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Welcome
In the beginning . . .
Many moons ago, in 1995, we both happened to see an Alpaca Owners & Breeders
Association (AOBA) informational telecast about alpacas that piqued our interest. We called and had pamphlets
mailed to us, and we kicked around the idea. Life got in the way, and it got pushed to the back burner.
Jump forward to 2007 ... After taking advantage of the bull market, we decided to start our quest for acreage and a
country lifestyle. In November 2007, we found 100 acres in Caswell County, NC, with a quaint farmhouse and
decided to make that our home. We were able to sell our "city" home in Randolph County and head north.
With the pieces falling into place, we decided that alpaca farming could become a reality for us. We visited several
farms and found one close-by in Asheboro, NC (Caraway Alpacas) that we felt offered a great starter package and,
more importantly, support. We made our first purchase in February of 2008 and since then have acquired Sweet William
(his mother, Begonia, was pregnant at purchase) and Addie. Sweet William was born May of '08 and Addie in June
of '09.
In July of 2009, we brought our two boys – Sweet William and MacBryde – to our farm in Caswell County. Mid-August
of 2009, we brought our adult females and Addie home.
Since then, our herd has grown through the birth of new crias and the purchase of new alpacas. Sadly, our farm suffered
the sudden loss of two of our beloved alpacas, Jonquil (Jonie) and Begonia, who died in November 2011 after ingesting a
toxic substance.
Our Great Pyrenees' pups, Rambo and Razor, have learned the ropes and have become fine protectors of our alpacas.
Rambo is in charge of the girls and Razor the boys.
Our overall goals are two-fold. First of all, we want to educate the public about the beauty of alpaca ownership. We plan
to attend alpaca shows, offer farm tours to allow people to experience interaction with our herd while explaining their usefulness,
and allow the public to see alpaca fiber in many different forms, whether in its natural state, roving, spun yarn in skeins,
or in finished handmade products. Our second goal, and really our main objective, is to take steps, even small ones,
to ensure self-sustainability. We are currently creating wearable garments from our alpacas' fiber, honey from our bees
(selling either the raw honey or incorporated in lip balm and soap), consuming and selling eggs from our chickens, preserving the
harvest from our garden/grape vines/fruit trees.
We have all these items and more available, so come on out. We welcome visitors and welcome your interest and ideas.
Ray and Candy McMahan
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