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Health professionals by degree, both of us have a soft heart for animals as well as people. Early in our marriage, we established a goal of having a big house in the country where our children could grow up and enjoy all aspects of the rural life. Along with that came a parade of many pets – dogs of various breeds, cats with kittens, horses, ponies, goats, and even a mule. All of this was fun, but none was profitable.
Our only claim to income was a small horse boarding business that was labor intensive and not successful, plus our meager tobacco base that the government continued to whittle down each year until it became nonexistent. The desire to make our 52 acre farm productive began to look positive when we spoke with our county extension agent who mentioned raising alpacas. “What is an alpaca?” we asked.
The question led to our quest to discover the answer. It wasn’t long before we were online researching, then on the phone making calls, and later on the road visiting alpaca farms. Our pursuit for an alpaca herd began!
Though we are growing our herd and our knowledge base, we have established a goal of breeding huacuaya alpacas with genetics from top herdsires. To reach this goal, we have talked to numerous, well-seasoned breeders, read extensively, and studied breeding patterns of the past. Next we have focused on fine, lusterous fleece combined with proper confirmation. Present day breeders have spent numerous hours mentoring us in developing our hands and eyes to distinguish these characteristics. Lastly, we are working to develop a herd that respectfully follows those who have gone before us to establish a healthy, beautiful alpaca while adding accoyo and Peruvian genetics to our existing herd. Our vision for the future is to build upon what has already been accomplished by competent breeders and to continue this legacy as our national American herd grows.
We are eager to share what we’ve learned, to show you our herd, and to work to continue the good work that has already been done by others. Please call the farm for an appointment. We will be available!
Greg, a graduate of the Physician Assistant program at University of KY, is a cardiac pacemaker rep for a leading medical device company. Linda graduated from Northern KY University with a degree in nursing. She has also taught for public and private high schools and area vocational schools, but now works only as an alpaca farmer.
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