Lebanon, Oregon. 12/19/09. Whispering Willow Ranch is happy to announce the opening of a country store conveniently located on their alpaca ranch at 36037 Bohlken Drive, in Lebanon. Whispering Willow Ranch has been operating for nearly 5 years. It has been a dream of ours to open a small country store specializing in natural fibers and alpaca products.

We hope everyone will come visit us and our alpacas.

This is the article written by Steve Lathrop/Albany Democrat-Herald

Augustus’ curly fleece coating can get pretty damp on the outside after a good rain. But if you dig a little deeper through the outer layer you would never know he was wet.

Augustus is one of six breeding male alpacas at Whispering Willow Ranch, and his fleece is the reason Ken and Shelley Beaver opened Country Alpaca Store. Located on their ranch outside of Lebanon, the store has been operating for about three months. The couple have high hopes for its success.

“We got it up to snuff in January,” said Shelley, 51, who has big plans for the store. “It’s a small space but we think the product will sell.”

Nestled next to the road on Bohlken Drive, the store has just 213 square-feet. It’s cozy and a bit off the beaten path but the Beavers have decorated it to hold the growing list of alpaca products they feature.

“A lot of what we offer is made from fiber from our alpacas,” said Ken, 47.

A friend handspins the fleece into yarn, which can be sold on its own or knitted into mittens, scarves and hats. Shelley soon plans to start spinning the fleece herself. She just completed a spinning class in Eugene.

“I guess I’m hoping to turn straw into gold,” she smiled.

She said the fiber is stronger, warmer and lighter than wool and is hypoallergenic. Ken said it compares favorably with cashmere.

Supplementing the store’s stock is merchandise from other local farms and South America.

Ken and Shelley have been raising alpacas since 2005, when they bought seven pregnant females, eventually bringing home 14 animals. Today they have 27 on their 5-acre ranch.

Augustus is a 160-pound male and a top sire. Each year females produce one offspring called a cria. The animals have a 20-year lifespan.

“They’re easy to work with, but it takes a group to handle the shearing,” Ken said.

Shearing season is mid-spring before the summer heat. Alpacas are highly susceptible to heat stress. Native to the Andes, they  normally live above 15,000 feet. Aside from the heat, they have adapted well to the mid-valley.

Shelley said the fleece used in the store is all natural colored and there are 22 listed natural colors for the animal. Material they get from South America is dyed.

The biggest seller is the raw fiber itself, which they sell in bundles.

“There are a lot of spinners in Oregon,” she said. “There is no lanolin in alpaca fiber, so cleaning is simpler.”

Business hasn’t been “off the charts,” but the Beavers are optimistic and hope to set up an online and mail order system soon.

Novices when they began raising their alpacas in 2005, the only close experience they brought to the business was the fact that Ken had once raised steers.

“This is a little easier,” said Ken, who lost a leg some years ago in a work-related accident. “They are easy to handle and really quite gentle.”

But they are strong as well. Ken says if they wanted to, the alpacas “could take you for a good ride”.

The Beavers fell in love with the animals almost immediately, and the opening of their store is the culmination of a long-time dream.

The store operates on weekends from noon to 5 p.m. Customers can also call for appointments at (541) 258-6322.

“A goal of ours has always been to live in a self-sufficient way,” Shelley said. “These animals have helped us do that. We fell in love with it immediately. And we still love it.”