Golden Touch Alpaca Farm

Everyone here at Golden Touch Alpaca Farm is happy to announce a brand new addition to our Fiber Nook and Online Farm Store.

Our Casual Dress Alpaca Socks combine the durability everyone loves about our Survival Socks with a lightweight knit so you can enjoy your alpaca socks in every season! The Upper Calf and top of the foot is a lightweight alpaca knit to keep your feet the perfect temperature while the bottom of the foot has an Alpaca Terry Loop knit for extra padding and comfort. We re-enforced the Heal and Toe and added support in the middle of the foot and above the ankle to ensure a proper fit every time. We are really excited about these new socks and we are sure you will be too! Available in Charcoal Grey and Fawn - Hypoallergenic, Undyed, Made in USA with N. American Alpaca Fiber!

Contents: 80% Alpaca, 15% Nylon, 5% Lycra

 For more information and to purchase you can make an appointment to visit our Fiber Nook or shop online at our Farm Store, Golden Touch Naturals.

Check Them Out Here! - Thanks and We hope you all are doing well!

http://www.goldentouchnaturals.com - Our Online Alpaca Farm Store 

Sit back and enjoy the Weather. Since a very young age I can remember being an avid Weather lover, always mesmerized by the sheer force of Mother Nature. Luckily living in New England we are able to experience a wide spectrum of what Mother Nature has to offer, as the old saying goes - "Don't like the Weather? Just wait a minute."

We have been embracing the use of online video to market and advertise our farm for a little over a year now and we have learned a tremendous amount in that short time period. When we first set out to publish online video of our Farm, Vimeo.com was just becoming popular and it was a perfect fit. Not only do we host our Alpaca Videos there, but we also take part in their very active community, and we actually now moderate their HD Weather Channel.

If you, like us, love Weather in all it's forms, I encourage you take a few moments and check out our Weather Chanel, we have over 100 videos ranging from Time Lapses to violent Lightning Storms. The majority of the videos are in High Definition, and we are always looking to add more so don't hesitate to send in your submissions.

You can get a quick glimpse into the channel by looking at the widget embedded below, or you can head directly to The HD Weather Channel on Vimeo to see each video in it's full glory.

We are very excited to announce the addition of two brand new Jr. Herdsires to our alpaca herd, Black Tiger, and Asteroid's Kryptonite. We can't wait to get their genetics into our herd, stay tuned for more updates.

Here is the story of our trip:

Right after the holidays we made a trip to Ohio.  Before Thanksgiving I had purchased a young male alpaca with the hopes of adding him to our herd sire row.  I am always on the look out for up and coming males that can add to my breeding program and when I saw Asteroid's Kryptonite listing from Starling Farm, he immediately caught my eye.  After looking at his fiber samples, and pedigree I made the decision to purchase him.

We planned our trip right after Christmas as our window of opportunity to travel was very limited. Chris has a very aggressive travel schedule and we are also expecting our first grand daughter the beginning of February. With our fingers crossed we decided to leave on Dec. 27, 08.  I have to say we couldn't of picked a better weekend weather wise, it was clear and mild.  It was almost hard to believe that the week prior, New York and Ohio had a snow storm each that dropped 12 inches.  Fate was on our side! 

On the way we also made a stop at Spirit Wind Alpaca Farm and had a wonderful visit with Karen and Jerry.  If time had not been pressing us I could of stayed for hours talking alpacas and fiber. We finished the rest of our journey that day arriving in Ohio at 7:00 pm and the temperature was 67 degrees (unheard of for the time of year).
 
The plan was to pick up Kryptonite at 8:00 the following morning. We were also transporting another alpaca "Just Sam" for Cyndee Thompson in New Hampshire. Just prior to arriving at the farm my nerves started racing and I began questioning my decision. I asked myself, Were my expectations too high? and Was I going to be disappointed? Having never seen the animal first hand, there is always that gut feeling that you missed something in the photos and fiber samples. It would have been very disappointing to travel all that distance to be let down, but I have to say all those questions quickly disappeared the minute I laid eyes on him.  It was love at first sight and he was more than I expected him to be.  It was so great to meet his owner in person, Jackie Kraft.  We had talked so many times through email or on the phone and now I had the opportunity to meet her in person and put a face with the name and voice.

We loaded  up the "boys" and had a brief visit before packing up ourselves and heading back towards home. We had one more stop to make and that was at Humalot Alpaca Farm. Brenda and Jim were only an hour away from Jackie Craft and I didn't want to miss the chance to meet them and some of their alpacas.  I had called her the day before and told her we would be in the area and if possible to stop in.  Being a holiday weekend you just never know what peoples plans are.  They warmly welcomed us with a tour of their farm and alpacas, finished off with a great cup of coffee.  We enjoyed our visit so much and their alpacas we bought one more. Humalot Black Tiger.  Tiger is just over a year old,  is true black, with a fine, yet dense beautifully crimped fiber which is very hard to find in black so I'm happy to add him to our herd sire lineup. In this one trip across half the country and back we managed to add some great genetics to our existing herd and are excited about future breedings.

