Pushkar Festival: Camel Summit

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Some moments are so serendipitously wonderful that you couldn't even dream them up if you tried. We had one of those very moments during our time at the Pushkar Camel Festival and still can't believe it.

Camp Bliss and their on-site camel expert Kate arranged for the founder of Camel Charisma and the author of Camel Karma to join us for dinner at Camp Bliss one evening. With her she brought a visitng camel expert couple from Australia, Paddy & Virginia Mc Hugh. The McHugh's spend their time gathering wild camels for export and taming wild camels for cameleers.

Camp Bliss set up a special camel experts table for the dinner and we were seated at the table! I have never considered myself an expert on camels, but was given a seat at the table which is more than I could have ever dreamed.

The evening started with a cocktails hour of chatting about camels. Ilse and Virginia actually looked at my photo book about Shamrock Farms and asked loads of questions about raising camels in the midwest. They were surprised there were camels in Kansas. I answered their questions about how the camels handle the winter conditions and dispelled their belief that Kansas is flat.

It took me awhile to get over my giddiness of meeting one of my heros, but I gathered myself and tried to contribute something to the conversation. There is a lot of talk about how the Raika can make a living in the camel dairy industry. We discused how other countries market and produce camel milk and camel milk products. I feel so fortunate that I was able to attend the Camel Conference in Michigan in July at the Camel Milk Association headquarters where I learned a great deal about camel milk production and camel milk benefits. I am also happy that I had added camel milk to my diet recently.

What a wonderful night of camel talk with people who have loved camels as long as I have and who see the beauty of these wonderful creatures.

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Comments

[Nancy Milller]

Camel Summit
That is so cool Vals! Maybe you can get appointed to this board or summit and travel all over the world talking camels!! Nancy

[Joe Purcell]

Camels
I somehow knew that there would be camels on your trip! K State lost because your mother couldn't yell loud enough to make up for your missing voice! Joe