Alpaca Pals

When it’s gotten stressful at work, I’ve often jokingly said, “I’m going to start an alpaca farm”. 

Four years ago, we got up close and personal with a young girl and her tall alpacas at the Western Fair, and that’s where my little obsession was born. Alpacas are mild-mannered, interesting creatures, coveted for their beautiful, fine fur that fetches a lot of money from clothing manufacturers and artisans. Friends of friends have an alpaca farm and it just seems like a worthwhile way to spend one’s days, living off the land, caring for alpacas.

One day a couple of weeks ago, I found Alpaca Canada online and asked for a brochure. Now I’m receiving their quarterly magazine and I know more about alpacas than I’ll likely ever need.  Got an alpaca question? I’m your gal!

We’d need a lot more land, a barn and the time to properly care for these creatures. They can survive our winters but they’re certainly not used to them. And breeding is a big, hairy deal. One wrong move and your alpaca’s wool is worth half of what it could be.

Alpaca farming is a romantic notion, living off the land, doing something more physically demanding. It would be a return to the way work life used to be, before cubicles and downsizings. I can see why I’d gravitate toward alpaca farming, even as a joke, because it’s about as far removed as you can get from what I do now. You don’t really know unless you do the research, so, thanks Alpaca Canada. You can suspend my subscription now.