Custer's Alpacas is a family operation that involves every member from alpaca sales and service, to barn building, and our 'mobile' retail set up that we take to many local shows.
Custer’s Alpacas is located at 443 Porter Rd. Atwater, Ohio. We are 1.2 miles south of the intersection of Rt. 224 and Porter Rd. Our ranch is approximately 38 acres and a former dairy farm. Our present efforts are to construct new field shelters and retrofit the existing buildings and pastures. Most exciting about the buildings is the refurbishing of our 100 plus year old timber frame barn.
Our Alpaca breeding business begins with a vision of the future. Our vision is an Alpaca industry that integral in the agricultural industry of North America. To work towards this vision is our goal of an Alpaca with fine soft fleece, high yielding, and dark colors. The breeding program applies the best color genetics available with the finest fleeced genetics.
Our belief is that the Alpacas of the future will look like the best of todays Alpacas. A high quality Alpaca will display characteristics ultimately important to the textile industry. Breeders will select for high quality fiber, conformation, and color. Producing Alpacas with these qualities is challenging given the scarcity of high quality breeding stock. Custer’s Alpacas are bred for, fine handled fleece, good conformation, dark colors, and high fleece yields. It is the intent of the breeding program to use Accoyo genetics with colored Huacayas to produce fine handled and dense fleeced Alpacas.
Claude & Alexandria Custer
Claude and Alexandria live on the ranch and tend to the day-to-day operations with the animals. Alexandria is a teacher and Cuyahoga Community College and Claude is retired from his work in water quality planning and manages the farm.
Norbi & Nora Custer-Haberbusch
Norbi and Nora live in Akron, Ohio and commute to the farm and store regularly.
Norbi helps around the farm with regular maintanence and animal care. He has also helped with much of the fencing and construction around the farm. Norbi currently runs his own business also www.oldworldcarpentry.com and specializes in Hardwood Floor Services (Refinish, Install, Repair).
Nora, daughter of Claude and Alexandria, recently finished her BA in Art History and Crafts: Textiles from Kent State University. She has worked with alpaca fiber not only in the classroom but works with it on a regular basis creating apparel and accessories for the store.
Adam Custer
Adam and Nora grew up on the farm, Adam has for the past several years helped with animal husbandry, shearing, building, and much more. Adam recently in 2008 graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Biology. Adam is an avid rock climber, snow boarder, hiker, and outdoorsman. Adam is currently living in Colorado since November 2008 and is working as a biologist doing field research for the state.
Custer's Alpacas
443 Porter Rd
Atwater, Ohio 44201
Claude and Alexandria Custer
330.715.3197 - Alexandria
330.715.3196 - Claude
custersalpacas@yahoo.com
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Norbi & Nora Haberbusch
216.235.0367 - Nora
nora@custersalpacas.com