Alpaca farmers find profits worth the wait

Patti Spruell pulled the shrug, knitted from alpaca yarn, over her shoulders as Olga Casey came over and straightened its neckline.

Casey has known the Spruells for eight years and has been knitting for 36 years.

“It’s a luxurious material,” Casey, who knitted the shrug, said of the alpaca yarn. “It’s breathable. It is warm when it’s cold. When it’s hot, it’s cool. It’s a very good quality.”

Boxes stacked in a corner hold the yarn Spruell had milled from the soft fleece of alpacas. Outside, the source of the fleece grazed in a fenced enclosure at Patti and Ken Spruell’s alpaca farm.

“I’ve got at least another 40 to 50 pounds at the factory,” Patti Spruell said.

The Spruells have been in the alpaca business for five years. Their small alpaca farm is one of at least half a dozen in the Wiregrass. There are 15 alpaca farms in Alabama listed with the Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association. It’s not a business for everyone. For the Spruells, it took four years before they saw any profit.

“In this economy, the alpaca business is probably a much, much better investment than stocks and cattle,” said Ken Spruell.

They’ve been lucky. They’ve had several alpaca births — all females, which have a higher sale value. The sale of animals to other alpaca farms is primarily how such farmers make money. But farmers like the Spruells are working to create a market for the fleece.

“Every time there’s a baby born, that is a return on our investment,” Ken Spruell said.

Several local alpaca farms will participate in this year’s National Alpaca Farm Days, a program designed to raise awareness about alpacas and uses for their fleece. The event is Saturday and Sunday.

Alpacas are native to the Andean Mountain range of South America, particularly Bolivia, Chile and Peru. The huggable animals are cousin to the larger llama and were first brought to the U.S. for commercial purposes in 1984. There are roughly 150,000 alpacas registered in the U.S. The animals are raised solely for their fleece and are sheared once a year in the spring. The fleece produces what is considered a fine yarn — pricier than some other yarns at $18 to $24 per skein. But the result is a product that is as warm as wool without the itch and has moisture-wicking properties, making it a popular choice for outdoor enthusiasts.

The Spruells followed a business plan, knowing that alpaca farming was not for an overnight profit nor a “hobby” farm. They have a herd of 22 alpacas and are expecting four more babies by the end of the year. Female alpacas have one baby a year and cannot be bred until they are at least 18 months to two years old. The animals do not require a large pasture and eat less than most livestock.

“The first three years, we didn’t sell anything; we didn’t intend to sell anything,” Patti Spruell said.

The Spruells have blended some of their yarn with silk and bamboo. But even by itself, the fleece is hard to beat for softness.

“There’s really nothing more environmentally friendly than the alpaca,” Patti Spruell said. “It’s a green animal to me.”
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If you go ...
What: National Alpaca Farm Days
When: Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27
Where: Alabama Peanuts and Pacas, 4946 S. County Road 20, Ozark, 300-5358, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and 1:30-4:30 p.m. on Sunday; Little Hummers Alpaca Farm, 1707 Highway 123 N., Ozark, 635-7108, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday; Oak-Leigh Peacocks and Alpacas, 11780 Fortner St., Dothan, 692-4425, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and 1-4 p.m. on Sunday (location will also feature alpacas from Sueno Lana Alpacas and Humming Hills); Wiregrass Alpacas, 1786 Bluff Springs Road, Ashford, 797-3322, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and 1:30-4 p.m. on Sunday.
Cost: Free to attend.
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Want to know more?
What: Alpaca 101 clinic for adults only hosted by Jerry Sanders, owner of Alabama Peanuts and Pacas.
When: Oct. 3 and Oct. 10 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Topics: breeding and raising alpacas, nutritional needs, herd maintenance, hoof trimming and birthing as well as what to look for when selecting alpacas, fence and shelter requirements, predator control, raising alpacas in the south, and tax advantages of alpaca ownership.
Register: Call 445-2762 or e-mail to .