EVANSTON — National Alpaca Farm Days takes place annually on the last weekend in September. Alpaca owners from across North America celebrated the 17th annual National Alpaca Farm Days (NAFD) on Sept. 23-24. The event was started to encourage the public to visit local alpaca farms and learn more about the livestock and their end products.

Participating alpaca farms welcomed the public to their farms to meet their alpacas and to learn more about these inquisitive, unique animals, the luxury fibers they produce and why the alpaca business is perfect for environmentally conscious individuals.

Evanston resident Doreen Angwin participated in the event at her Amaré Alpaca Farm. She not only raises alpacas, she also owns and operates an alpaca farm store, “LeSage Store,” which is located on the farm at 2517 Hwy 89 N. The farm she lives on was purchased by her mother and father in 1954, and all of their children were raised there.

During the two-day celebration, Angwin was open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. She placed her yearling alpaca named Leo and an older but smaller alpaca named Funny Freddy in a small enclosure in front of her store where visitors could see and engage with them. She had posted on the fence a flyer that told visitors the behavior do’s and don’ts when approaching an alpaca. Angwin had treats set out so that children could feed the alpacas and visitors could tour the farm, feel alpaca fleece and shop for alpaca products.

“Funny Freddy is smaller than Leo even though he is much older,” Angwin said. “His mother died when he was still a baby and the people. I bought him from, didn’t continue to bottle feed him so he didn’t grow properly.  He is the friendliest and sweetest thing. Alpacas are gentle animals and love to have their picture taken.”

The alpacas are generally safe and pleasant to be around. They have soft pads on their feet which are easy on the pasture and they rarely kick, unless frightened. They have no incisor teeth on the upper jaw and do not bite. They communicate mostly by humming and clucking, except for some sounds specific to breeding or alarm calls.

Alpacas are a calm, quiet, peaceful and easy-to-raise form of livestock.  They are smart animals, easy to train, and can learn to compete in obstacle courses and jump small hurdles.

Alpacas are a member of the camelid family and originated from South America and were first imported into the U.S. in 1984. The animal lives to be 15 to 20 years old and the oldest known alpaca was 28 years old. They weigh between 100 to 200 pounds and are about 36 inches high at the withers (where the neck and spine come together). They eat about 2.5 pounds of grass per day; an acre of grass will support about six alpacas, depending on the quality of the pasture.

Alpacas produce 5 to 10 pounds of fleece per year when sheared and they are renowned for producing strong, soft, and warm lightweight fleece. The fleece comes in sixteen natural shades which can also be dyed.

Alpaca fleece is the future of sustainable fashion. The fibers trap body heat in cooler temperatures and release it in warmer temperatures. Alpaca fiber is naturally water-resistant, is strong, resilient and has good elasticity, is silky, soft, supple and smooth and luxurious to the touch.

Alpacas are not harmed during the shearing process and their fiber lacks lanolin, a grease found in sheep wool, so this fact makes the alpaca fiber itch free and hypoallergenic. Also, the long silky fiber allows less pilling compared to other fibers.

Angwin is a member of the Alpaca Owners Association and bought her first alpacas in 2010. She purchased 20 alpacas at that time from owners in Wyoming and Utah. When her husband John Angwin got sick with cancer and later died in 2018, she sold all but two of the alpacas.  Currently, Angwin owns 10 alpacas, all show quality, with five females and five males that she raises on three acres of pasture.

“Alpacas are easy keepers,” Angwin said. “You can put 10 alpacas on one acre of pasture. All ten of mine together eat only a half a bale of hay per day and they are fat.”

“I saw a good turnout of people, approximately 80 total came to my farm over the two days,” Angwin continued. “They asked a lot of questions, fed the alpacas apples, carrots and apple treats and most visited the store. Next year, I hope to involve some of my friends who are weavers to demonstrate the use of the fibers. This year they were involved with the library wool and craft show on Saturday. I had a lot of fun educating people about alpacas and watching the kids interact with Freddy.”