The age of the alpaca
People love alpacas for the warm, supersoft wool the critters produce
These quirky cousins of the camel are showing up everywhere.
Alpacas are having a moment. A rather extended moment.
Torontonians of a certain age might remember the handicraft hippy emporium that was Frida Craft on Front Street. Stocked with Afghan socks, Mexican terra cotta and brass ornaments from India, here — in the form of adorable fleecy toys — was where many first encountered the alpaca’s goofy cuteness. It wouldn’t be until the early 2000s when a few maverick Ontario alpaca keepers introduced farmers’ market shoppers to the warm, supersoft wool their critters produced. It was exotic, rare, and terribly niche. Up until then, only travellers to South America might have seen one in the flesh. Now, these cute, quirky, bucktoothed members of the camel family are showing up everywhere from petting zoos to farms and even hospices.
On a grey winter morning, Debbie Nightingale of Haute Goat Farm in Port Hope leads alpacas Jerrica and Bella from window to window of Extendicare Cobourg, as residents beam back and wave. “We had been taking the goats to seniors’ and long-term care homes for the last couple of years,” says Nightingale. “When we had to shut down in March because of COVID, we were looking for things to lift people’s spirits, especially the elderly who were locked down in their rooms and so totally isolated.”
Nightingale had taken her two friendliest alpacas to a few residences in Port Hope and Cobourg. “We had no idea how it would go,” recalls Nightingale. “But it was a great hit. We walked around the building and tried to make sure everyone who wanted to could see and wave at the alpacas. Now we have someone inside on a cellphone connected to us so we can also talk to the residents and staff, answer questions and have fun.”
According to Nightingale, as well as being patient, easy to load and unload, they are also curious creatures. “They’ll go right up with their noses to the windows, which everyone loves.”
Brenda Summers, program manager at Extendicare and The Landmark Assisted Living in Cobourg, is a big fan of what the alpacas bring to the residents. “They really enjoy the visits,” says Summers. “They are full of questions, and are as curious about the alpacas, as the alpacas are about us on the other side of the glass; their personalities really show through.”
In the past, residents had welcomed regular visits from therapy dogs, but COVID has put that on hold for now. “The alpacas have helped to fill that void,” says Summers. “Those cute little faces can only make you smile. After COVID we would welcome an indoor visit and there is always a possibility of us taking a bus trip to the farm.”
But an alpaca is more than just a pretty face.
Their fleece is prized for its softness and warmth, and because it’s still a nascent industry, with only a few mills able to process the raw fleece into yarn, alpaca products – from dryer balls to teddy bears to scarves – it’s still on the expensive side. Aldo and Jean Marascio have operated a busy fibre mill north of Guelph since 2013. At Grand Valley Fibre, the couple clean, sort and spin alpaca fleece from many Ontario farms into yarn for weaving, knitting and felting.
Growth has been quick for the pair. “We bought our first six alpacas in 2007,” says Jean. “Our herd is currently 35 alpacas, and at one time, we had 150, but once we decided to open the fibre mill we downsized.”
Jean is a talented knitter and weaver and loves working with the yarn. “Alpaca fibre is six times warmer than sheep’s wool,” says Jean. “So a light layer is all that is needed, and as it’s not itchy, most people who cannot tolerate sheep wool can wear alpaca. The softness of the yarn make it a special treat to knit, crochet or weave with.”
In Hillier, Ont., as well as running Chetwyn Farms, Edward Pickering is also the marketing and communications chair for the Alpaca Ontario Board, which formed in 2001, and he’s seen interest in the smaller, some might argue, cuter cousin of the llama, increase in the decade or so he’s been involved. “There are about 50 registered alpaca herds in our association at any given point in time, but there could be over 150 alpaca farms in the province,” says Pickering. “Many are small, grassroots farms that are not open to the public, and are simply for personal enjoyment. Others, such as ours, are open to the public, have some sort of retail or experiential component, show animals at provincial or national alpaca shows, and produce high-quality fleece, which is shorn once a year — usually in May in Ontario — and sent to mills to be spun into alpaca yarn, which is highly valued for its unique properties.”
“Alpaca is hypoallergenic and there is no lanolin in it like sheep’s wool,” explains Pickering. “Lanolin is what gives merino and other wool the scratchy feeling, so if you’re allergic to wool, you can wear alpaca with no problem, as long as it’s 100 per cent, which is the second notable feature; alpaca fibre on its own is not a strong fibre, so it is quite often mixed with a stronger fibre — merino, bamboo, silk — and depending on what you’re making, the loose “drape” of 100 per cent alpaca can’t be beat for many knitters.
Alpaca fleece is a hollow fibre, so it has a natural wicking property that draws moisture away from your skin, making it perfect for socks and boot inserts. Being hollow also means it’s lighter than other fibres so it doesn’t take as much fabric to offer the same warmth as bulkier wool or cotton.
“When we first started our business in 2011,” says Pickering. “I couldn’t find any specific reference to alpaca farms in Ontario, but I do know that there was a slow introduction of the animal in both Europe and North America by wealthy land owners during the latter part of Queen Victoria’s reign. There are references to her herd being one of the first outside of their native South America. Others followed in the USA and Canada.”
Being native to the cold, high altitudes of the Andes, alpacas are well-suited to an Ontario winter. “Many wonder how alpacas can thrive in the Canadian climate when they are South American,” says Pickering. “But, they are mountain animals that thrive in colder temperatures and love the snow!”
Alpaca farming is still a fledgling industry in Ontario, and there are no solid population numbers, but Pickering’s best guess is somewhat less than 10,000 individuals. “Although alpacas are considered livestock they have a relative limited value — just the fleece,” says Pickering. “So slaughtering an alpaca for meat is not done much, if at all, making them less attractive as a commodity such as cows or sheep.”
Still, Pickering has seen interest in alpacas grow rapidly. “I think part of it is the ease of raising an alpaca. They are gentle on the land, take less land to raise so you don’t need to invest both the time and resources in building a farm to accommodate, and are pleasant animals to be around.”
Keeping alpacas as pets is also on the rise, but Pickering advises against it. “Alpacas are herd animals,” says Pickering. “They will literally die from loneliness if they are on their own.”
In 2018, Deborah and Wade Clarke left their home in an Oshawa subdivision and moved to the countryside for the love of alpacas. “We wanted a better life for our three boys and I wanted alpacas,” says Deborah.
Just outside of Port Hope, Our Alpaca Farm is home to three alpacas: Samuel, Marty and Mr. Peterman. “I say life is too short to not have an alpaca,” says Deborah. “I have loved these creatures since the first time I saw one about seventeen years ago.” We used to drive by an alpaca farm on the way to our cottage, and it always brought me such joy just to see these creatures. I told Wade we would own some someday. And now we do.”
“Alpacas are quirky and strange and funny,” says Deborah. “They make us smile and laugh every day; each one with a unique personality. I couldn’t imagine life without them now. Samuel is the bossy one but still sweet; Marty is the sweet, docile boy; Mr. Peterman is just a character.”
The couple also moved their graphics business to the farm, with Deborah creating a line of art and greeting cards based on her alpacas’ “funny habits and mannerisms,” each sporting a tuft of alpaca fluff. And, the couple are expecting — two baby alpacas or crias, in the spring. Ontario is home to a few alpaca breeders, such as Arriba Linea Alpacas, where the Clarke’s source their animals. For the city-dwelling alpaca-curious, Old Mill Alpacas in Colborne, Ont., offers an Adopt an Alpaca program, where for a monthly fee adoptive alpaca parents have access to the animal for visits, walks, education, and a bit of their golden fleece.