Photo courtesy of Maple View Farm
Visit with the teddy-bear-like alpaca at Maple View Farm during its holiday open house.
Nov. 29 & 30 at 11 a.m. — BRANDON — Maple View Farm Alpacas hosts its annual holiday open house on Nov. 29 and 30 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. both days, where you can learn about these gentle, intelligent fiber animals.
Owners Ed and Debbie Bratton said, “We are very excited to be participating in the holiday farm openhouse again this year. We have some folks who look forward to the open house and return each year, while also meeting many new people. It’s fun!”
The fiber mill and studio located on the farm will also be open so visitors will also be able to learn how fiber is turned into yarn and other products. The mill processes fiber into high quality batts, roving, yarn and felt. Bob Wertz, a weaver and alpaca breeder from nearby Sudbury, will demonstrate rug hooking.
Alpaca fiber has remarkable softness, fineness, warmth and strength. It comes in an extraordinary variety of 22 natural colors, ranging from pure white to fawns, browns, grey and true jet black. The alpaca has developed more thermal capacity in its fiber than almost any other animal, making it a natural insulator and without lanolin found in many other fibers, it is also naturally hypoallergenic. Many people who are sensitive to wool find that they can wear alpaca without the itching or irritation they feel from wool , because alpaca fiber is smooth.
Maple View Farm Alpacas, located at 185 Adams Rd., one mile off Route 7 north of Brandon, is home to a growing herd of 24 alpacas, including two crias, or baby alpacas, born this year. The alpaca is a member of the South American Camelid family which also includes llamas, guanacos and vicunas. All of the alpacas at Maple View Farm are Huacaya, a “teddy bear-like” alpaca with dense, crimpy fiber.
For more info, visit mapleviewfarmalpacas.com or call 802-247-5412.
