Anyone who has met our crews, knows that they are some of the nicest,
most hardworking young men ever, and the teams typically work like a
well oiled machine, minimizing the frustrations of shearing day
for those collecting their annual harvest. All of our apprentices start
out as handlers, and as they gain experience, may later decide to train
under their shearers for other positions.
Each year, right before the season begins, my
alpacas and i help train an elite group of young people who are
interested in serving the alpaca community during the shearing season.
Most of our crews are comprised of an alpaca shearer and three "handlers" whose
duties include head holding, takedown and restraint, teeth and toenail
trimming, mat and rope setup and teardown as well as disinfection,
clipper setup, area prep and cleanup and the herding and safe handling
of alpacas, llamas , sheep and their fiber.
Our "Handling for Alpaca Shearing and Herd Maintenance School" is an
intense hands on training camp that gives potential contractors a
good idea what life on the road with an alpaca shearing crew might
be like. Each March, we have been able to train a small group of
handlers to meet the needs of the industry. We teach them our
system of handling techniques and herd and health maintenance as
well as how to assist their shearers with all aspects of shearing.
Experienced handlers are on hand to assist the new guys and a fellowship
and camaraderie begins to develop as they realize the rigors of living
in close quarters with each other and travelling and working under
varying conditions. At the end of "camp", most of the participants
will have the opportunity to contract with established shearers for a
position on a crew.
Shearing crews travel across the country from the end of March
thru at least the end of May... (some will work through the end of
June) and work 6 days a week, Monday thru Saturday, with only Sundays
off to rest and regroup... they generally will finish the season
with a fair wage + bonuses, tips and minimal onroad expenses. By the end
of the season, "my" crews, as a group, will shear approximately 20,000 alpacas and llamas.
The costs associated with expenses for prospects for the training week is about $500
per applicant. Scholarships are
available for qualified candidates as we try to keep these expenses to a
minimum and offer as rich of a training experience as possible. We
have been especially blessed by the ability of the Homeschooling,
and Homesteading communities and word of mouth, to supply us with
quality young men whose schedules can usually accomodate this unique
apprenticeship opportunity.
Ideal candidates will not mind "roughing it"... ;) They are usually
between 17 and 25, have a valid driver's license and the ability to
travel as well as a willingness to serve. They must be physically
fit and willing to be part of a team effort that works hard, gets dirty,
and looks out for each other,and their farms, all day every day.
Positive attitudes, basic manners, and the ability to work well with
other people and animals
are a must. They need to be able to live out of a large duffel bag
and a van for several months at a time and must be able to get to ohio
for training camp from March 20- 26th.
We are always interested in meeting young
people who might be interested in serving on a shearing crew.
If you know any young men who would enjoy the opportunity to work with
any of my crews and fit the above descriptions, please have them fill
out the online application below. Phone interviews will be ongoing
and conducted asap. If selected for Handling school, applicants will be
notified by March 1. Anyone
interested in helping a young man get to training by offering to sponsor
through a scholarship, please feel free to contact me as well... Thank
you! :) please feel free to explore our website for more of an
idea of the work involved...