Shearing Day 2017

Shearing Day, the most important day on our farm, is almost here!  This year shearing will take place on May 13th from 9:00 - 12:00.  All are welcome to watch as the alpacas transform from fluffy fiber-full alpacas to "naked" ones!  Alpacas are shorn just once a year to allow for maximum length of the fiber which makes it easier to process into yarn and roving.  Each year we hire professional shearers, Rick and Jeremiah from Twist of Fate Spinnery of Portland, Connecticut, to shear our animals.  They are very efficient and shear the animals is an almost choreographed manner, taking under just ten minutes per animal!  Our shop will be closed on this day as we will be very busy with the task at hand, but we will be open on Sunday from 10:00 - 4:00 as usual.  We will be at our farm until around noon and then will be heading to another alpaca farm to help with their shearing as they helped us with ours.  Come on out to the farm if you'd like to see how we "harvest" the fiber from our animals!

We're Open Again!

Beginning April 8th-9th, we will be open on weekends from 10-4. 

 

A loved one of ours recently found themselves in the hospital and we have been unable to open for the past few weekends.  Now that they are recuperating in a rehabilitation center and we've found our new normal, we're happy to say that we can now continue to be open on weekends!  We're looking forward to seeing old friends again and meeting new visitors.  The alpacas are very close to having their full fleece on as shearing is just a little more than a month away!  Come out to see them and browse our shop.  It also looks like the weather will be great to be outdoors!  Thank you to everyone for their understanding during this time.

 

Tuckerbees Honey and Body Butter

We now have local honey, made right in Voluntown, for sale in our shop!  Ellis Tucker of Tuckerbees has been beekeeping for eight years and has 18 hives that he collects the honey from.  The honey is available in three sizes and comes in a beautiful glass jar with a cork top.  Not only do we have honey from Tuckerbees, but we also now have body butter which has bees wax in it!  They are available in Natural, Lemon Grass and Lavender and come in four or eight ounces jars.

Happy New Year!

We'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!  Lavender Hill Farm and our alpacas have been and are a blessing to us, and the best part is sharing it with everyone who visits, and spending time with friends, old and new. We had a great holiday season in 2016 and are looking forward to a wonderful year ahead in 2017.  Here are some photos from the holiday season.

We finally received some snow which added to the holiday feel one weekend.

 

The shop and barn were decorated with cheerful lights.

 

We had homemade hot cocoa, a variety of homemade cookies, and pumpkin bread for visitors to enjoy while browsing the shop.

 

Champ

Our rooster is a Black Australorp and is one handsome guy and loves to crow!

 

Mateo enjoying the sunshine.

 

From left: Champ, Buddy, and Smokey. 

Mateo is keeping watch over the chickens.

 

The girls are all inside keeping dry.  Hi girls! 

Acura

Thor taking a nap and using a rock as a pillow!

We have many new photos available in the shop!  These are just a few of them.

~Rose

A Very Christmas Evening at Lavender Hill Farm

Our farm and shop will be open for extended hours on Saturday, December 17th. Browse the shop under twinkling Christmas lights while sipping hot chocolate in our beautiful post and beam building. You'll find alpaca hats, mittens, gloves, sweaters, socks, throws, and stuffed animals made in Peru (where alpacas originate). We also have yarn and roving from our animals as well as handmade soaps, rag rugs, and other woven pieces. Don't forget to visit the alpacas! You'll be able to get up close to these unique animals and learn all about them.

Receive 15% OFF your total purchase on this day only!

Hours: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

This is a FREE event that's fun for the whole family!

Enjoy hot chocolate and baked goods.

Please call or text Paulette at (860)917-5154 or Rose at (860)373-1088 or email us at lavenderalpacas@gmail.com with any questions.

We're Ready for the Holidays at Lavender Hill Farm

The shop and barn are decorated for the holidays!  We're open today, black Friday, until 4:00 and then we'll be open on weekends from 10 - 4 as usual.  

 

This is Buddy when he was a cria (baby).

 

You'll find standing or cushing (lying down) alpaca dolls as well as teddy bears, horses, and even lions in our shop.

This photo is of Acura in the snow, just beautiful!

The mannequin is wearing an alpaca fur hat and a Saori scarf woven by Pam Bennett.

The tree has changed for the holiday season!

These soaps were handmade at Lavender Hill Farm by owner Paulette Batchek.

  They smell great!

The hand felted alpaca ornaments are handmade by myself and are made from our alpaca's fiber.

In the shop you'll find apparel made in Peru such as scarves, sweaters,

 socks, hats, gloves, mittens, glittens, and throws!

These are two different Saori pieces both woven by Paulette Batchek.

The infinity scarf on top, has white alpaca roving woven throughout it.

 

Head to the barn to visit with our 21 alpacas, two horses, and many chickens.

Acura was keeping an eye out for visitors!

Buffy, the Buff Brahma hen.

Our handsome rooster is all grown up and has begun to crow!

His feathers are so beautiful in the light.

Chance and Ruby enjoy the rainy weather by rolling in the mud!

Champ and Smokey just hanging out.

Bella seems to have spotted her stocking!  

                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                   ~Rose

Lavender Hill Farm in November

As I write this post, the sky is gray and rain is coming down, but we've been really lucky to have some beautiful weather this November!  Since opening our doors on weekends on November 5th, we've had ideal weather for visitors to come to the farm to see the alpacas and browse our shop.  These are some photos I took this past Sunday while the sun was shining bright. ~Rose