Starr Cash: Venezia Dream Farm

Fiber Product, Value-Added Processing
Grant Award: $3,000

Starr is purchasing fiber processing equipment (micro-mill or cottage scale) to add value to fiber produced by her own herd of alpacas as well as that of the local fiber pool. With a picker, electric drum carder and needle felting tools, Starr can personally add incremental value steps to fiber: washing, dyeing, picking, carding and felting.

Starr plans to process about 1,000 pounds of fiber per year. With the help of the grant, she can sell fiber products at a lower cost of production and retain a higher profit margin. She is also developing an additional stream of income by providing a new processing service, which is currently not available locally, to other fiber farms.

Visit http://www.veneziadream.com

Buncombe County

Contact the Local Extension Agent