Our breeding program is anchored in the pursuit “ideal alpaca”, prioritizing staple length, high-frequency crimp, density, and uniformity, all built on a foundation of strong, correct frames. For us, an elite alpaca must possess the soundness to remain productive for years; we value longevity, substance of bone and sound health as much as the fiber itself. We’d be the first to acknowledge that the "perfect" alpaca is a myth, but we have spent years proving that a disciplined, data-driven approach gets us closer every generation. With careful and planned breeding decisions, the progress we’ve made is the proof that excellence can be achieved…
From humble beginnings, built from the ground up…
René in action with his portable mini sawmill, processing the timber for our barn. (Click to enlarge)
Our story is one of literal labor, that happened as a twist of fate… There was originally no dream of owning a farm, nor a business, nor working on the land. For many years, René made a living as a professional full-time skydiving athlete. He received the first “tandem master” certification in Canada, represented our nation at World Cup competitions. (Fun fact: he was also a part of the exhibition group that tested the famous Olympic rings freefall for the Seoul 1988 Olympic games – the goal was to find out if such a figure was possible.)
But life happens. As two daughters "entered the chat," skydiving went away. René moved into sales and merchandising, but transitioning from seeing the world from above (literally!) to sitting at a desk five days a week just didn't sit well with him. The outdoors won him back - with maybe a little influence from something called "mid-life crisis," if you’ve heard of those… In 2006, he bought a 64 acres piece of land that we now call home. Aside from the trees and ponds, there was no house, no barn, and no real project in mind yet.
Work in progress with Vivianne & Meiggie's help, playing in the wood dust!
By pure luck, he stumbled upon alpacas. The appeal of these kind creatures was immediate. On Valentine's Day, 2007, we bought our first alpaca, Aristo Milady Theodora, then 2 more females in October 2007. By 2008, we welcomed a group from Alberta, including ACA Crispina and her then-wee lass of a daughter, ACA Xenia - genetics we still work with today. These 2 females have been invaluable for our breeding program.
We had a herd in boarding, but we were still missing a very important piece to the puzzle: a barn! The day René quit his job to jump full-time into this venture, he stopped on his way back home to a hardware store to buy a chainsaw, a tool he had never handled previously… A few months later, he purchased a portable mini sawmill. The goal was set: René would build the barn from the ground up, using timber that grew directly on the property, that he would not only cut himself, that he would also process and turn into planks.
By Spring 2008, the foundations were set. He had help for exactly two weeks - the rest, he did all by himself. Our barn is the result of two years of his hard work. No weekends, no holidays; he was even late for Christmas dinners because nothing could pull him away from his goal. Every plank, every pipe, and every fence was the product of his labor. Plumbing, electrical… he did it all.
The walls are up!
By Spring 2009, construction was far enough along to welcome the first alpacas to West Brome, a group of "pet boys" who got to test out the new space. In the Fall of that same year, the rest of the herd - our females, crias, and herdsires that had been in boarding since our beginning - were finally welcomed home. We built the house in 2010 (we actually hired people for that one!) and the family finally moved in that June.
The barn completed, January 2010
Evolution: A New Chapter…
Now approaching our second decade in the alpaca industry, the business has taken an unpredictable turn, one we never could have seen coming in those humble early days. Agritourism has become a pillar to our business model; we now welcome an average of 150 visitors per day during the season’s peak, with a personal record of 1,400 visitors in a single day!
This visibility led Peruvian companies to reach out in mid the 2010’s, establishing us as a wholesaler for fellow businesses and alpaca farms across Eastern Canada, partnerships and collaborations we are proud to hold to this day.
However, we always wanted to source some of our products closer to home. In 2015, we jumped into sock production by subcontracting to a factory in Quebec. But as the years went by, inconsistencies in production standards made it hard to guarantee the level of quality we demand… We needed a better way to ensure every pair was the right size and the right feel.
So, in 2024, we took our biggest leap yet: we bought our own manufacturing equipment. It was the largest investment we’ve ever made - both in time and money - but it was worth it. Today, from the initial design to the final production, we oversee every step to ensure our socks meet the highest standards of quality.