The owners of ALPACAS of Tualatin Valley, Lona and John Frank are raising both colorful huacaya, and rare, colorful suri Alpacas on their farm. The huacaya breed with soft, fluffy fiber was introduced into the United States in 1983. The suri breed, sporting lustrous silky dreadlocks, has only been imported to North America since 1991 with about 3000 suri living in North America and only 10 percent of those are colored.

"White fiber is easy to dye, it takes a new color well," said Lona. "Over the years, farmers in South America have bred the color out of their animals. A herd of white alpacas is more valuable as it gives the SA farmer the most flexibility in how he sells his fiber on the open market. There are actually 22 identified alpaca fiber colors and color variations."

ALPACAS of Tualatin Valley specializes in white, fawn, red and black animals in both breeds, and has developed a large selection of silver huacaya.

"The alpaca is the only fiber animal with natural red color. We specialize in color, but you do not always know what you will end up with. When we bred two solid black huacaya and got a black, brown and white mix, we were a little surprised. It happens. The red and gray colors are more difficult to breed for but with time and selective breeding, we can consistently achieve our goals. All alpacas are DNA typed and registered with the Alpaca Registry, Inc. for accurate and verifiable lineage."

The Franks bought their first huacaya alpaca in 1988. Today they own and board over 100 animals on 8 out of their 26-acre farm (as of 2003, it is 150 alpacas on their 45-acre farm). The Franks also donate proceeds from the breeding income and sale of some animals to the Oregon State University School of Veterinary Medicine. Lona is also the current president of the Suri Network, the only national affiliate of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association.

"We have a lot to learn about alpacas and their health," said Frank. "We are fortunate to have excellent veterinary care in our area supported by OSU's Vet-Med School so we support their research. We place emphasis on good health and excellent conformation on our farm. Our fiber is top quality  and we enjoy working with it and offering end products."

Alpaca fiber produces a remarkable textile, perhaps the most fabulous "wool" in the world. It is twice as warm as wool, half the weight, the most diversely colored of any fleece, soft as cashmere, strong and durable, and non allergenic. Its ability to accept color makes it a favorite of fiber enthusiasts. Suri fiber has the texture and luster of silk and the warmth of goose down. Both types of fiber blend well with wool, silk and other fine fiber and can be knit, crocheted and woven. Suri fiber is used for men and women's clothing, luxury apparel, coats, sweaters, textiles and specialty interior fabrics. The uses are endless with every scrap utilized.

"I was told you couldn't use the suri fiber by itself, that it had to be used as a blend because it didn't have the crimp like huacaya fiber," Frank said. "It just isn't true. It's wonderful by itself, holds its shape well, and works up beautifully. I crochet and it is wonderful to work with as it contains no greases and is so soft.

You will also hear that you can't mix huacaya and suri breeds in the pasture. That isn't true either. We don't breed between the two, but all of our animals get along well. They are simply unique in their own personalities."

Alpacas are raised for their fiber and are not built for carrying weight like their camelid cousin, the llama. Frank sends up to 80 percent of her fiber to a co-op for finishing, and local cottage industry users take the rest. "I save some of the best fiber to use myself," said Frank. "I have people who take the fiber from specific animals, the same animals, every year because of the color.

"Alpacas are wonderful animals," said Frank. "They are gentle, intelligent and I can easily handle these animals all by myself. They have an acute sense of smell and hearing and even my twelve studs live well together. They're fun to watch. Their communication includes their ears and tails along with posturing and vocalization. They only spit at each other, usually over food. They make great pets and 4-H projects for kids so the whole family can be involved. I also appreciate the fact that we don't have to eat what we raise.

"Alpacas are a low maintenance, high return investment, but you have to market your product. They sell themselves but you have to let others know you have them. There can be a lot of paper work involved in raising and selling large numbers of registered animals.

This is one of the few industries where you can insure your entire investment at a cost of 3 percent of their insured value. That's a lot better than the stock market!  We also offer post-sales support, 24-hours a day for anyone who buys our animals. Our name is in the marketplace and we are careful to breed and sell with integrity."

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