3 Springs Alpacas Farm has been in the alpaca business for seven years and currently has 12 alpacas. The farm also has two horses, Major and Shadow, an angora goat, Pretty Pippa, and two very friendly dogs that love to have farm visitors.

Two years ago, the farm added Airbnb to its farm services, a change that has brought more and more guests to the farm throughout the year.

Besides National Alpaca Days, the farm does several other events during the year to keep guests returning.

Alpacas originated from the Andi’s Mountains of South America and imported to the United States. Incredibly, only 3.000 alpacas were imported to the United States, Canada, and Australia, making it account for .1% of the entire alpaca population. Currently there are an estimated 3.5 million alpacas around the world with about 87% remaining in Peru and approximately 9.5% in Bolivia. The first alpacas were imported in 1984, primarily from Peru, Bolivia, and Chili.

Alpacas from 3 springs Alpacas Farm. Submitted photos

Alpacas were domesticated more than 5,000 years ago. The quality from the fiber was discovered in the 1800s because of the alpaca’s ability to survive extreme temperatures. People of that time were considered royalty to be able to afford the fiber produced by alpacas.

Alpacas are in the camelid family, which also includes camels, llamas, guanacos, and vicunas. Like camels, alpacas can easily learn to be haltered and carry saddle bags. They are well suited for 4-H projects and can be trained to complete stride courses.