A Visit to Woodfield Ranch

Peter Brown and his uncle, Steve Hoban, were gracious hosts yesterday as I dragged three willing companions out to Eustis, Florida to visit Woodfield Ranch.  Besides having a beautiful, spacious home, Peter and Steve also have a beautiful array of animals – including Huacaya Alpacas.

After a tour of the home, we first met a llama and a llama/alpaca mix…one in particular was quite friendly.

We had an opportunity to meet Newton, a beautiful brown baby alpaca, the newest addition to the Woodfield Ranch menagerie…

I learned there are two types of alpacas – Suri and Huacaya.  Suri alpacas have silky, lustrous, hanging locks, and the Huacaya sport a thicker, finer and fluffier fiber.  The alpacas at Woodfield Ranch are huacaya and are of Peruvian origin.

While Peter was putting Newton back in the pen, Steve brought around an adorable Nigerian Pygmy Goat named Farley who behaved more like a house pet than a farm animal…absolutely adorable!

It is a particular challenge to raise and keep alpacas healthy in Florida, primarily because of the heat and also particular parasites native to the region.  It is clear that Peter and Steve have a deep love for the animals they care for, and whether for the reason of maximizing the land on their ranch, or for offering their alpacas for sale or for selling their luxurious fiber to the Weavers Guild of Orlando, they take every effort to keep the animals healthy and happy.

We ventured into the main female pen and took a look at their luscious coats up close.  I found it interesting that, as it had rained prior to our arrival, the top layer of the fur was moist, yet below that, it was dry.  It’s incredibly thick and luscious with a fair amount of crimp.  Certainly the younger alpacas sport a more notable crimp than older alpacas – but all of it was incredibly soft.

We went in to the barn to see where the shearing process takes place.  Alpacas are normally sheared once per year; however, to keep the animals comfortable in the Floridian summer, Peter and Steve shear their alpacas twice per year.  A rotating table is used to prepare the alpacas for shearing – with the table tilted vertically, the standing alpaca is stood next to the table and then strapped to it to ensure its safety.  Once secured, the table is tilted horizontally and the shearing takes place.  Although it is not something the alpacas appear to enjoy, it does not cause them pain and again, their safety is the first priority for Peter and Steve.

We reviewed fiber samples from three different colored alpacas at Woodfield Ranch…all absolutely luxurious, each with their own unique nuances and texture.

And I was excited to not only walk away with these three samples of the fibers available from their alpacas, but as we finished our visit, Peter presented me with another large bag of alpaca fiber that is destined to propel me into a new budding obsession, in addition to knitting…spinning my own yarn!

It was a fun and educational visit to learn all about and meet the beautiful creatures that share their fiber to make wonderful yarn with which we can create luxurious garments.

Thanks, Peter and Steve, for a wonderful afternoon at Woodfield Ranch!

Tags: Fiber, Learning, Yarn