JS Farm Breeder Profile "ARE WE NUTS?"

Are We Nuts??

That was the question we kept asking ourselves 12 years ago after our introduction to alpacas at the Summit County Fair. We couldn’t get their wonderful faces out of our minds or the thought of purchasing a couple of them.

We were both in our mid-50’s and working full time careers that gave us little exercise and no contact with critters other than our pet dogs. We knew we wanted something to do in our retirement that would provide some stimulation for the mind, require physical movement, supplement our income and allow interaction with animals that would be of minimal concern about injury as we aged. Could alpacas be the answer? For a couple of weeks, we went back and forth:

You can buy a car for that kind of money!

Will our small acreage be enough?

Will alpaca prices go down?

Can we breed for good temperament?

Is it a get-rich-quick scheme?

Is it a pyramid scheme?

Would we still want to do it in retirement?

I was convinced sooner than my wife, but I knew I had her when one evening while watching TV, she suddenly said "Well…maybe if we buy one pregnant female and a gelding…".

We bought two bred females, and the adventure began. Fast forward 12 years. We have a diverse herd and are looking forward to 8 crias in spring ’09. We still enjoy the business with love of the animals remaining at the top of our list.

Jim and Sharon Hunstiger own JS Farm in Clinton OH.

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