Rachel Hebditch

Magical Farms, the biggest alpaca farm in the USA, is retiring. Jerry and Libby Forstner are selling the entire herd and their Ohio farm, to spend more time in Florida. Libby Forstner is a past president of both the Alpaca Registry and the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association.
They write:
We have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the American Alpaca Industry's Marketing and Registry efforts from the early days of AOBA and ARI, through such significant events as Registry Closure, the building of both entities into strong and internationally respected Breed Organizations, all the way through the recent Merger into the streamlined Alpaca Owners Association.

We have enjoyed the evolution of the Show system, from some of the early shows which took place under a single tent in a breeder's pasture, to the vibrant, highly competitive, and incredibly well-run shows of today that showcase huge numbers of animals and fleeces from all across the country... What a fantastic progression!

We have seen the fiber market advance from the early days with hand-shears unsure of how best to "just get the fiber off" and then wondering what to do with it, to a highly sophisticated and scientifically verified shearing process with a fiber market that includes a broad range of opportunities from the cottage market, to the burgeoning mini-mills, to the co-operative models, to selling highly regarded American Fiber directly into the International Market.

Lastly, and most importantly, we have enjoyed the people in this industry, the alpacas, and the day-to-day operations of our Ohio home. Magical's herd quality, density, conformation, and even color range has advanced dramatically in the 21 years we have cared for and bred these treasured animals; while at the same time their gentle curiosity, calming nature, and intelligent inquisitive glances out of those oversized eyes have not changed one bit. We feel blessed to have had alpacas as a part of our lives, and can only hope that in their own way they have felt the same about us.

Participating in all of these on-Farm and Industry moments through the day to day stewardship of the Farm and the Magical herd, regular participation in the shows, as well as the many hours of Board Membership, Committee Participation, and Volunteerism have instilled in us a deep admiration and appreciation of the alpaca, this industry, and the creativity and passions of the people who care for these animals. We would like to say Thank You, it has been an incredible 21 years!