A BRIEF HISTORY OF BLACK WATCH ALPACAS

Several years ago my wife, Deborah, and I were spending some time at our vacation home in  Maine when Deb came across an ad for an open house at Lightfoot Farms in Kennebunk. With some reluctance, I agreed to go along to find out about  alpacas – and to avoid any problems that might arise from saying no.

The owners, Doris and Walter Van Buskirk, are two of the nicest, and knowledgeable, people you could  ever find. They took the time to answer a lot of dumb questions (those  were mine) and to talk about the animals and the lifestyle that goes  along with raising alpacas.

After getting back home to Miami, Florida, Deb  began her due diligence on the animals and the industry. We both agreed  that raising alpacas might be a good way to stay busy after we retire.  Neither of us plan to sit around and do nothing, and raising alpacas will let us make money without the headaches and hassles of demanding  careers – Deb was a senior retail exec and I continue to work in advertising and graphic design as owner of Ghost Creative.

Our herd started with Symphony, a white huacaya that we purchased from Lightfoot Farms. After a couple of crias, we expanded our herd by buying Sonata from Walter and Doris, and then Charo.  In December 2012, we sold the condo in Miami and bought our small farm in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. After a lot of work to get the property  "alpaca-ready", our herd finally arrived in September of 2013. The Little Shoppe on the Farm opened in November 2014.

We're at the farm almost all of the time and would be more than happy to discuss sales, breeding opportunities – or  alpacas in general – with anyone interested. So, if you're ever in the heart of the Bluegrass region of Kentucky or on the bourbon trail, stop  by – you're always welcome.

Paul & Deb Slaninka