http://nationalalpacafoundation.org/

National Alpaca Foundation, 3400 Plantation Drive, Ste 100, Lincoln, NE (2026)

10/08/2026

The National Youth Show Fund is growing because members of the alpaca community are choosing to invest in what comes next.

Thank you to the donors who have already given in support of meaningful youth experiences at the AOA National Alpaca Show. Your generosity helps create opportunities for young exhibitors to learn, lead, compete, connect, and discover their place in this industry.

Every gift to this fund is more than a donation. It is a vote of confidence in the young people who may one day become alpaca owners, breeders, fiber artists, veterinarians, judges, educators, volunteers, and industry leaders.

Thanks to the generosity of our first ten supporters, the National Youth Show Fund has raised $4,600 toward its $15,000 goal.

There is still time to join them. Make a gift to the National Youth Show Fund and help carry the alpaca industry forward: https://givebutter.com/national-youth

09/22/2026

Youth Impact Grant Recipient Spotlight: Maeve and JJ

With support from a Youth Impact Grant, Maeve and JJ attended the Double 8 Alpaca & Llama Ranch Spring Break Alpaca Camp, where they spent an unforgettable week learning, creating, training, and building confidence.

Each camper worked with an alpaca while practicing proper handling, showmanship, and obstacle-course skills. Maeve and JJ also studied alpaca care, completed fiber arts projects for the Mid-Atlantic Alpaca Association and Pennsylvania Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association youth competitions, and helped choreograph an alpaca dance performed at the MAPACA Jubilee Show!

Along the way, they strengthened skills in animal husbandry, responsibility, patience, teamwork, creativity, and public speaking.

The Youth Impact Grant helps young people pursue meaningful experiences that deepen their knowledge of alpacas and encourage their continued involvement in the alpaca community. We are proud to support Maeve and JJ as they learn, grow, and create memories that will last well beyond camp.

Congratulations, Maeve and JJ! 🦙

09/15/2026

Meet Sebastian Lidikay, one of the National Alpaca Foundation’s Dawn Stewart Memorial Scholarship recipients.

Sebastian is a Class of 2027 veterinary student at UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine and a founding member and current president of the school’s Camelid Medicine Club.

Her first hands-on experience with camelids came early in veterinary school, when she began volunteering with a local alpaca ranch. The ranch owners welcomed students and gave them the opportunity to gain practical experience with their animals. That experience helped spark Sebastian’s growing interest in camelid medicine.

Through the Camelid Medicine Club, Sebastian has helped create opportunities for veterinary students to learn more about alpacas and llamas through herd health checks, educational lectures, venipuncture labs, parasitology labs, FAMACHA certification, and hands-on experiences with local ranches.

Sebastian sees access to veterinary care as one of the biggest challenges facing camelid medicine, especially for rural communities and underserved species. After graduation, she hopes to work with many different species and serve communities where alpacas, llamas, and other animals need knowledgeable care.

The Dawn Stewart Memorial Scholarship supports veterinary students who demonstrate an interest in camelid medicine and alpaca animal health. By investing in students like Sebastian, the National Alpaca Foundation helps strengthen education, access, and the future of veterinary care for camelids.

Please join us in congratulating Sebastian Lidikay.

09/08/2026

Meet Emily Dahlstrom, one of the National Alpaca Foundation’s Dawn Stewart Memorial Scholarship recipients.

Emily is a veterinary student at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine whose passion for alpacas began through a 4-H club at Accapella Alpaca Farm in Hollis, New Hampshire. What started with farm chores, halter training, fairs, and hands-on herd care became the foundation for her future in veterinary medicine.

Through her time with alpacas, Emily learned the importance of patience, trust, husbandry, and education. She also saw firsthand how difficult it can be for alpaca owners to access veterinarians with camelid knowledge and experience.

After graduation, Emily hopes to return to New England as a mixed practice veterinarian, serving farms and helping animal caretakers make informed decisions through practical care, disease prevention, and client education.

The Dawn Stewart Memorial Scholarship supports veterinary students who demonstrate an interest in camelid medicine and alpaca animal health. By investing in students like Emily, the National Alpaca Foundation helps strengthen the future of veterinary care for alpacas and the people who care for them.

Please join us in congratulating Emily Dahlstrom.

09/01/2026

Meet Cameron Vanselow, one of the National Alpaca Foundation’s Dawn Stewart Memorial Scholarship recipients.

Cameron is a veterinary student at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine whose connection to camelids began close to home. After Cameron’s family started an alpaca farm, that hands-on experience grew into a lasting passion for alpacas and a commitment to large animal and camelid medicine.

Growing up in a rural community, Cameron saw firsthand how important large animal veterinarians are to the animals, farms, and families who depend on them. That perspective continues to shape Cameron’s goal of becoming a veterinarian who supports both animals and the people who care for them.