The trip was so much fun but a little too rushed for my liking. We left here on my birthday, Sat. morning at 4:30am,  stopped at three alpaca farms, spanning over 1400 miles and still managed to arrive at our farm by 10pm Sunday. Birthday's don't get much better than that!!!  I wonder how I can top it next year.

We are all so excited, and can't wait for them to settle in with their new bundle of joy, there is nothing quite like having a little one running around the farm, and we couldn't be more excited for it. 

Here is a quick video we shot with our new HD Camera, the Canon HV30. We couldn't be happier with it! Tons of different birds in this one, including our Wild Turkeys!

Bird Watching on this Rainy Day from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

If any of you ever have any questions regarding how you can start utilizing online video (particularly HD) to help market and promote your farm, do not hesitate to leave a comment or email us. We are more than willing to help anyone out!

Now that the dust has settled a bit after Christmas I wanted to take a quick moment and post a video of the newest addition to our farm. In another life I bred show quality Golden Retrievers, I retired from the business a little over 10 years ago but our phone still rings periodically of people looking for Golden puppies. The word of mouth and referrals I get are unbelievable, and can be accredited to solid customer support before and after the sale, but that is another blog post in itself. 

Our youngest daugther was in love with Ellie, one of our house dogs who passed away a little over a year ago. She still talks about her often, and we decided that this Christmas we would buy her a new dog. Here is a quick video we shot on Christmas day.

 If you have any name suggestions, Send them in!

Everyone here at Golden Touch Alpaca Farm wanted to take a quick second and wish you all a Happy (and warm) Holiday! We have been getting slammed with snow this past weekend but all our Alpaca are safe and cozy in their barns.

 Here is a video we shot over the weekend.

Note: If you experience stutter on playback, click off the HD ON button in the top right corner of the video. It also helps to allow the video to fully buffer before hitting play. Enjoy!

New England has certainly had it's fair share of horrible Weather over the last week. Between the freezing rains, the ice storms, and now the snow that has gone through much of the area, many people are still without power and the rest of us are looking for new and innovative ways to stay warm and dry. 

Living in a Coastal Town on the Southeast coast of New England, we tend to get more Rain and Freezing Rain while the rest of the area gets snow. This is a blessing and a curse, but truthfully I would rather shovel snow a few times a year than slip around in the mud all winter. Since we started shooting Video of our farm, I always tend to warm up after finishing up my chores with a cup of coffee and a clip from the summer. Today, I warmed up to one of my favorite humming bird videos, "The Swarm!". Check it out below!

There is not enough time in the day to run the Farm, Manage the Businesses, Keep our House in a presentable condition, and then on top of all that Plan, Decorate, and Shop for the Holidays. To save time we have been doing a lot of our shopping online this year, particularly doing business with Certified Green and Eco-Friendly businesses based in the United States.

We want our Holiday Shopping money to benefit hard working American Families, the story behind each product and how it is made is so important to us and more consumers need to realize that their is a lot more costs than just the bottom price.

When you have a free moment, head over to http://www.storyofstuff.com/ and watch their 20 minute video. It goes into great detail about who benefits exactly benefits from the current way consumers are spending money.

If you are looking to shop at "Guilt Free" stores across the country, be sure to head to Greener Pasture's Blog, where they list 54 Eco-Friendly Stores with 54 Holiday Discounts.

 This year we asked Santa for more hours in the day! 

Happy Holidays to all from Golden Touch Farm!

Today I put together a little slideshow using Flickr to showcase some of our animals, as well as some of our new Cria that were born this year. Enjoy!

Flickr.com is an amazing photo hosting/sharing site and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an easy to use tool for showcasing their photos and even video.

Last night as I was finishing up the Animals I noticed that the females in our back field were looking awfully alerting. They did not give off the alarm call but they most certainly were spooked by something in the field. I finished up in the Cria Barnyard and rushed to see what the fuss was about. I was happy to see that it was just our lovely Wild Turkeys making their rounds. I ran back to the house and grabbed the camera to grab some quick footage of them just before they went back into the woods.

Note: If you experience stuttering on playback pause the video and click off the HD ON button in the top right corner. It also helps to allow the video to fully buffer before hitting play, Enjoy!

Our Online Farm Store is up and running and accepting orders for the holiday season. To ensure you get your items in time please place all orders by Dec. 17th.

We carry Alpaca Clothing and Accessories, All Natural Soaps and Body Care, Organic Teas, locally crafted Jewelery, Pottery, and some amazing one of a kind copper artwork.

Everything in our Farm Store is what we Consider Guilt Free. Guilt Free can mean many things, but to Golden Touch Farm, it symbolizes responsible artisans and businesses who use only the freshest and highest quality ingredients, supplied by other local businesses, to produce a sustainable and Eco-conscious item. The story behind how a product is made, how and out of what it is made, where and by who it was made, and who benefits from the sale of it should all be positive. All of the items in our store live up to these Rules, and we are proud of everything we offer.

For a limited time we are offering 10% Off All Orders over $50, simply type in the Coupon Code: TEDDYBEAR at checkout to receive your discount on checkout.

