Here’s a riddle: What will I do to keep warm when it gets cold on a long trip?
Answer: Al-pac-a sweater. I’ll-pack-a sweater….
Okay, maybe it’s not the funniest riddle of all time, but it does remind us of the warm quality of genuine alpaca fiber. Today we’ll meet a rural Kansas alpaca producer who has marketed alpaca products to customers from across the nation and beyond.
Vickie Vandement is the owner of North 40 Alpacas near Osborne. She grew up in Osborne and studied speech pathology at Fort Hays State. She married Mitch, a fellow Osborne resident who studied business at K-State and came back to the community. Vickie is now a speech therapist for two nearby county hospitals.
In the early 2000s, after years in the cattle business, the Vandements thought about producing a different type of animal. In 2004, they got three alpacas and found they really enjoyed them. They grew the herd from there.
Alpacas are members of the camelid family, along with llamas. All of the Vandement alpacas are named and registered. “We breed for good personality and color,” Vandament said. Continue reading “Vickie Vandement, alpacas”
