About the Farmers
High on a hilltop in the historic Hudson Valley, Faraway Farm Alpacas is home to award winning huacaya alpacas prized for their soft, colorful feece. Farm owners Leda and Steve enjoy tending the land, their alpaca herd and their charming Icelandic Horses.
This beautiful farm has been owned by Leda’s family since 1951. A renovated sheep barn houses a farm store offering homegrown yarn and a variety of handmade alpaca products, such as hats, scarves, sweaters, rugs and sofa throws. Yarn is offered in 100% alpaca or blended with other natural fibers such as merino, angora, silk or bamboo. Each skein of yarn is labeled with the name of the contributing alpaca.
Faraway Farm Alpacas strives to be as environmentally sustainable as possible. Working with the Watershed Agricultural Council, they have implemented a whole-farm plan focused on nutrient management, rotational grazing and practices that reduce atmospheric CO2.
Contact Information:
www.FarawayFarmAlpacas.com
914 962 2110
1315 Baptist Church Road,
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Little Creek Farm Alpacas
Little Creek Farm operates one of the largest Huacaya alpaca breeding operations in the northeastern US at its location in northern Westchester County, NY. The 450-animal herd is focused on the production of elite-fleeced white animals for commercial textile applications. Most of the fleece sold from the farm is under 22 microns and a substantial fraction is under 18 microns, and most is used in fine quality home goods, knitwear and accessories. The alpacas at the farm are typically shorn in late April or early May of each year, with the fleece graded for processing as soon as it has been removed from the animal. While fleece is typically sold by the bale (200+ lbs) smaller amounts are made available to interested Hudson Valley region designers and processors during the months of June and July, before commercial sales are finalized.
Little Creek Farm works to employ climate beneficial farm management and husbandry practices with the support, advice and collaboration of organizations including the Watershed Agricultural Council and Fibershed. Little Creek also operates a sister ranch in Idaho, and is partnered with the Imperial Yarn company, which produces American grown and made products for the wholesale and retail textile marketplace.
Contact Information:
(917) 952-5184
321 Hardscrabble Rd, North Salem, NY 10560
Laughing Goat Fiber Farm
Laughing Goat is a 50-acre farm located in Ithaca, NY, the heart of the spectacular Finger Lakes region. The farm is 4 miles from the city of Ithaca and enrolled in a dedicated agricultural farm easement, ensuring that the land will forever be used for farming purposes. Laughing Goat strongly supports organic farming and local businesses, and encourages others to do the same. Owners Lisa and Gary have been raising goats for nineteen years, and they manage all aspects of caring for their animals, including vaccinations and birthing. Laughing Goat Farm began with just three angora goats, and they now have several different kinds of fiber animals that they are breeding and raising.
Angora goats are their pride and joy. They have the long, luscious mohair curls that are processed and used in almost all of Laughing Goat’s products. Native to Turkey, these goats
are still relatively rare in the United States, and their fiber is considered exotic. It is a soft,
strong fiber, which takes dye beautifully and is renowned for its warmth and durability. Like
sheep, angora goats are sheared of their fleeces twice a year. Laughing Goat also breeds
cashmere goats. Almost all goats actually produce cashmere, which is the soft undercoat
that they grow to keep themselves warm. Cashmere goats are selected for the fineness of
that hair. These goats are native to the Himalayas and the Kashmir region of Pakistan. Unlike
angora goats, they are combed, not sheared. Only ounces of cashmere can be cultivated
from each goat. Laughing Goat Farm is also home to 9 alpacas. Alpaca are a smaller relative
of the llama, native to Peru. Alpaca fleece is one of the softest fibers in the world, often used
in infant clothes and blankets. Like mohair, alpaca is exceptionally warm, and like cashmere,
considered one of the most luxurious natural fibers.
Laughing Goat farm offers a variety of yarn blends and roving. In addition to yarn, they sell
products like socks, gloves, mittens, hats and scarves.
Contact Information:
670-273-9212
1485 Mecklenburg Road Ithaca, NY 14850
www.laughinggoatfiber.com
lisa@laughinggoatfiber.com
Pinecroft Farm
Pinecroft is a 140-acre farm located just outside historic Waterville, NY in the central NY region. It has been run by Benjamin Wood and his wife Carol since 1995. This diverse farm landscape boasts more than one hundred and eighty sheep, two horses, and chickens, as well as producing both hay and vegetables. The farm's sheep include Cheviot lines brought over from Scotland by Benjamin's own grandfather. Benjamin and Carol are dedicated to using regenerative, climate-beneficial practices on their land to be more resilient against climate change and to create the highest quality products possible.
Contact Information
7353 Sanger Hill Road, Waterville NY
bwood@mascec.org
Lazy Acre Alpacas
Lazy Acre Alpacas is the largest alpaca farm in the Fingerlakes region of central New York. Farm owners Mark and Sharon take great pride in their award-winning Huacaya alpacas. For over 17 years, they have been breeding alpacas for high quality fiber. Mark and Sharon are helping to sustain an alpaca value chain in the Fingerlakes by having their fibers processed by Autumn Mist Alpaca Farm and Mill, one of few alpaca fiber mills in the state. They also own the brick-and-mortar store called Alpaca Country Clothing & Gifts located near Rochester, NY. Their store carries alpaca roving, yarns, and textile items.
To engage with the broader community, Mark and Sharon host an annual Open Farm day and are available for tours to expand knowledge about their farm, animals, and fibers. In addition, they attend local farm events and fiber festivals.
As alpacas are relatively new fiber animals to the United States, Mark and Sharon are helping build the narrative around alpaca production in the Fingerlakes region of New York. Lazy Acre Alpacas was awarded the 2015 "Tourism Business of the Year" award for their fiber agro-tourism efforts.
Contact Information:
585-455-1203
8830 Baker Road, Bloomfield NY 14469
Wedding Hill
Wedding Hill Farm is in Greenwich, NY about 35 miles North of Albany. Owner Phil Gitlen is an environmental lawyer and a shepherd. He started sheep farming in 2005 with 4 bred ewes. Since then, he has produced about 500 lambs and maintains a flock of about 75 sheep and 40 lambs each year.
Contact Information:
518-369-7656
46 Cambridge Road, Greenwich, NY 12834
PGitlen@woh.com
Carbon Farm Applicants
Alpacas in the Glen
Contact Information:
Holly Jacob
Hblod625@aol.com
607-206-1228
701 State Highway 41, Smithville Flats, NY 13841
Dashing Star Farm
Contact Information:
dashingstarfarm@gmail.com
Sawkill Farm
Contact Information:
Michael Robertson
845 594-5927
7770 Albany Post Road, Red Hook, NY 12571
Woodland Meadow Farm LLC
Contact Information:
Elaine Gerber
40 Bullard Ln, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
woodlandmeadowfarm@gmail.com
http://Wmfalpaca.com