SYRACUSE, N.Y (NCC News) – A small business in Lafayette, known as Claddagh Farm, is breeding alpacas and using their fleece to create products.
Owner Sarah Lamanna has been on this journey since 2006, and acquired her farm in 2008. Before this venture, she owned horses and goats, but decided to go the alpaca route.
“Horses are a lot of work, and I just didn’t want to do more work,” said Lamanna. “Goats are hard to keep in a gate or pen, so they’re cute. I like the alpacas; they’re low maintenance.”
Lamanna says their fleece is just one unique quality, other properties include being hypoallergenic, antimicrobial and plush.
The alpacas are sheared in the spring to protect them from heat in the summer months, and this process occurs once a year.
After they receive a haircut, their fleece is sent to a fiber mill to be processed into usable forms like dryer balls, mittens and socks. It takes about a year to get back the products that are made.
Lamanna says she is very connected to her animals and caring for them is not hard.
“Alpacas are basically, they’re very therapeutic, just being around them kind of helps to calm you down,” said Carl Lamanna, who co-owns the farm with his wife.
Their animals are also eco-friendly in numerous ways. They have padded feet, which prevent them from puncturing the fields. Their manure can be used for fertilizer. They only have lower teeth that prevent them from ripping the grass.
“It’s pretty low maintenance, as long as they have shelter and water and food to eat, that’s about it,” said Lamanna.
She says sustainability is key, and she notices people are making a conscious effort to buy locally.
Lamanna takes her animals to shows to evaluate their fleece and structure, and these competitions have led her to win numerous awards. She says she is committed to producing quality fleece year after year.
Video Transcript: From fleece to fashion: How a New York farm is breeding award-winning alpacas
Mya Alysia: When you think about farming you probably think about horses, cows and pigs. Claddagh Farm is taking it to a whole another level with alpacas. Owner Sarah Lamanna’s mission is to breed them for high quality fleece over generations to ensure great fiber.
Sarah Lamanna: I love it when the babies arrive. Thats great fun!
Alysia: She puts her focus on breeding black and grey alpacas.
Lamanna: That had been very hard to do, up until the last three or four years, when a genectic testing was made available to us.
Alysia: Lamanna is very connected to her animals and loves taking care of them. Her alpacas being enviromentally friendly is just an added benefit.
Lamanna: They’re light, they’re about 150 200 pounds. No hoof involved, they have a pad and toes! They’re not punching the holes in the wet, soggy fields that we have.
Alysia: They also lack upper front teeth and use their lower teeth to snip grass to eat, so they don’t rip it up. Her husband Carl Lamanna says being in the alpacas presence is great.
Carl Lamanna: Alpacas are basically, they’re very therapeutic, just being around them kind of helps to calm you down.
Alysia: Their fleece can be used for products too, after they are sheared once a year.
Lamanna: It’s like getting a haircut, so haircuts don’t hurt. They’re offended by the whole thing, and it’s like how dare you, how dare you do this to me. The practices we use keep everybody safe and they get their little haircuts.
Alysia: The fleece is used to make products like mittens, socks and rugs.
Lamanna: Alpaca fiber in general is considered elite, similiar to cashmere. That’s an elite fiber as well. It’s just extra soft and lovely.
Alysia: It’s also fire-resistant, hypoallergenic and water-resistant. Lamanna says her mission is to produce award-winning fiber year after year. Mya Alysia, NCC News.