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THE LAMA LETTER

Our annual meeting is a great time to see old friends, meet new friends, buy some fun stuff while supporting camelid research and share our lama stories.

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Mark your calendar now! 2014 PLAA Annual Meeting Saturday, March 22, 2014
At the Ramada Inn, 1450 Atherton Street, State College, PA

he focus of this years PLAA Annual Meeting will be two topics. Ready, Set Graze, Tips for grazing management by Melanie Barkley, Penn State Extension specialist, based in Bedford. She began her career in Extension as a youth educator and has covered many program areas in agriculture over a 23 year time period. Her current position focuses on livestock production, which includes serving as co-chair of the state Livestock Team. She works with beef, sheep and meat goat producers to help them to analyze their operation to improve protability. She received her B.S. from Penn State in Animal Production in 1986 and M.Ed. in Extension Education from Penn State in 1992. Melanie and her husband have raised purebred breeding stock for over 20 years. Maple Hollow Farm consists of 100 production type Polled Dorset, 15 Tunis and a few Border Leicester ewes that are run primarily on pasture in a rotational grazing system. I know I can use some advice and counsel about my tiny little pasture to make it the most functional it can be. Questions from our attendees will be welcomed. Dr. Charlene Arendas will be joining us again to talk about current veterinary issues with camelids, based on her extensive practice and experience. I got a number of comments from folks last year about how well she spoke vet talk to us ordinary people. She kept us engaged and later provided us her notes so we wouldnt miss anything. She and her mother own Spacey Acres Llamas, just over the border in Ohio. So shes practically one of us.

As usual there will be a membership meeting. Included in the discussion will be Ag Progress Days, and proposals for a future camelid show/event. Come with suggestions and a willingness to help us expand our membership and public visibility in Pennsylvania.
PLAA ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA
Call to order/Opening Remarks Introduction of Officers Election Results John Mosovsky Electronic Ballots New Board Members, Returning Board Members, and Farewell to Leaving Board Members Secretarys Report Karen Taylor Treasurers Report Chuck Leach Membership Directory/Newsletter Bev Vienckowski Membership Report Marsha Timmerman New Chairperson Celeste Burke Archives Ann Bodnyk Website Update Bob Wolfe Ag Progress Days Anita Collins Partners with Vets Carol Reigh PLAA Display Marsha Timmerman Youth Involvement Karen Taylor Annual Meeting Committee Anita Collins New members needed Date and location for 2015 Medical Research Funding John Mosovsky Government Relations Anita Collins/Robin Davidheiser Festival John Mosovsky New Business Report on Board Meeting In-reach: How do we better serve our members Outreach: How do we grow and find new members Final Comments Adjournment