Alpaca Farm near Marion celebrates
National Alpaca Farm Days

Spirit Wind Farm and Fiber Studio, 4504 Smith Road, Marion, will hold open houses Sept. 29 and 30 in conjunction with National Alpaca Farm Days.

Alpaca breeders from across the United States and Canada will welcome the public to their farms to meet their alpacas and learn more about these inquisitive, unique animals.

Open house hours will be 10 to 4 Saturday and Sunday.

This is a family fun day, with free admission.

Alpacas were first imported into the United States in 1984. Since then, the alpaca industry has grown steadily, according to the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA), the backbone of the alpaca industry. Current estimates total over 100,000 registered alpacas with the Alpaca Registry, Inc. in the United States and more than 4,000 AOBA members in North America.

Although almost physically identical, what distinguishes the two types of alpacas is their fiber. The Huacaya is the more common of the two and has a fluffy, extremely fine coat.

The Suri is the rarer of the two and has fiber that is silky and resembles pencil-locks. Adult alpacas stand at approximately 36 inches at the withers and generally weigh between 150 and 200 pounds. They do not have horns, hooves, claws or incisors.

Alpacas are alert, intelligent, curious, and social animals that seek companionship, they communicate most commonly by softly humming. Long ago, alpaca fiber was reserved for royalty; today it is coveted by hand-spinners and fiber artists.

Alpaca fiber is often compared to cashmere, yet is warmer and stronger than wool. Containing no lanolin, alpaca fiber is also naturally hypoallergenic, those that are sensitive to wool find that they can wear alpaca without the itching or irritation they feel from wool because alpaca fiber is smooth.

The Empire Alpaca Association (EAA) is the New York State affiliate of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association. EAA has over 225 members; its mission statement is: to promote, educate and support the alpaca breeders, owners and enthusiasts of New York.

The Empire Extravaganza is open to the public and held at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse each year; this year the show is October 20 and 21, with more than 800 alpacas already entered.

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