How We Began
We originally became interested in alpacas when we started thinking about how best to keep the pasture open on our new property. We looked at sheep, tractors, etc and then an advertisement for alpacas caught our eye. We took one look at the price of an alpaca and went back to looking at tractors! Then we thought about it: instead of just a few hobby animals to keep our pasture open, why not invest in alpacas as a business?
In 1999, following a year of research and visits to alpaca farms, we purchased our first alpacas. Tela, a pregnant female, and Natalie, a maiden female, arrived on our farm in July, soon after completion of our new barn and fence. From that small beginning, through births and purchases of alpacas, our herd grew and we began to search for a larger farm property. In 2001, we purchased an old farmhouse with an abundance of open pasture for our alpacas in the lovely northern Vermont town of Peacham. This property – a former horse riding school – has turned out to be an ideal place to make our home and build our alpaca herd and business.
Our Alpaca Breeding Program
Our main priorities here at Snowshoe Farm are the health and welfare of our alpacas and the progress of our breeding program. We believe that an excellent breeding program should start with vigorous, healthy alpacas with correct conformation and sound reproductive histories. Equally important is selection and breeding for fiber qualities that define the “elite” alpaca. Fineness, uniformity, density, crimp, brightness and color are all important fiber characteristics that we are continually striving to improve.
Our Business Philosophy
Honesty. Integrity. Quality. These three words neatly sum up our business philosophy. Our mission is to offer high quality products and services and to work with our customers in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect.
Snowshoe Farm is a full-service, “hands-on” alpaca breeding farm. We believe this provides us the best means to care for our alpacas, attend to the details of running our business and meet the needs of our customers. By operating as a small, family-run business, we are able to work with customers on a one-on-one basis and tailor our services and support to each customer’s unique situation. We want our customers to succeed and we consider them to be our partners in building a secure future for the alpaca breeding and fiber industry in North America.