Visit our Farm Store

After getting a great response from yesterday's post regarding some great ways to utilize Online Video to showcase your farm and services, I am going to continue to post some great business advice that has helped us get to where we are today. 

Today's topic is Networking, and more specifically, Networking in your local communities.

One great and efficient way of promoting your Farm, Animals, Services, and Finished Products is by networking. And how do we network efficiently? By becoming involved with our community! Participating in local activities not only helps promote brand awareness, it can also leave you feeling great for giving back to a supportive community. Here are five tips for getting your Farm involved with the community:

1. Volunteer Time or Space
It doesn't take much space for a small group to meet. Consider volunteering your facilities to local clubs or related organizations. One great example of this would be to invite the Local Art or Spinning Group to the Farm for a day. Besides getting the personal satisfaction of helping others, you'll be interacting with a few potential customers.

2. Teach a Class
Most of you are experts about the Animals and Products you raise and have a wealth of information to share. Check with the local college or library about teaching a class in your expertise. Another way to share all of that knowledge is by holding your own clinics right on the farm. Holding How-To weekends and seminars is a proven method of networking and connecting with the community.

3. Host or Sponsor an Event
Whether it's the Local Alpaca Show, Relay for Life, Red Ribbon Week or some other local program, most communities have at least one large event in need of sponsors. Read the local newspaper for upcoming events and browse AOBA's show listings. Can't find a local event that fits your business? Host your own.

4. Adopt a Project
Once you start looking for an organization to become involved with, you will probably find your community has many projects, big and small, that could use your hands-on help. Don't forget to contact the media outlets for additional exposure.

5. Join a Group
Getting involved can help build a bond between your business and the community. It also lets you meet others who may share common interests and needs. Become a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau or another club to make some business connections, as well as some friends. Many states have Breeder's Associations that are a great stepping stone.

The Marketing Power of Video

As most of you have noticed, Video is slowly but surely revolutionizing the internet. With new technologies and the average user packing a lot more bandwidth under their belt, more and more are able to experience internet video and even in HD Quality. Backed by the YouTube movement, more and more people are firing up those digital cameras and sharing their short clips with the world.

At Golden Touch Farm, we have been experimenting with online video over the last year and a half and would like to share with you all the power and utility it truly provides, even to an everyday farmer. One of the biggest obstacles for Alpaca farmers is showcasing their animals and their finished products to the general public. Pictures and long winded write ups can only provide so much insight, as this animal is really only appreciated after a first hand encounter. Through video, people can get a quick glimpse into the lifestyle these animals and products provide without making the road trip to the farm. As you all know, these charismatic animals have a wonderful ability to make people fall in love at first glance, and what better way to start that than through easily accessible online video.

We have been utilizing video on our blog for over a year now and the response has been tremendous. Whether it be a showcase clip of one of our herd sires, a short clip of our active hummingbird feeders, or a quick tour of the farm on a rainy day, all of our readers have loved it and it has helped sell finished products as well generate warm sales leads for people looking to invest in their own Animals.

In 2009 we will be upgrading our equipment and editing software and will be producing HD Quality DVD's of all of our investment quality Females and Herdsires. At first the task might seem too far fetched for the common computer user or Alpaca Farmer, but I can ensure you that with a little research and practice, you can produce quality videos of your animals and farm.

Here is a quick guide that will help you get started in capturing video of your farm and sharing it with the online community.

Today I wanted to share some resources on how to get the ball rolling on capturing, editing, and sharing video of your farm and animals on the web.

Capturing Video

Chances are the Digital Camera you use to take snapshots of your animals can also capture video. Here is a link to a list of easy to follow, beginner tips on capturing video with your digital camera.

Digital Camera Help

Editing Video

Editing Video is becoming easier and easier. Chances are your computer came with some simple, user-friendly video editing software. For Windows Users, Look for Windows Movie Maker. For Apple fans, check out iMOVIE. Below is a good resource to help get more comfortable with the editing process.

How Stuff Works - Video Editing

Sharing Video

So you have captured and edited your video, now it is time to share it with the world. Below are several site that are free and easy to use. We personally use Vimeo.com because of it's rich community base and dedication to quality, and it also allows us to upload and embed our videos in HD Quality.

www.Vimeo.com

www.YouTube.com

To get an idea of how we currently utilize Video on our Farm site, you can head to Video Section.

As always, If you have any questions on how to get started do not hesitate to ask!

-Sean

http://www.goldentouchfarm.com

http://www.goldentouchnaturals.com

I don't have much time to sit and chat as we are getting ready for a Holiday Event in our town tomorrow. I just wanted to take a quick second and post one of my favorite videos of our Alpacas. Each winter we move most of our herd off of the fields to re-generate, and when we let them out in the early Spring they go absolutely crazy. It is a site to see, so here is a short video that we shot earlier this year of that first day out of the barnyard.

Note: If you experience stuttering, hit pause and click HD ON in the top right corner of the video. It also helps to allow the video to fully buffer before hitting play. Enjoy!