After graduation, Cameron hopes to practice on the Northeast Coast, where many rural communities and alpaca farms need greater access to veterinarians with camelid knowledge and experience.

The Dawn Stewart Memorial Scholarship supports veterinary students who demonstrate an interest in camelid medicine and alpaca animal health. By investing in students like Cameron, the National Alpaca Foundation helps strengthen the future of veterinary care for alpacas and the people who care for them.

Please join us in congratulating Cameron Vanselow.

08/19/2026

The future of the alpaca industry begins with the young people walking into the show ring today.

Some of today's youth exhibitors will become breeders and farm owners. Some will become fiber artists, veterinarians, judges, volunteers, educators, and advocates. All of them represent something our industry needs: a future.

The National Alpaca Foundation created the National Youth Show Fund to help support meaningful youth experiences at the AOA National Alpaca Show, including education, leadership development, hands-on activities, competition, mentorship, connection, special events, and activities designed specifically for youth exhibitors.

For many youth, the National Show is more than a competition. It is where confidence is built, friendships are formed, skills are developed, and a lifelong commitment to alpacas begins.

Your gift sends a powerful message to every National Show youth exhibitor: You matter. You are valued. This industry is worth carrying forward.

Please join us in investing in the next generation of alpaca owners and leaders.

https://givebutter.com/national-youth

08/18/2026

The National Alpaca Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of the Dawn Stewart Memorial Scholarship.

Congratulations to this year's scholarship winners:
Cameron Vanselow — The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Sebastian Lidikay — UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine
Emily Dahlstrom — Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine

The Dawn Stewart Memorial Scholarship supports veterinary students in their second, third, or fourth year of veterinary school who demonstrate an interest in camelid medicine and alpaca animal health.

Through this scholarship, the National Alpaca Foundation helps encourage the next generation of veterinarians to develop the knowledge and experience needed to support alpacas, their owners, and the industry's future.

Please join us in congratulating Cameron, Sebastian, and Emily.

07/08/2026

The National Alpaca Foundation’s Youth Impact Grant helps create meaningful learning opportunities for young people in the alpaca community.

Grant recipient Kaitlynn Alexander used her Youth Impact Grant to attend the 2026 Mazuri AOA National Alpaca Show in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she showed three alpacas in Youth Halter, participated in performance, and continued building her knowledge of alpaca care.

While at Nationals, Kaitlynn also spoke with a Mazuri feed representative and learned more about alpaca nutrition and herd health.

“This was my second time showing in Youth Halter. Showing three alpacas helped me become more confident and improve my showmanship skills,” Kaitlynn shared.

The Youth Impact Grant supports youth involvement through Alpaca Owners Association affiliate organizations, 4-H, Future Farmers of America, and alpaca-related projects that help young people gain hands-on experience, confidence, and knowledge.

Thank you, Kaitlynn, for sharing your experience with us. We are proud to support the next generation of alpaca breeders and leaders.

Learn more about the Youth Impact Grant and how you can support future opportunities for youth in the alpaca industry: www.nationalalpacafoundation.org/youth-impact-grant

06/18/2026

Today, in honor of National Veterinarian Appreciation Day, we are proud to recognize the veterinarians honored by members of the alpaca community.

These veterinarians have made a meaningful difference through their care, knowledge, dedication, and support of alpaca owners and their herds.

Please join us in thanking the following veterinarians:

The Camelid Program at Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine — honored by Linda Bolewicz
Dr. Dotty, Cotati Large Animal — honored by Karen Normal-Boudreau
All veterinarians who provide for the industry's alpacas — honored by Claire Corney
Dr. Glodenna Halstead — honored by Phil & Lena Galing
Dr. Pamela Walker — honored by Fulcrum Farms
Dr. Larry Mages, Cottonwood Animal Hospital — honored by Claudia & Bob Hey
Dr. Melinda McCall — honored by Sunny Acres Alpacas

There is still time to honor a veterinarian who has supported your farm, animals, or the alpaca community. Make a tax-deductible gift through the Honor Your Vet campaign and help strengthen the future of alpaca care.

Honor your vet today: https://givebutter.com/HonorYourVet

06/11/2026

National Veterinarian Appreciation Day is June 18, and we invite the alpaca community to recognize the veterinarians who support our herds, answer urgent calls, guide care decisions, and help protect the future of alpaca health.

Through the Honor Your Vet campaign, you can make a tax-deductible gift in appreciation of a veterinarian who has made a difference for your farm, your animals, or the alpaca community.

Each honored veterinarian will be included in a special social media post on June 18.

Let’s show our large animal and camelid veterinarians how much their dedication means to us.

Honor your vet today: https://givebutter.com/HonorYourVet

National Alpaca Foundation

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