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16 years and counting, do I still look at alpaca ownership in the same way? In a word, no. The reality is, my perspective on alpacas has grown tremendously along with the personal growth I've gone through in the process. The alpacas are still the incredibly cute and enchanting creatures that I fell in love with so many years ago, that much has not changed. Originally the alpacas afforded us a way to make a lifestyle change, a move from the suburbs to small acreage in a rural area. We enjoye

We're celebrating our 14th anniversary as Alpacas from MaRS! Our first alpacas arrived at the farm in the fall of 1999, but we quickly decided we loved these enchanting creatures and we purchased our first bred female in February of 2000.

From day one our goal has always been to produce the finest, most consistent fleeces that we can. Our breeding program has been focused on heathly alpacas with fine fleece that keeps it's fineness as the alpaca ages. We took our time growing our h

As an owner of livestock, I like to think that I go the extra steps to raise healthy stock. Several years back we had a couple of females that fell sick due to kidney failure. Our vets were wonderful and they ran every test they could think of, but we didn't get any answers. The next year, we lost Isara, a beautiful fawn female. Once again, it was kidney failure, but this time we had tissue samples to test. Blood draws on other girls in the group revealed that 5 others had signs of kidney i

I guess to some my short weekend trip to attend a local alpaca show would be considered a vacation or an excuse to skip out on farm chores for a couple of days, I would call it an inspiration! Many of us go through our work days in a routine, possibly mundane fashion, and I admit that it's sometimes the case for me when the days are dark and dreary. I look forward to the days of sunshine, warmer weather, new crias in the pastures, and flowers brightening the gardens. And it's also the time fo

It's been a long, dreary winter here in the NW. While much of the nation has reached record highs in early spring, we've had record lows with lots of rain, wind, and even snow. As we reach the end of April the signs of spring are finally popping up literally with smiling daffodils and beautiful tulips.

The grass is growing and the alpacas can't wait to be let out to pasture, but for the meantime they help with yard maintenance! Each year we seem to have trouble getting the gas po

Am I sorry that summer has come to an end on MaRS? Not really. The excitement of new crias running in the pastures, and farm visits are the highlights of the year, but summer is also the time to work on fence lines and tackle the farm to-do list. I think fall is probably my favorite season of the year. It's the time of year to enjoy all that you've worked hard to accomplish before the cold of mid-winter sets in. It's the time of year I find to be the most creative.

The evening