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 Not only has our alpaca family grown, but so has our “human” family. We are blessed to have a new daughter-in-law – Gwen Corso-Tundermann.
Many people ask us, “How did you get started with alpacas?” After a couple of years of looking at and falling in love with Alpacas and Llamas at the Durham Fair and the North American Alpaca Show, we decided to get serious! The first step was to find out about the fiber industry and spinning. June 2003, Bobbie went to a Beginners Spinning Class at Fletcher Farm School for Arts and Crafts operated by the Society of Vermont Craftsmen, Inc. in Ludlow, Vermont with instructor, Jeannine Bakridges. Jeannine is a resident of Whitingham, VT, and an enthusiastic hand-spinner with an art education background. She has won awards in the US and Canada. Bobbie made so many new friends, and had a great time. In fact, she bought a spinning wheel on the way home to Connecticut at Webs in Northampton, Massachusetts – a Lendrum Folding Wheel (double treadle), which is made in Canada. She joined two spinning guilds – Nutmeg Spinners (the Connecticut State Guild) and Madley Spinners (Colchester, CT).
A fateful meeting occurred when Bobbie needed some hand carders and wanted the ones recommended by Jeannine – Louet hand carders. Bobbie searched the Louet website to find Louet dealers and one place in CT was listed – Burgis Brook Alpacas LLC, Canterbury, CT. Bobbie ordered her hand carders from Alisa and Mark Mierzijewski who were gracious and helpful. Upon hearing about our interest in Alpacas, they showed Bobbie their farm and their Alpacas. One Alpaca that was for sale interested Bobbie – Honey Crystal. Honey was pregnant and due in September. Bobbie went home excited about her visit and told Len all about it. Within a few weeks, Len went with Bobbie to visit Burgis Brook Alpacas. Both of us were so excited and needed to decide about a purchase.
While we were deciding, Honey Crystal gave birth to a beautiful boy, EWF Berto, on 9/5/03. We fell in love with Berto immediately and decided to purchase the 3-in-1 package – Honey Crystal, Berto, and a breeding to SA Peruvian Adrian. We took Berto to our FIRST alpaca show – the North American Alpaca Show, April, 2004, in Springfield, MA. Since then we have been to many shows, and bought and birthed more alpacas. Presently we have 10 alpacas – 5 huacaya females and 5 huacaya males. All of our alpacas are ARI registered huacayas. MORE SHOW PICS
We have expanded our fields, and will be expanding our barn this summer. Alpaca Farmers are wonderful, friendly, generous, caring, and kind people! We have so many new friends, thanks to alpacas! We owe thanks to many people but especially to Mark and Alisa Mierzijewski (Burgis Brook Alpacas); Mike, Marion, Howard, and Lisa Beaudry (North East Alpacas), Bob and Louise Hebeler (Acorn Alpaca Ranch), and Serena Granbery (Moore Brook Farm). In Memoriam: We lost both of Len’s parents this past year – William Tundermann, June 2007, and Madeline Tundermann, September 2007.
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