Just look ate those cute faces of alpacas. They are black, brown or white and make a humming sound. Mitch and Vickie Vandament of rural Osborne County Kansas have 38 cute faces.
They went into the alpaca business slowly with acquiring three males. All went well with the three and the next step was finding females.
October 26 was 2019 Alpaca Day at the farm and retail store. The store was ready to go in 2015. But first the alpacas are sheared in May and the fleece is then sold to numerous locations. The most local place is The Shepherd’s Mill in nearby Phillipsburg.
“It is very labor intensive,” said Vickie. The alpaca fleece has only 2% lanolin. Other locations the fleece is sold to is Paint Rock, Texas.
The alpaca comes in 22 colors and are adorable, docile and soft. They are originally form South America. Vickie said they have one alpaca that whinnies and one that purrs.
The Vandament retail store is in front of the alpaca barn. In it are socks, clothing, caps, gloves, and fashion accessories. Alpaca dolls are for sale from very small to doll size.
They also go to many craft shows to sell their goods. Autumn is the prime time for craft shows before Christmas. Many other vendor shows are throughout the state during the year.
One thing that has helped the business is Harvest Hosts. RV travelers can stay for free on the property, and the Vandaments have received many good reviews.
Sharon Black is from Smith Center, Kansas. We welcome her to our team of volunteers.
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