National Alpaca Farm Day Coming Up

National Alpaca Farm Days is coming up September 26-27th, with owners all

over the country opening their farms to the public. Jennifer Ely with Sage Bluff Alpaca in Prosser says the public is welcome to come and learn more about alpaca.

ELY: We find that our industry is extremely well supported nationally and regionally. AOA is Alpaca Owners Association and it's this national support group that hosts National Alpaca Farm Days the last weekend in September all across the country, every year. It's a big deal.

Alpaca come across as very cute, huggable creatures.

ELY: Our industry calls alpacas the "huggable investment" but at the end of the day they are just livestock, they really don't want to be hugged but there are a few exceptions. We've just had a cria born that will give you kisses. She just nibbles all over your lips and nose and she's the cutest thing in the world. That's part of what our visitors will enjoy when they come for our open house here at Sage Bluff Alpacas.

She talks more about the open house.

ELY: The open house will include farm tours and meeting the alpacas. We will have some lovely fiber arts folks here demonstrating knitting, weaving and spinning. All of our gorgeous retail will be for sale in the big barn. We always offer refreshments and in fact a special feature this year is our name the cria contest.

Yes, a cria is a baby alpaca.

And that's Washington Ag Today. I'm Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.