farmhistory

How We Got Started

Neither of us comes from a livestock background unless you count dogs or cats! We have always wanted to live in the country so when we moved to Rising Fawn in 1995 we felt that we'd found our own piece of heaven.

We began to search for some type of livestock investment that would earn our farm an income but without having to slaughter the animals. It wasn't until February 2001 that we saw our first AOBA (Alpaca Owner's and Breeder's Association) commercial which led us to several farm visits. We were hooked!

Alpacas appeal to us for several reasons. They are intriguing to watch especially the playful babies (also known as crias). Their unique appearance is pleasant and their varied colors and sizes enhance the atmosphere of the farm. We spend many evenings rocking on our front porch watching them grazing and interacting. They are very quiet and peaceful with an occasional "hum" or at most, an "alarm call" if something unusual or unfamiliar is sighted. Their small size (135-185 pounds) in comparison to other livestock alternatives makes them fairly easy to handle although we have found that halter-training and frequent interaction seems to facilitate handling. They are easy on pastures and fencing and don’t require a large amount of space. (See section headed "Alpaca Info".)

Everyone in this industry seems to start out a little differently and we are no exception. We started with two young males which helped us learn about basic alpaca care and management. Then we gradually expanded our herd as we felt more comfortable both from a caretaker and a financial standpoint. Our goal is to maintain a herd that is large enough to provide potential buyers with a variety of choices but small enough that the two of us can manage it.

ALPACAS FOR SALE
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One of our New Babies