April 2020 NEAFP Note: Stay Home and Wear Alpaca

It's been an unprecedented few weeks to say the least. We wanted to reach out to everyone to keep you in the loop with all that's happening here at the fiber pool. With Massachusetts issuing a Shelter in Place mandate for all non-essential businesses, the majority of our staff are home safe and sound doing their part to help flatten the infection curve (which is showing promising signs!).

Although the MA order is scheduled to be lifted on May 4th, a handful of us are taking turns manning the mill to accept fiber shipments, ship out orders, and continue to receive knit goods from our manufacturing partners.

One of the MANY benefits of having a domestic supply chain, particularly in the textile industry where many mills have government contracts, is the majority of our partners are still up and operational as they are deemed essential businesses.

As you read this newsletter, U.S. Alpaca fiber is being spun into yarn, sock machines are knitting alpaca 16 hours a day, a years worth of boot insert material is felting, and a pair of gloves or mittens are being produced every few minutes.

Although the majority of the country (and the world) is in the middle of taking ONE BIG NAP, U.S. Alpaca isn't sleeping and cranking away in preparation for an exciting Fall and Winter busy season. When the pendulum of demand is artificially held in one direction for too long, it can only swing one way.

We certainly are in uncharted territories, something the world has not experienced in the majority of our lifetimes. With so much change coming rapidly, it's a perfectly normal human response to feel a sense of PANIC, at first!

Face the challenges a head with joy, don't waste your energy on fighting or trying to control things that are out of your hands.

We don't know what 2 months or 2 years from now will look like but it will be different. Life will reform after this crisis, and there will be silver linings your farm and business will be able to take advantage of. Move slowly and deliberately, use this time wisely, when was the last time you had this much "free" time cooped up?

We look forward to helping you navigate these uncharted territories in the months to come. In the mean time - please keep yourselves, your families, and your alpacas safe and sound!

 

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