Sugar Hollow Farm Alpacas LLC, Pennsylvania

To all of you who braved the rain, wind, and generally dismal conditions to attend our First Annual Holiday Open Farm - THANK YOU!! We have to admit that as we were setting up that morning we looked at each other and wondered "is anybody even going to come today?" We were amazed at the turn out in far less than ideal conditions. Because the response was so positive we are already planning our Second Annual Holiday Open Farm for Saturday, December 14, 2019. Mark your calendars now and hopefully the weather will be more hospitable. Why not make a visit with our alpacas a holiday tradition?  Who knows, maybe we'll even be able to get Santa to attend!  

Come join us on the farm for our first (annual?) Holiday Open Farm on Saturday, December 15, 2018 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Visit with the alpacas and see how thick and full their fleece has grown to get them through the cold winter months. Also meet the pigs, chickens, barn cats and Molly the Farm Dog - our official farm greeter. Visit with old friends and meet some new friends. Enjoy a warm beverage and holiday treats and relax among the peaceful alpacas or by the fire in our fire pit. Of course our farm store will be open for you to browse through our selection of extremely soft and warm alpaca hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, sweaters, socks, etc... to help you finish up your Holiday shopping! Click here for a map and contact information. All are welcome!!

Sugar Hollow Farm Alpacas, LLC is now a member of PA Preferred.  Of course the fiber for our yarn is grown in PA, but did you know that our yarn is also spun at a mill in PA? By purchasing our yarn you support 2 PA businesses (and probably many more!).

It's official!  The dates for this years Pop-up Shops are Nov. 16-18, 23-25, and Nov. 30 - Dec 2. Come downtown, catch the Christmas parade, and get busy with your Holiday shopping!  As in years past we'll have a few of our fleecy friends on hand for you to meet.  Also, by this time the really cold weather will have set in so you'll definitely be wanting some of that soft and warm alpaca gear to get you through the blustery season!  Check in here for more details.

Jumpin' Jack's Maybellene arrived on Saturday, June 9 while we were away at Waynesboro's Market in the Park.  We came home to find that her dam, Lady Gaga had birthed her all by herself.  Maybellene (named after the Chuck Berry song) was up walking and nursing by the time we got home! This was Jack's first offspring and we are very pleased with the results.  She is very fine and believe she will have her sire's consistency as we see more of her fleece grow in.

The first of our two expected Spring cria arrived on May 23!  King Leonidus' Tiny Dancer came in at 14 lbs, 2 ozs and was on her feet in 30 minutes and nursing shortly thereafter.  Her mom - Inspiration's Keep the Faith - is a fabulous mom like her mother and grandmother before her (both still on our farm).  Dancer is light fawn and was already running around the pasture just the day after she was born.

It's been a busy Spring! In late April we attended the Mid-Atlantic Alpaca Breeder's (MAPACA) Jubilee in Harrisburg, PA and walked away with two 2nd place ribbons.  The day after the show we had our herd sheared by Jay Mariacher and his crew harvesting over 90 lbs of fleece. We've already received our herd's fiber analysis from this Spring's shearing and 16 of our 18 alpacas had average fiber diameters (AFD) between 18 and 26 microns. AFD is a measure of fineness which basically translates into how soft yarn made with this fiber feels.  18 to 26 microns is ideal because it feels very soft yet is still "thick" enough to be spun easily by the mill. Meanwhile, yarn from our 2017 shearing is now labeled and ready for sale at our farm store, and at the Waynesboro "Market at the Park" on Saturday mornings beginning Memorial Day weekend.  

Last, but certainly not least, we are on cria watch! We're expecting two alpaca babies in the VERY near future.  Why not plan a visit to the farm later this Spring to check them out?  While you're here you can watch our three 6 month old boys romp and play in the pasture!  They are quite a sight.  Just give us a call to set up a visit - no charge!

Thank you to all of you who braved the rain and came to see us and our alpacas at the Grove Family Library on May 19!  We enjoyed sharing Rhiannon and her son Billy the Kid with you (although we're sorry they weren't more engaging).  We hope you'll plan to stop by the farm and see the rest of herd, including the 2 llamas, 2 kune kune pigs, 5 chickens, 3 barn cats, and Molly our farm dog and official greeter.  Just give us a call to let us know you're coming - and make sure your camera has fresh batteries!

All three of our expected fall alpaca babies (crias) have arrived and there is absolutely nothing cuter - although puppies and kittens come close.  Two were born on Oct. 28 (it was a busy day!) and the third on Nov. 10.  If you're wanting to visit the farm this fall, now through the Holidays is a great time! To schedule a farm visit give us a call, and before you come out make sure your camera has fresh batteries!!