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Alpaca Breeder Farm

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Longwoods Alpaca Farm is a small family farm located in the rolling fields of Cumberland, Maine, just 15 minutes north of Portland. We enjoy working with new alpaca owners to find exactly the right alpacas for your herd, and we follow up with extensive support in navigating the learning curve of animal husbandry, pasture management, and "the bottom line". In addition, Pam is passionate about working with alpaca farmers throughout New England and the Atlantic states to get their fiber into production through her fiber sorting services. Pam serves on the Board of and encourages membership in the North American Alpaca Fiber Producers co-op (www.naafp.us). Cooperative commercial production lowers costs to producers and increases the quality and potential profits of a wider variety of products such as yarn, blankets, socks, hats & scarves, gloves, and duvets (all available for sale in our farm store).

The Huacaya females featured on these pages are the foundation of our herd. Their crias’ forbears include Poseidon, Altiplano Gold (deceased), Triumph, Evander, and Pinnacle. We have grown our herd to 8 breeding
females, 3 working herdsires, and a small herd of fiber boys. With an eye on the current domestic cottage and growing commercial fiber industries, we strive to breed genetically sound light-colored alpacas with dense fleeces and micron counts under 25. Solid conformation, gentle dispositions and easier handling using CAMELIDynamics will assure our clients, especially those new to the industry, that our alpacas are indeed the perfect addition to their herds.


Are alpacas right for you? Yes, if you truly love these animals!

Consider the farming lifestyle, business opportunities, and tax advantages. You'll find more practical information and ideas online than you can imagine, but it's the farm visits that really fan the flame!

Before we bought our first alpaca, we raised chickens and guinea hens, which satisfied the budding farmer in me for 4 years.

So what prompted the jump to alpacas?

In December 2002, I began chemotherapy following surgery for breast cancer. ALL the other ladies undergoing chemo were knitters. I didn't
know how to knit, but one of my dear friends offered to teach me. In search of ever-softer yarns, I visited Royal River Alpaca Company's "Open Farm" and was able to bury my hands and face into raw alpaca
blanket fiber. Oh, there's nothing like it! Move ahead a few months and our neighbors announced they had bought some alpacas with her brother and his wife as an investment (www.goodkarmafarm.com). This gave me the jumpstart I needed, just when I had been given a clean bill of health and was regaining my energy. I went online and found more information than I could imagine. And so I moved out of breast cancer survivor limbo and into alpaca breeding!

Seminars, shows, and auctions allow access to hundreds of alpacas and their proud owners, all under one roof. Most new alpaca breeders are also new to raising livestock. There is a steep learning curve. We are
indebted to our many mentors for providing us a realistic picture of what is involved in creating and maintaining a successful alpaca breeding and fiber business. We offer the same generous support to
our clients for as long as it is needed. Feel free to contact us if you have questions about getting started in the alpaca business or to schedule a farm visit to see an alpaca farm-in-progress.