Every one is suppose to have 15 minutes of fame!

I’m confident Alpacas are going to enjoy much more than that.

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Alpaca passion
Ohio farms will show public what makes state 'Little Peru'
By TIFFANY EDWARDS
Advocate Reporter

GRANVILLE -- Imagine visiting a farm where the animals hum and shed tears, the farmers are well-rested and the air is missing the scent of manure.

This is how two Licking County alpaca farmers describe the laid-back life of raising alpacas, a South American relative of the camel."

They're so easy to care for; it's like taking care of a dog," said Laura Lee, owner of Buckeye Country Alpacas in Granville and marketing chairman of the Ohio Alpaca Breeders Association.

The curious can see alpacas for themselves and learn more about Ohio's growing alpaca industry this weekend during the first National Alpaca Farm Days from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. "It's a community awareness, fun day," Lee said.

Seven alpaca farms in the area will be open to the public, giving tours, selling alpaca products and offering spinning demonstrations.

In 1984, U.S. farmers began importing alpacas from South America, where they live in the Andes Mountains. Importation ended in 1996, in part to control breed quality, Lee said.

"They're here in the U.S. for their fiber. It's softer than cashmere, warmer than wool and hypoallergenic," she said, adding, "Banana Republic had alpaca sweaters. It really is starting to hit the mainstream."

About 100,000 alpacas are in the United States, of which 17,000 live in Ohio, making the Buckeye State the one with the most alpacas, Lee said.

"Nationally speaking, Ohio is considered 'Little Peru,'" said Jana Lee-Harris, owner of Gentle Meadows Alpaca Farm in Pataskala. Lee-Harris has 18 huacaya alpacas on her farm.

Two types of alpacas exist -- huacaya (wah-KI-ya) and suri (surrey). Huacayas have a wooly coat, and suris have a silky coat that falls in wavy dreadlocks. Although they will spit at you if provoked, they are highly social and highly curious.

They even enjoy watching themselves, inspiring some alpaca owners to place mirrors in their barns.

"Who knows why they look in the mirror?" Lee-Harris said. "They'll look at each other, then look in the mirror. They'll walk away and look at their backs in the mirror."

Standing about three feet tall at the shoulder, alpacas also are an environmentally friendly animal. Their feet are padded and don't compact the soil like other domesticated animals. Their low-maintenance lifestyle -- shearing once per year, minimal feeding cost and small pasture requirements -- make them ideal for first-time farmers.

The alpaca industry contributed $42 million to the Ohio economy in 2006, Lee said, and the Ohio Alpaca Breeders Association recently began talks with the state Department of Agriculture to have alpacas recognized as a farm animal rather than an exotic animal. Lee said the designation could help alpaca farmers qualify for a range of assistance, from financial help to marketing resources.

"That's what we're looking for -- help as we grow as an industry," she said. "Alpacas are so new there is no formal recognition in Ohio. It's time to put them on the map."