At the Red Barn Farm in Baiting Hollow, Donna Yakaboski has been raising a herd of alpacas since 2005.
Now, there are nine alpacas living on the five-acre farm. There are two breeds — Huacaya, which have dense, crimped, water-resistant fleece and Suri alpacas, which have fine lustrous fibers that grow in long, pencil locks — and both can be found at the farm.
During the pandemic, Yakaboski, an ICU nurse, and her daughter Ashley, began sharing more about daily life on the alpaca farm and even began offering Zoom meets with the animals as a way to spread light as people were stuck at home.
Today, guided tours are available in person, where you can visit the alpacas, learn about their history and also check out artisan goods, including yarn, candles, soaps and handmade jewelry.
We recently spent a rainy afternoon at the Sound Avenue farm. Join us there:
