Community invited to alpaca open house in Ridgeway
Posted By Kris Dubé
Posted 2 months ago
Most people might hesitate to approach an animal they've never even heard of before, but at Split Rock Farms in Ridgeway…there's nothing to worry about.
Formerly a bed and breakfast, owners Linda and Glen Finbow are focusing mainly on their livestock at their beautiful Ridge Road property. They don't have chickens and they don’t own horses or cows. They do have 60 animals in total…and they're all alpacas named after Beatles songs.
Linda said most people give the furry creatures that are bred for the quality fleece they produce names that are Latin in origin because of how many are currently living in South America. But the Finbows wanted to move away from the herd and do something unique.
"We're not outrageous fans. We've always liked them and we wanted to do something different," said Finbow.
Next weekend, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday the farm is welcoming the public to spend a day on the alpaca farm, to learn more about the friendly animals. Linda said there will be many things to do for everyone including Belgian horse rides accompanied by a variety of vendors. More importantly, she wants people to see for themselves how interesting of a species they are.
"I hope everyone can come and learn more about these great animals…they're just fabulous," she said.
They're fleece is hypo-allergenic, spot resistant and very comfortable to wear, said Linda while giving the Times a tour of the farm.
Some fleece is more valuable than others, but the most sought after comes from younger animals.
"A baby's skin is softer than it is with an older person and it's the same with alpacas," she said.
There are 22,000 registered alpacas in Canada and 125,000 in the United States. Millions live in the South American wilderness after migrating from North America many years ago. Since most of them live below the equator, a majority of people are under the impression they are not indigenous to North America, she said.
"They really did start here."
Earlier this year, the Finbows traveled to the World Alpaca show in Cleveland, OH and walked away with several prizes, including one for best fleece. Since it is difficult to cross the border with their animals, samples of fleece were brought to the competition and they were still awarded with top honours.
"We've won some really great trophies," said Linda.
