Why Alpacas
“Quirky, inquisitive and endearing, raising alpacas is as close as I will ever get to having my own magical unicorns.”The alpaca is a species of South American camelid descended from the vicuña. This little ruminant is similar to, and often confused with, the llama. However, alpacas are noticeably smaller than llamas.
In America, this easy-to-care-for livestock is raised for it’s wonderfully sturdy and versatile fleece, also called “fiber”. There are two kinds of alpacas, the suri (pronounced: SOO-ree) alpaca, which sports long, silky, curly locks, and the huacaya (pronounced: wah-KY-ah) alpaca, which grows a thick, teddy-bear-like fleece. The fiber from both species of alpaca is used to make clothing, fiber arts, blankets, rugs hats and more.
Because alpaca fiber is hollow, it is both lighter and warmer than sheep’s wool and it is even water-repellent! It also lacks the lanolin coating of sheep’s wool, making it a great alternative for people with wool allergies.
“Quirky, inquisitive and endearing, raising alpacas is as close as I will ever get to having my own magical unicorns.”
Want to Volunteer?
As we continue to grow, we will need volunteers who are interested in helping with various tasks & events at the ranch, including, but not limited to:
Maintaining pastures
Animal care and feeding
Building structures
Events: Setup, take-down & assist
Ranch tours
Since we are just getting started, these volunteer opportunities will evolve.
If this is something you might be interested in, please fill out our volunteer application.
Alpaca of the Month
Meet Sugar
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Age: 14
This toothy girl is the older sister and right-hand gal to the herd alpha, Precious. Collectively I call them “the sisters”. Together, they keep the herd in check.
Both girls share the same toothy grin and most people can’t tell them apart. Their demeanor is the best way to tell who-is-who. Precious is somewhat stand-offish and stoic with people, while Sugar enjoys having the side of her neck scratched and will often come up to people and offer a kiss.
Fun Fact: This image of Sugar was used in a t-shirt that we sell in our shop. Check it out here!
