EAST LANSING, Mich. — Learn how raising alpacas for their fiber can provide an additional income source during daily presentations by Michigan Alpaca Livestock and Commerce Assoc. (MI-ALPACA) members at Ag Expo next week.

Demonstrations of the spinning and skirting of alpaca fleece is new this year and will be presented at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily during the Expo, July 17-19. Skirting is the first step in processing an alpaca fleece. It removes undesirable fiber or foreign matter from the fleece, and is necessary to ensure quality in the finished product.

A demonstration of skirting will take place at 2 p.m. each day of Ag Expo in Livestock Central. “The demonstration on skirting alpaca fiber explains about the collection of an alpaca farmer’s annual harvest, the fleece shorn from the alpaca’s body,” said MI-ALPACA President Cora Foley.

“People will learn what the person skirting the fleece is looking to remove, and looking to keep on the skirting table.”

A general discussion of the uses of alpaca fiber from different parts of the animal’s body will be included. Foley said visitors should also gain an awareness of the techniques that can be used to assess the quality of an alpaca’s fleece and help the farmer make informed breeding decisions.

In addition to scheduled spinning demonstrations at 11 a.m. daily in Livestock Central, several MI-ALPACA members will also be spinning fiber in the Alpaca tent throughout the Expo using their personal spinning wheels. Foley said visitors may try their hand at this ancient form of twisting fibers into threads or yarns using a drop spindle.

“Many alpaca farmers are also fiber artists who make yarns, clothing and home furnishings out of the luxurious, soft fleece of the alpaca and other natural fibers,” Foley said.

Samples of alpaca products will be on display throughout Ag Expo and several MI-ALPACA members will be available to share their experiences.

Native to South America, alpacas require special care but offer a prized product. Alpaca fiber is warmer and softer than sheep’s wool, and hypoallergenic. Alpacas are known as luxury fiber-producing animals and have been bred for this production for more than 5,000 years.

Although a relatively new organization, MI-ALPACA, an association of alpaca owners, has 65 members. Organizers say there are 8,000 registered alpacas in Michigan.

Tamara Miller, a MI-ALPACA member and demonstrator for the show, said raising alpacas is relatively easy, though there are some nuances to note.

“Alpacas aren’t necessarily hard to care for, they’re just different because they aren’t native to the United States,” she said. “They have special nutritional, environmental and medical requirements compared to other livestock. As long as owners are educated about alpacas’ special needs, raising them can be a successful venture.”

Miller and Foley both said they enjoy “raising a unique form of livestock that is gentle on the environment.” They also said they look forward to educating Expo visitors about Michigan’s new garment and textile industry.

They are involved with the Michigan Garment Industry Council, and seek to create “Pure Michigan” products and promote jobs within the state and help grow Michigan’s garment and textile industry to increase consumer demand for natural fiber products.

Ag Expo runs from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on July 17-18 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on July 19.

Admission to the grounds and parking at Farm Lane and Mt. Hope Road are free.

For more information, visit www.ag expo.msu.edu or call 800-366-7055. The MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources sponsors Ag Expo.