There’s always a project in the works on the farm. Our 2014 project involved partially closing in the ends of our barn overhangs to help cut down on wind and wind-driven precipitation. While our alpacas make great use of the overhang areas, including on most winter days, there are times … Read More
Recent conversations with new and prospective alpaca owners prompted me to think about how we manage our farm during the winter months. Things vary quite a bit seasonally on a farm and winter has its own challenges. Staying warm is challenge number one – not for the alpacas, but for … Read More
Fall is here and that means a very busy time on the farm! During the next month, most weekends bring either a fiber festival or an alpaca show. Weekdays are filled with getting ready for the next weekend’s event. That means dyeing yarn, skirting fleeces, chasing down all the odds … Read More
And she’s over a month early…. At 301 days gestation, she’s by far the earliest cria born at Snowshoe Farm. She’s small – only 11.4 lbs – but not frighteningly small. It took her about an hour to be able to hold herself sternal and about 4 hours before she … Read More
2014 marks the 15th anniversary of the beginning of Snowshoe Farm Alpacas and a life more totally immersed in “all things alpaca” than we ever could have envisioned. It all started with our first alpaca, CT Tela, granddam to our multi-champion herdsire, Snowshoe Aristides. The purchase of our first alpaca … Read More
No alpacas in the pastures this morning! Up until now, they’ve been spending their days grazing on what little green was left in the fields and seemed to be very comfortable with the mostly dry, but cold weather we’ve been having. But this morning, we woke to 6 degrees, snow … Read More
Ain’t that the truth! We woke to the sound of mowing in neighboring fields this morning. After a week of hot, humid and showery weather (not good for drying hay!), today is cooler, clear and dry. And the forecast is for more of the same. Three consecutive days of dry … Read More
I’ve been watching this big poplar tree for the last few days since we’ve had some heavy rains and wind. Had it always been leaning this much and I’d not noticed? Guess not. This morning the tree was down on the perimeter fence around our male alpacas’ pasture. But no … Read More
For some reason, it seems like spring has been very slow to reach to the NEK this year. Even nice sunny days have had a cold wind. But we’re finally seeing the birds return and the pastures turn green. The alpacas love this weather. They’re in full fleece and the … Read More