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Hi! My name is Audrey McCarter. My husband Jeff and I own and run a midsize alpaca farm located in Powhatan Virginia, just west of Richmond. We were the first in our county to start in the alpaca industry, and are thrilled to see how much interest and growth the alpaca business has had in our area... let alone nationwide! I love alpacas, and everything about them, so getting hooked didn't take much for me. I've been an animal lover all my life. There are very few critters out there that I haven't had the pleasure to include in my life at time or another. Before alpacas, I trained and showed dogs as a hobby, and had also worked for a Humane Society for many years. Poor Jeff... to call him an animal lover was quite a stretch when we met. But I'm proud to say that over the years he's been successfully converted....not that he had much choice. (grin) Over the years, our "family" has grown to include over 50 alpacas, two quarter horses, 10 chickens, 5 dogs, and 4 cats!
 As far as the alpaca business goes, Jeff and I had slightly different reasons why we thought it was such a great idea. For me, to make money working with animals was a dream come true. Who wouldn't want to earn a living raising real live teddy bears?! I was working crazy shifts in the medical profession, and felt cheated about missing the important parts of my children's lives. Jeff was impressed by the income potential and tax advantages owning alpacas could provide. We were BOTH burnt out with our jobs and had been looking for a great way to earn and save money for retirement. Since the alpacas arrived, Jeff has sold his business and only works part time. I run the farm full time, have definitely replaced my income (and then some!), and am FINALLY able to enjoy my children so much more. Along with our newfound lifestyle, we never imagined how relaxing and rewarding it would be just to sit on the back porch and watch our alpacas playing in the back yard!
 On this web site, you'll find valuable information about owning and raising alpacas. It was designed to be informative for new as well as established alpaca farms. I'm always looking for a better way to do things and have shared what I've learned in our "Barnyard Tips" section. You'll find some of the best ideas and products I've found to help alpaca breeders care for their animals.
Do you know where to get an alpaca farm loan, buy equipment, medication, halters, etc.? Do you need help naming your new baby alpaca? Do you know where to find the perfect tax advisor or where to find good alpaca hay? Check out our Helpful links section which is guaranteed to help you find the information and products your looking for. If it doesn't, let us know and we'll do our best to help you find it! 
For those of you looking for more answers about alpacas, our FAQ page is the place to look. It covers everything from what an alpaca is, to what they eat, and also covers some of the risks and benefits of alpaca ownership in general. The Alpacas for sale page has a lot of alpaca photos of each animal we list for sale, as well as the wonderful herdsires we own and offer for outside breedings. If you're interested in an animal who's currently not for sale, let us know so if that animal becomes available, you'll be first to know.
It's easy to see how these wonderful animals continue to capture the hearts of so many, but if you're new to the industry and are questioning if alpacas are right for you, please don't hesitate to call. Better yet, come for a visit and let us show you around. We're a no-pressure farm and enjoy sharing what we've learned with others. Our goal is provide the best information possible to ensure you make the right decisions. If we think you should wait or feel alpacas may not be right for you, we'll definitely give you our opinion. Why? Because it gives the alpaca industry, as well as our personal reputation a bad name to bring in people who'll eventually regret owning them down the road. When Jeff and I started, there wasn't a lot of support to teach us the "other" things pertaining to running a business -- such as how to market alpacas, the best way to invest in alpacas according to our budget, and what to do to ensure our animals increased in value. Although it's important to take your time when shopping for animals, it's even more important to shop for your first mentor!!! Many farms will teach you the basics, but are they willing to teach you, step by step, all the other important things to help you become a successful alpaca business? Trust me...... if you can learn without having to climb that learning curve on your own, you'll save a lot of time, money and heartache! Our success comes from the genuine pride and satisfaction we derive from helping new people entering the business blossom into successful breeders. Having some of the most highly sought after bloodlines, we continue to sell to already established farms in Virginia and across the country. I can't tell you how good it feels when an alpaca we've sold wins a blue ribbon for their new owners! Yes, it's possible to be profitable AND have fun, but you need to know alpaca facts, not fiction. I don't mean to make this sound so difficult, because it isn't. Raising alpacas for a living will be quite enjoyable and can be very lucrative if you have a strong knowledge base of the industry, start out with sound breeding stock, and find a good mentor who'll take the time to get you started the right way!
Welcome to our world! You are in for the experience of a lifetime!
We look forward to meeting you soon!
Audrey and Jeff McCarter |
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