About Us
Prior to Raising Alpacas. I (Bonnie)
spent 30 years in the Navy and August spent close
to 40 years in construction. I was born and raised
in Northern California and owned horses, dogs
and cats almost all of my life! After graduating
from UC Davis with a BS in Animal Science, and
working as a Medical Technologist in Sacramento,
I decided to go to medical school. I completed
my last two years on a Navy Health Professions
Scholarship, for which I owed two years to the
Navy as payback. I never dreamed I'd be in Navy
medicine for a 30-year career! I was a clinician
and teacher of internal medicine for the first
twenty years, and then transitioned into executive
medicine, retiring as a Rear Admiral in 2003.
August grew up in Canada and spent time working
on a farm as a young man. He then followed his
father into the construction business and learned
the trade from him. His Dad always knew who was
best equipped to use tools like shovels, sledge
hammers and jack hammers, and who was most qualified
to tote bundles of shingles and bags of cement.
After about six years, August started working
for a commercial contractor and became a site
superintendent, building small schools and hospitals
in Northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. After August
and I were married, August worked wherever the
Navy assigned me, and so he did everything from
supervising the renovation of commercial spaces
to residential renovation and insurance repairs.
Living Our Dream. August and I
spent our working years dreaming of owning a ranch
in retirement. We decided to return to Northern
California when I retired from the Navy, and purchased
5 acres in Auburn where we could have horses again.
Once we got settled, we made the decision to board
my horse where there was better access to trails,
and use our small acreage to raise livestock.
We did not want to raise animals that would be
butchered or need milking…and so we decided
to raise fiber animals. After looking at
sheep and goats, we discovered ALPACAS!
We knew the very minute we saw our first alpaca
that we would be in the alpaca business! It didn't
take us long to learn about the tax advantages
and the investment potential of alpacas. We purchased
a few pregnant females to start growing our herd,
and now, after several birthing seasons, we have
over 50 alpacas, with several more crias (alpaca
babies) due this year. We also have four guard
llamas keeping a watchful eye on them.
There are two different types of alpaca: the
huacaya with crimpy, fluffy fleece and the suri,
with straight fleece. At Fair Winds Alpacas, we
raise huacaya alpacas.
August and I have found other alpaca owners to
be friendly and very willing to share their knowledge,
and because of our alpacas, we have made many
new friends. We are active in several alpaca organizations,
and being committed to service to others, I am
a past President of the California Alpaca Breeders
Association, Inc. (Calpaca), and the President
of our local alpaca association. I have served
as a member of the joint Alpaca Registry Inc.
(ARI) - Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association's
(AOBA) Government and Industry Relations Committee,
and I was recently appointed to the ARI Board
of Directors.
August and I have enjoyed working with each other
and educating ourselves about alpacas, alpaca
fiber and the alpaca industry, and we continue
to learn on a daily basis. We have developed expertise
in ranch layout, alpaca husbandry and herd health,
and we specialize in educating prospective alpaca
owners, and mentoring and supporting new alpaca
owners.
The traditional farewell (or toast) of a mariner
is wishing a friend "fair winds and following
seas." It is Navy tradition to use this phrase
to bid a shipmate farewell at the conclusion of
a Navy retirement ceremony because it represents
the ideal underway conditions for which sailors
yearn. We enjoy sharing our passion for these
amazing animals, and you are invited to call us
at any time to schedule a visit to Fair Winds
Alpacas where you will find Superior
Service and Around the Clock Support.
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