Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Lape.
Hi Amy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
We bought the farm in 2021. The only animals here at the time were 3 Perkins ducks. Shortly after we also bought chickens, for the eggs. We knew we wanted to do something more with livestock. After going back and forth and visiting many different farms we fell in love with alpacas. We found a mentor farm not too far away. They taught us so much! What type of structures to have, watering systems, feed. They helped us on the business end as well. The benefits of the fiber and where to go to process the fiber. They taught us what to look for when looking at alpaca fleece to check for quality. Alpaca is warmer than wool and softer than cashmere. We started with a small herd from them, and have grown. They have some of the best bloodlines in the country. We knew having a starter herd from them would be extremely beneficial to begin our alpaca journey.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There were many challenges. To start, this property wasn’t truly loved for a few years. We had to clear an area for pastures. And bring it back to life getting rid of the weeds so it would be good quality grazing. We also installed all of the fencing ourselves. We had never taken on a task like this. It took some time but we did it!
The biggest hurdle was our township. They didn’t think we should open our farm market selling our products. They suggested we just do it online. We wanted people to come to the farm and see the animals and where these products come from. Thankfully, the State of Michigan has a Right to Farm Act. We had the state out twice to verify that we are compliant with what we are doing. A very large majority of our products are handmade. All of our yarn we sell is directly from our herd.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
By day, Amy works for Fenton Area Public Schools and Adam is a police officer for the City of Fenton.
Our farm is a hobby right now. Summer is our busiest for getting projects done. The cooler months is when we are busy selling our products. We firmly believe that alpaca products are some of the best out there. There have been studies done comparing alpaca socks to all other types of socks and alpaca always wins hands down. There is warmth and quality like no other.
What’s next?
At this time we are still building our herd. We currently have two babies and we have some bred to deliver next year. Our focus is on the fiber. We would like to continue this work as we grow our herd.
Pricing:
- Alpaca Yarn $30-skein
- Alpaca Socks starting at $15
- Felted soap $10
- Handmade Jewelry starting at $8
- Handmade home goods starting at $10
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aandaacresllc.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AEuMp5UqP/?mibextid=wwXIfr
