Shy and Sweet, Alpacas Step Into the Limelight

SALISBURY — The warm sun last Saturday, Nov. 25, highlighted the rich hues of the white, black, rust and khaki fleece of Serena Granbery’s alpaca herd. For the second time, Granbery invited the general public to her home, Moore Brook Farm, so she could share her 32 alpaca with the community.

"I had 60 last spring, but I sold 28," Granbery said. "It got to be too many."

Granbery, who manages the farm with a bit of help from her children, Adrien, 19, and Samantha, 14, has been raising and breeding alpacas since 1999.

She said that she had inherited some money around that time and was not doing well in the stock market. After seeing an advertisement that called alpacas "a huggable investment," she decided to get out of stocks and into livestock.

The alpacas that greeted visitors to the farm Saturday were both curious and timid. A handful of feed lured them out of the barn, where some reluctantly let strangers pet their soft fleece.

Although alpaca fleece is said to be warmer and stronger than wool, Granbery’s income comes not from the fiber but from selling the animals themselves.

Granbery sends the fiber from her sheared animals to a national cooperative. From there, it is shipped to Peru to be processed because there are not enough alpacas in North America to support a fiber industry. The American alpaca farmers then receive garments made to their specifications, which can be sold.

In addition to providing an opportunity to meet these gentle animals, Granbery is also selling alpaca garments and yarn at her next open house, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1 and 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.