About Us
What the heck is Yumedono (you-may-dough-no)? It is a Japanese word that means dreaming place. Yumedono is the name that my husband, Ted, came up with for our alpaca ranch. It is also the name of an octagonal temple in Nara, Japan and happens to be the name of a really good bottle of sake that he had, but that's another story.
Ted and I have been involved in the alpaca business since 2001, when we purchased our first maiden female, named Antoinette, from Jimmy and Nancy Stepp at Rolling Thunder Farms. Since that time, we have sold Antoinette and her son Tipo, and acquired four more females that then produced another 11 animals. If you do the math, you will see that we are up to 15 animals. We have nine girls and six boys.
We have a bit of a theme going on, so all of the animals that we name are Japanese words. Ichiko was our first, and her name means first little girl. We also have Inazuma, Kizoku, Kentaro, Natsuko, Yojinbo, etc. You get the idea.
Ted and I live on a 10-acre "ranchette" in Stevensville, Montana, in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley. We are about 30 miles south of Missoula, up on Sunset Bench. We have the Bitterroot Mountains to the west of us and the Sapphire Mountains to the east. We love where we live and just wish we had bigger windows in our house to take in all the beauty and splendor of our surroundings.
Since beginning my participation in the alpaca livestock industry, I have done everything I can to educate myself about these animals. I have attended many seminars, three Fiber to Fashion National Conferences, and the first fiber sorting and classing certification course at Olds College, Natural Fiber Center, in Olds, Alberta, Canada. Because the only useable product of the alpaca is its fiber, that has been the emphasis of my education.
In addition to continuing my ongoing education about the animals, I am an independent contractor for Executive Show Services. This is the company that Amanda VandenBosch created to have the key positions in alpaca shows done by professionals. I am now a halter superintendent for hire and love going to different shows and meeting the wonderful people involved in this industry.
Ted serves on the Board of the International Alpaca Odyssey, and I served two terms as Secretary on the Board of the Alpaca Breeders of Southern California (SoCalPaca). When attending various events, if I'm not in a hired position, I am generally a volunteer of some sort. We try and support the industry in any way possible.
Our house and property are a work in progress, but visitors are always welcome. Just give us a call and we'll help in making whatever arrangements are necessary for your visit. Come meet the alpacas and learn about the sustainable livestock business of alpaca ranching.
See our article in the Clark Fork Journal
