Last week we delivered 5 geldings to their new home on an island on Lake Champlain. The boys loaded onto the boat fairly easily, though they were a bit bug-eyed on the ride. They’ve never seen water other than that in their water buckets! But they were calm, unloaded without … Read More
This maple tree is always the first to turn. It’s a sure sign that fall is just around the corner. We’re busy harvesting veggies from the garden; today I’ll freeze chard and tomorrow I’ll start digging potatoes. We’ll listen for frost warnings and cover the garden when necessary. The alpacas … Read More
Yesterday, Glinda gave birth to her first cria, a healthy, vigorous rose gray girl! Her sire is our white herdsire, CCNF Synergy, We were hoping this match would produce a gray with more character and density than usual and it looks like it might have done just that. Time will … Read More
Only 36 degrees here this morning. We’re NOT one of the usual “cold spots”, so I assume there was some frost here and there. We found black patches on our tomatoes and a few black tomatoes yesterday; looks like the late blight finally caught up with us. We cut down … Read More
Seems like summer just got started and now we have frost warnings for tonight! We’re not in one of the “cold hollows”, so we should be okay. Our garden is very productive right now, but tomatoes are ripening slowly. The green beans are prolific and I’m hoping to get another … Read More
We had a site visit yesterday at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds, new home of the Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival. This will be quite a change from previous venues. The fairgrounds sits in a bowl along the river just behind the main street of this pretty village. In October, it will be … Read More
Finally, after a very wet summer, we have a forecast for several hot, dry days. Our hay supplier will have the first load of second cut ready for us to pick up in the field tomorrow afternoon. Stacking bales in the hay mow is hot, scratchy work, but it feels … Read More
In response to requests from several people, I’m planning a series of weekend fiber workshops. We’ll start with a raw alpaca fleece (ours or yours) and learn how to skirt, wash, card and spin. I’m envisioning a modular format where people can pick and choose which workshops they attend. And … Read More
It’s about time! It’s been such a wet, gray summer. But the last few days have been lovely, if a bit cool. Today is starting out sunny and dry – a perfect summer day. It’s been a busy week here. We sheared some of the crias, weighed and body scored … Read More
Yesterday we held an “Introduction to Alpacas” workshop on the farm. We had a great group of people – some who currently own alpacas and some who are considering alpacas. We talked quite a bit about alpaca husbandry and participants had a chance to give an injection, trim toenails, fit … Read More