After a decade of bringing alpaca fibre products to North Country Fair, Teresa Matlock says one practical detail still makes the weekend easier: being able to camp right at the booth.

Matlock and her husband, Cam, own CJ Alpacas, a family alpaca farm that Teresa says has been part of their lives for more than 30 years. The farm has operated as a family business since 1996.

Teresa Matlock says the couple has been coming to the fair as vendors for about 10 years, selling alpaca products made from fibre tied to their northern Alberta farm.

For vendors who travel with stock and display materials, Matlock says that camping setup matters.

She says she was grateful the fair allows vendors to camp at their booths, making it easier to manage the long days and late nights of the festival.

Matlock says she wants people to understand how warm and cozy alpaca fibre can be. She says the material is well suited to Alberta winters, where socks, hats, mittens and other cold-weather pieces are more than seasonal accessories. She says all of CJ Alpacas’ fibres are either handspun or processed in Canada, a detail she says matters to customers who care about where their products come from and how they are made.

The business sells unique and warm products made from alpaca fibre raised on the family’s farm northeast of DeBolt, according to online business information for CJ Alpacas. The farm store has also been listed near DeBolt, and the business has promoted Canadian-made alpaca items at Grande Prairie-area markets.

Matlock says they are also full-time vendors in Grande Prairie. They attend other festivals and markets. She says the business has a shelf at the Crooked Creek donut shop, as well as a farm store near DeBolt.
After many years with alpacas and 10 years at the fair, Matlock says the festival remains a place where customers can feel the products, ask questions and learn why alpaca fibre has stayed central to the family business.

Sara Driedger
Lakeside Leader