Three alpacas from the hills of Habersham are now adjusting to life in the big city. Tuscany, Warrior, and Smurf from Apple Mountain Alpacas near Clarkesville are on loan to Zoo Atlanta through the holidays. Apple Mountain owners Jay and Melissa Reeder say the trio’s journey began with an email.
“Hello! I have a strange question…,” the zoo representative wrote.
The rep explained there was a temporary exhibit space opening in the Orkin Children’s Zoo central habitat and asked if the Reeders would be willing to loan two or three alpacas to the zoo through September.
The answer was, “Yes!”
The zoo picked up the three male Huacaya alpacas on May 14th. They’re still settling into their temporary new home but the Reeders have already been down to visit them.
The zoo’s asked to keep the alpacas on exhibit through the holidays.
“A lot of people come to our farm for a tour and tell us they have never seen alpacas before,” says Jay. “Our passion is sharing the alpaca lifestyle with others. We’re super excited to be able to share these amazing animals with a wider audience through Zoo Atlanta.”
An adventure
While Tuscany, Warrior, and Smurf are off on their big city adventure, the Reeder’s family adventure continues back home here in Habersham.
They were first introduced to alpacas on a trip to South Florida. “From that initial introduction, we knew instantly that this would be our next great family adventure, and we have not been disappointed,” their website says.
The Reeders, who have three sons, opened their alpaca farm near Clarkesville in 2013. Today, they have over twenty alpacas in their herd from which they harvest 135 pounds of fiber each year.
“Our renewable crop is the alpaca fiber, which we harvest and make into scarves, insoles, and other items,” explains Jay. They describe their finished products as softer than cashmere and warm like polar bear fur.
“We also have exclusive tours and teach classes on how to make products from alpaca fiber. We also take our alpacas to shows and we have many champions in our herd,” Jay says.
The Reeders also offer mentoring services for those who want to start their own alpaca farms. Their next seminar, Raising Alpacas for Pleasure and Profit, is scheduled for September. Registration is now underway.
Apple Mountain Alpacas is located off of Birchwood Drive in Clarkesville near the Apple Mountain Resort and Golf Course. To browse through their products or to schedule a tour, visit them online at https://www.
