Coldwater Alpaca Ranch
Cathy & Bucky moved to Coldwater in 2007 to start breeding and selling alpacas. Alpacas are prized for their soft, cashmere type fiber that is warmer than wool and doesn't have the itch of wool. In their homelands of Argentina, Peru & Chile their fleece is called "the fiber of the gods". In 2009 we added another super fiber animal, Angora goats. Their long curly locks are called mohair. We breed all our animals for an array of lovely natural colors. We process most of the fiber ourselves into batts and rovings for spinning into yarn. There's also some fibers already processed into yarn. We sell hand knit and felted items made with alpaca and mohair.
We use all alpaca and llama fiber to make our felted dryer balls. These are a great all natural alternative to dryer sheets and fabric softener and they make clothes dry faster! Alpaca and llama are naturally hypo-allergenic and we don't use any dyes in making the dryer balls. They are great for people with chemical sensitivities and they save you money everytime you use them. By the way, they will last for a hundred years or so.
We also raise a large assortment of chickens, ducks and geese who provide us with the yummy fresh eggs that we sell. Duck eggs are great for baking because they are slightly higher in protein and fat and therefore make your baked goods rise higher
Our herbs are all grown on our ranch, mostly right around the house. We grow over 25 different varieties of culinary herbs. We have 6 different kinds of basil, regular and spicy oregano, 4 kinds of mint, 3 varieties of thyme and just about anything you could want to cook with. We sell "recipe size portions" that you can take home and use right away or store for up to a week. Fresh herbs really make your recipes special. If you need any suggestions Cathy can help you with recipes and new ways to use all the herbs.
We welcome visitors to the ranch; we just ask that you call and make an appointment. We also give group tours and fiber classes/demonstrations for a small fee. Call to schedule a visit. We always have an Open Ranch Day in the spring when we shear the animals (April 23, 2011). The public is invited and there is no charge, it's a treat to watch and unbelievable to see them go from fat and fluffy to lean and bare!