AFCNA Myths... get the real fiber facts!

Rumors, urban myths, and misinformation are part of life it seems. AFCNA is no different. The Board of Directors decided to attempt to set the record straight concerning some of the more popular fiber concerns we hear.

Maybe you've heard one of the following yourself!

• Myth: "AFCNA only uses white fiber. The colored fiber is kept in storage bins."

Fiber Fact: All colors of commercial grade fiber are used by AFCNA. Certain grades and colors are used more frequently. Some fiber is stored temporarily until enough of specific type is ready to process. One look at our member fiber product line will tell you that more than white is in use. See our Extreme Socks for example.

•  Myth: "AFCNA only wants show fleece quality fiber."

Fiber Fact: While we love receiving your beautiful show fleeces, the middle grades of alpaca fiber are the most versatile from a processing and product development stand point. AFCNA uses a wide micron range of fiber.

• Myth: "They don't use Suri for anything."

Fiber Fact: Several Suri products have been tried. Not all have succeeded. This year we offered a new Suri yarn and roving, "Surino," as a trial. We are looking for other profitable use of your Suri fiber. It is a high priority goal.

• Myth: "They are just sending fiber to the Gulf oil spill clean-up efforts."

Fiber Fact: AFCNA did send a 1-time shipment to the Gulf. This was non-commercial value fiber not suitable for making product.

• Myth: "They have too many rules on how fiber should be submitted."

Fiber Fact: AFCNA does have rules. We do our best to keep them as brief and clear as possible. Without rules, time and money are spent unnecessarily which cuts into the fiber producers' profit. If your fiber is received properly shipped, and skirted with minimal guard hair or second cuts, then the time to grade the fleece is substantially reduced.  This means that the cost to sort/grade the fiber is also reduced, which increases overall profit back to you, the fiber producer.

• Myth: "The shipping boxes have to be the same size"

Fiber Fact:  We ask for consistent box sizes for several reasons. Same-sized boxes stack evenly and thus the cost to ship is reduced.  Additionally, over-sized boxes are overweight boxes, and have a tendency to collapse and exposes bags of fiber, making them susceptible to parasite infestation and moisture.

• Myth: "AFCNA won't take all types of fleece"

Fiber Fact: True, but for good reason! We haven't been able to determine a cost-effective product to create with the higher micron fleece or very short fiber, so we would have to pay to store this fiber until a use can be developed.

• Myth: "They aren't doing anything with North American Fiber. They sell product from South America"

Fiber Fact:  AFCNA member fiber is being used. The cooperative actually needs more! Yes, we do sell South American product. Why? The short answer is variety.  Consumers seldom shop at a place that only sells socks, or only sells yarn.  The time to develop, create a test product, and do a small batch to see how it sells, is quite lengthy, so it takes longer to bring new North American products on-line.  And, quite frankly, we can't get the amount of North American fiber we need to do the volume of products that we would love to make.

7000 pounds of fiber loaded on transport truck.