| Suri Network News |
Winter 2019
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New Board Member Announcement The Suri Network Board of Trustees recently accepted the resignation of Michael Alpert from the board. Michael decided to resign due to conflicts in his schedule that made it difficult for him to participate. The Board would like to extend its gratitude and appreciation to Michael for his dedication and contributions to the Board and to Suri Network. The Board is pleased to announce that Margit Korsak of Boulder Hill Alpacas has agreed to join the Board to fulfill Michael’s remaining term. Margit was nominated by the Board in compliance with the Suri Network bylaws which govern board replacements. Margit has spent countless hours in the past volunteering for Suri Network on various committees, including the Symposium planning committee. Please extend your warmest congratulations to Margit Korsak in her new role as board member.
What's Happening The Suri Simply Stunning "Mark" was rolled out at Symposium 2018. Two webinars were presented in September on the "Mark" and branding, if you missed them the presentation can be found on the Suri Network web page under the members section. The Suri Network Board and a Branding Committee have been working diligently on the fine details. This group is made up of 9 individuals representing all aspects of the Suri industry. Some show, some do not, different size farms, fiber focus, breeding focus, etc. Having this broad knowledge of farm and business models in mind, we are working through the criteria for using the brand, increasing the quality of Suris and making sure the correct fiber is used in the appropriate applications. Through one of our members it has come to our attention that Peru is noticing the U.S. presence in the alpaca textile market. As such, the need to produce a high-quality domestic Suri fiber is becoming ever more important. With the criteria that each Suri Simply Stunning user will have to adhere to, the "Mark" will come to represent the quality required to excel on the world stage. We appreciate your patience as we work through the details of the Mark, and we look forward to sharing more of this exciting opportunity with you in the near future. Sincerely, Your Suri Network Board of Trustees Branding Committee Members PDC UpdateThe PDC is back with a new chair and looking for new members! You don't have to be a fiber expert to join the committee - you just need a passion for promoting suri and helping your fellow farmers. The PDC is a busy and productive committee that could use your talents - please consider joining! The PDC is currently working on the following projects: 1. Micron books being put together to help people better understand what they have in their herd. 2. The Resource Directory is being updated. 3. They are working on a program to reach out to non-alpaca owners who are fiber artists to engage with them more and encourage the purchase of Suri yarn from SN farms. Joy Conwell - Chair joydconwell@gmail.com 303-570-7493 SuperFleece Alpacas Conifer, Colorado 80433 Jan Heinrich janh@longhollowalpacas.com 615-452-7852 Long Hollow Suri Alpacas/New Era Fiber Gallatin, Tennessee Celya Singleton srsalpacas@gmail.com (435) 201-1748 San Rafael Suris Ferron, Utah Michelle Pressler michellepressler@hotmail.com impressalpacas@gmail.com (847) 373-3056 (815) 713-5234 iMpress Alpacas Rockton, Illinois Liz Vahlkamp - Board Liaison lizvahlkamp@me.com 314-440-1627 Salt River AlpacasParis, Missouri |
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President's Letter Hello Suri Network Members! With winter in full swing, we hope you and your alpacas are safe and warm. The 2019 show season has begun and Suri owners around the country are planning their events for the year.
The Suri Network board and many volunteer members have been working on our events and initiatives on your behalf. · The 2019 Summer Symposium planning is well underway with the conference agenda and speakers confirmed. · The All Suri Fleece Show, run in conjunction with the Symposium is being planned. · The Branding committee is finishing up its work and ready to roll out the details of the “Suri, Simply Stunning” brand mark. · The Strategic Planning committee has met several times and is working on updating the Suri Network strategic plan. · We’ve updated the SHIP hardware and software to implement new improvements to the SHIP system in 2019 for your benefit. · The PDC is working on updating several important product resources on our website.
All in all, it has been a very busy winter so far. The Board of Trustees wants to thank you for your financial and volunteer support of the Suri Network. We are a small, but mighty Suri breed association, comprised of volunteers that work tirelessly to advance our mission. With your support we continue our mission to ensure the preservation and advancement of the Suri breed. Your involvement, input and feedback are critical to the ongoing success of our industry.
Warmest regards, Sue King President Suri Network
2019 Summer Symposium The 2019 Summer Symposium on Aug 9-10, 2019 in Loveland, Colorado is sure to be the headliner event for the industry this year. Our theme this year is “Suri, Simply Stunning”, which showcases our new Suri brand initiative.
We are bringing in expert speakers on topics ranging from the state of the global and US suri markets and industry trends, how to grow our markets including exporting, tools for suri herd improvement and making good breeding decisions, classifying, sorting and evaluating suri fleeces, and sustainability in the fashion world and its impact on suri products. Our presenters include Jude Anderson, Amanda VandenBosch, Cheryl Gehly, Winnie Labreque, Amy Hall from Eileen Fisher fashions and Dr. Timothy Holt.
In addition, we are planning the largest Suri fleece show in the country to coincide with the Symposium so participants can see and feel the best Suri fleeces in the industry, judged by senior judges, including Amanda VandenBosch and Cheryl Gehly. Wini Labrecque will be judging Fiber Arts entries and Gabrielle Menn wil be judging Spin Off. This year we will be accepting International fleece! We will be having the online auction again this year. Please let us know about donations!
The conference provides ample opportunity to network with other Suri breeders across the country to compare best practices and herd management. Most of all, we plan to have a fun time with each other, celebrating the beautiful Suri alpaca!
We have started planning the 2019 edition of the PurelySuri magazine. We are asking for your input on articles you want to see in the next edition. Topics can include anything alpaca, especially suri related such as health and alpaca husbandry, fiber processing, suri products, breeding decisions, tools to improve your herds such as EPDs, skin biopsies etc. Please let us know what topics you want to see addressed by emailing the Suri Network office by March 10th.
SHIP Update
Tim has been working with the Suri Network office to get Cindy trained on the system. The database operating system and server have been upgraded making it possible for individuals to enter their own information and print off reports. Yes, this does come at a cost. Going forward there will be a $75.00 administration fee at the time of application for your SHIP evaluation. This is invoiced through the Suri Network office. The SHIP fee of $500.00 per day, plus travel and room & board, if applicable, are paid directly to the classifier at the time of the classification. The $500.00 per day remains the same as previous years. If you have any questions, please contact Cindy at the Suri Network Office, (970) 586-5876 or office@surinetwork.org.
Don't forget to renew your dues on or before June 1st! Membership reminders will be going out shortly. |
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