Moonlit Alpacas loved universally Alpacas offer fleece and friendship at a Cornwall, Vermont family farm

Author: Andrea Glaessner and Jessica Clayton

Frolicking in the vast expanse of green pasture, Charles Dickens and Robert Frost chase after Mercury and Aurora Borealis. Names which normally arise when discussing literature and stargazing are now used to refer to four of the fluffy young alpacas of Moonlit Alpaca Farm in Cornwall, Vt.

Established with the purchase of the land and barn in February of this year, Moonlit Alpaca Farm is beginning to realize the goals and missions envisioned years ago by its founders, Cass and Carol Tillman; while perusing a copy of Forbes magazine on board a flight, Mr. Tillman discovered an article that inspired him to develop his own alpaca farm. The farm's founders are both business consultants and travel extensively for their respective careers. According to Mrs. Tillman, the alpaca farm is a rewarding investment offering "the advantages of what a family owned business can give," including a career option for their two children and a "kinder, gentler, lifestyle for the retirement years."

Initially, the Tillmans planned to remain in their home in New Orleans, alternating the responsibility of spending 7-10 days each month each staying at the farm to keep an eye on the business. But when Katrina hit, their plans were washed away along with their home and community. As a result, the Tillman family packed up and moved to their Vermont farm along with other family members seeking refuge in the wake of the torrential disaster.

Rather than focusing on their loss, Mrs. Tillman quickly noted a positive consequence of Katrina. "We don't know if we want to stay yet. But we have been given a great opportunity to get the farm up and running with a lot more hands-on access [than we had initially planned]. So from that standpoint Katrina was a tremendous benefit," she said.

Mrs. Tillman is also optimistic about the exposure to running the business and farm that her children receive while living at Moonlit Alpacas. The Tillmans plan to pass on the farm to their children, recognizing that while the children may decide not to run the farm themselves, it will remain a profitable investment for the family.

But the Tillmans are not the only ones whose lifelong plans and goals involve alpacas. In fact, Mrs. Tillman explained that part of the reason the alpaca business is becoming increasingly popular is that most people who get into the industry are reaching retirement age and, like them, are looking for an exit strategy that ensures a "productive yet relaxing enterprise."

Mrs. Tillman emphasized that although farming is not really relaxing, certain characteristics of the alpaca facilitate a farm with few complications. She explained that alpaca farmers avoid the trouble of rotating pastures because there is little pasture damage caused by raising alpacas. Unlike sheep, the animals do not have hoofs to tear up the land. In addition, Mrs. Tillman referred to the alpaca as "a very green animal" who only eats the green part of the fields, thus avoiding root damage in pasture land.

Luckily, alpacas also take care of themselves. "One of the reasons they have been around so long is because they always go to the restroom in the same spot and then avoid eating around that spot, limiting the bacteria and viruses they consume as compared to other animals," explained Tracey Duffield, the farm manager.

Alpacas are never slaughtered, since the animals' value lies in the production of alpaca fiber, cherished by textile connoisseurs for its resilience and insulatory benefits. The alpaca comes from a high altitude and cold climate region of the Andean highlands, particularly in Peru. Its coat, comprised of microscopic air pockets, yields a fiber with a high insulation value, allowing for the creation of lightweight but incredibly warm garments.

Thus the benefits of alpaca raising versus sheep raising are enormous for the Tillmans and their customers. While the consumer enjoys the benefits of the exceptional quality of the fiber, the Tillmans profit from the comparatively simple process of acquiring the fiber, as the alpaca is a compact animal with no guard hair or lanolin. By saving time and costs in the production process, the Tillmans can focus on other services of the farm, such as breeding, boarding and maintaining the on-site retail shop.

While alpaca fleece proves valuable after the yearly shearing, the year-round profits are more concentrated in the breeding service. With two grand champion males and one blue ribbon male, the Tillmans are able to offer high quality breeding partners for other alpaca farmers.

Currently, the Tillmans offer trade of breeding partners via the online trading site Alpaca Nation. By selling the breeding through the mail and what has been termed "drive-by breeding," the farm avoids endangering their alpacas with the possible encounter of foreign bacteria or disease.

Best of all, owning the farm allows interaction with these amazing alpacas. Each alpaca is distinctive in more than a physical sense.

When Charles Dickens once again bounds toward the strangers and kicks up his heals to show off before running back into the crowd, Duffield laughs and says, "They each have such distinct personalities...like Charlie, [who] came out of the womb that way."

A few of the Moonlit Farm alpacas will visit campus later this month for the Middlebury Mountain Club's annual Pumpkin Smash. So if you want to know more about the soul behind the sweater, be sure to check out the newest fad in the farming world -- the amazing alpaca.