Gem State Alpacas, founded in the fall of 2006 by Mark and Cheryl Niemeyer, introduced us to the challenging yet rewarding world of animal husbandry, genetic predictability, and entrepreneurship.  We moved to Idaho in 1997 after accepting new jobs. Cheryl still works as a full time paramedic, and Mark works as a Fire Chief for a local fire department. We have had our share of good fortune, but NOTHING could top the two biggest joys in our life; our son, now 17, and our daughter, now 12. Spending time with our kids is something we try and take full advantage of which brings us to how we got involved with alpacas.

We built our home on 6 acres near Middleton, Idaho. It's a quiet, peaceful part of the state that sits about 25 miles east of the Idaho/Oregon border. In time, we developed our farm: a 36x60 barn, fenced pastures with underground sprinklers, a 3 acre hay field, tractor, implements, and lastly........horses. Those horses eventually turned into four-legged pasture ornaments, so we decided it was time for a change. We began discussing what type of livestock we could raise on the farm, and one that could involve the entire family. After a fair amount of time doing research and some visits to local farms, we purchased our first 3 dams and have no plans on looking back. Gem State Alpacas is now a family affair; the kids immediately embraced the alpacas and enjoy them as much as we do! Breeding and raising alpacas has brought a sense of excitement, awareness, and dedication to our future.

As we continue forward into that future, our goal is to develop a herd of select quality alpacas that focuses on fineness first and foremost followed by uniformity, handle, brightness, and correct body conformation. Nutritional values are tested on the hay we grow to ensure a proper diet for our alpacas. In addition, we support scientific research that helps advance the knowledge of genetic composition as well as nutritional advancements that promotes fine fleece. 

To those who have spent countless hours on research and publications, we THANK-YOU for helping to advance our knowledge of these amazing animals. 

Sincerely,

Mark and Cheryl Niemeyer

Gem State Alpacas