would be cost effective for me at this time. So I've offered to sell my fiber to the coop. We'll see what happens.

When I first became interested in alpacas, it was because they were a livestock option that did not have to be slaughtered to make money from what they produce. It's the same with the angora goats. I can shear them every 6 months and, theoretically, make money from that fleece. I have found it difficult as a small farm to do that. In this country, there doesn't seem to be a way to just sell your fleece to a mill and have them do the rest. Maybe I haven't done enough research.

My experience here has been that you must send your fleece to a mill, who charges you to process the fleece. The mill then sends the product back to you and you must make something out of it or sell it yourself at your own farm store or online or whatever. It costs $30 to shear each alpaca, $10 for each goat. Then the fleece has to be skirted (all the short or nasty stuff removed) and washed. Then it has to be boxed up and sent to the mill, at what postage costs, I do not know. The mill charges $25 or more to process each pound of fiber. I am supposed to have a retail tax license to sell anything, keep track of the taxes and be accountable to the state for that as part of my business. It is all very scary and expensive. People say you make money but it doesn't look that way to me on paper. So, what to do? Get more animals and get very busy? Or sell all my animals and forget it? I don't know. That is what keeps going on in my mind.

Anyway, I really enjoy having the animals and the farm so I will have to deal with these things eventually. As for now, enjoy my saguaro!