Off the Map: Woman raises alpacas in Ely

ELY - In the last several years, Jody Ehler has gained a deep appreciation for alpacas.

Ehler officially started J & J Alpacas in 2008 on three acres of property her sister owned.

'It was a way to make a little extra money,” Ehler said, noting that she chose alpacas because she did not want to slaughter animals. She is happy to now have the animals living on seven and a half acres behind her home, which sits on a hill overlooking the Cedar River just off Highway 30.

'It's like an oasis up here,” Ehler said.

While Ehler has made an effort to sell the alpacas' fiber - which is highly sought after and expensive due to its fine qualities - she spends most of her time focusing on raising, breeding and selling the animals.

'I just really enjoy raising them and selling them,” she said, noting that while they are related to camels, alpacas are much smaller animals. 'They are just the right size to look me in the eye.”

There are 25 alpacas - nine males, 11 females and five babies - on Ehler's farm. 'The boys are kept separate from the girls,” she explained. 'But the boys are friendlier. They will come right up to check you out.”

And while Ehler explains that they are not pets, each animal is named and blood DNA registered. There's Paulina, Bisque, Jossey, Quizzy, Lily, Santana and several others.

To keep everything in order, Ehler uses online software to manage her alpacas. It tracks when the animals are bought and sold, manages breeding and keeps tracks of the animals' ancestry, which Ehler said is very important.

Despite her full schedule - Ehler also works full time as a Research Associate at the University of Iowa's Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessin - she always finds time to take care of her alpacas, including twice a day feedings.

'Alpacas are special,” she said. 'I love them and I love coming out here to see them.”

Ehler especially appreciates the many unique features of the animals, which she has learned much about over the last several years. For instance, alpacas only have a bottom row of teeth. They tend to choke when eating because of their long necks. And alpacas come in a variety of colors - 22 different colors in fact.

'You never know what color you will get,” she said of the breeding process. 'Black and gray have been popular lately.”

And yes, the alpacas do spit, Ehler said, but not often at her. 'They mostly just spit at each other,” she said, noting that she has learned not to get in between the animals.

While there is a barn and several outdoor shelters Ehler has constructed for the alpacas, she said they don't mind the cold Iowa weather. 'They just lay there and snuggle each other,” she said. 'Their fiber is 10 times warmer than wool.”

It costs Ehler $30 per alpaca just to do the shearing, which happens once a year in the spring. Several of her alpacas also will give birth in the summer.

And while it can be hard for Ehler to say goodbye to her alpacas, she is proud to help others get into the business of caring for the animals. She said she has sold about 30 alpacas since starting her business.

'Almost everyone that has bought from me has been new to alpacas,” she said.