This last weekend we opened our farm up and invited the public in for two days of alpaca giggles, treats, and photos. We like to do this right before shearing so everyone can see the alpacas in their full fleece. It’s also a great opportunity to welcome folks to the farm that normally wouldn’t come.
When we have an event like this we can expect anywhere from a few hundred people to a few thousand. It is really weather dependent and you just don’t know what you’re going to get. Needless to say, the weather didn’t cooperate this weekend, but the humans and alpacas didn’t much care.
This year we decided to do something different. We asked people to bring a small cash donation or a nonperishable food donation for The Buckley Food Pantry. The pantry feeds over 200 families each month and it’s an important part of our rural community.
I was floored by the outcome! People brought cases of food and would drop $20 and $50 bills into our donation jar. I was asking for a can of food or a $1 donation. I had no idea people would be so generous. In total, we raised over $1,000 in cash and we loaded up two carloads of food for the pantry. They were so happy and I was so proud of our little farm and community.
I could go on and on about the great time we all had, but pictures are much more expressive and provide more details than I could offer in words.
Thank you to everyone who came out to visit the alpacas and brave the cold weather. We’ll do another open farm day this fall, and until then, you can always get your alpaca fix by booking a tour or just coming out to see them.
