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AlpacaNation Q&A with Walnut Hill Farm, LLC
Nancy Schell
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3552 W. Brocker Rd., Metamora, MI 48455
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810-797-4838
AlpacaNation: Tell us about yourself...
Walnut Hill Farm, LLC: My husband, Don, and I have been married for 19 years and have two sons. Donnie is 17 and Bobby is 14. We all love the outdoors and animals, so it was easy to decide to add alpacas to our lives.
AlpacaNation: How long have you been in the alpaca business?
Walnut Hill Farm, LLC: We are still "Newbies" ! Our alpaca business just started in April of 2007. The animals have been here on the farm since August of 2007.
AlpacaNation: How did you decide on your farm name? Is there a special meaning behind the name?
Walnut Hill Farm, LLC: Well, it took a while. We have a hill out in front of the house leading down to our pond that is full of black walnut trees. So, that is where the name came from. :)
AlpacaNation: How did you become interested in alpacas?
Walnut Hill Farm, LLC: I wanted to start my own home based business. The first idea was to open up a boarding/riding stable. We decided against it and started looking at other possibilities. We heard about the "I Love Alpacas" website and got interested, did lots of research, and the rest is history.
AlpacaNation: What steps did you take to prepare for raising an alpaca herd?
Walnut Hill Farm, LLC: I have done extensive research online. We attended alpaca seminars, and my sons and I helped on shearing day. We also visited some alpaca farms in our area. We are continuing to learn every day. We are going to shows and plan on continuing our education by attending seminars.
AlpacaNation: What advice would you give to those just getting started in the industry?
Walnut Hill Farm, LLC: I would say that they need to learn as much as they can about all aspects of the industry. Knowledge is an ongoing process that never ends!
AlpacaNation: How do you see your farm and alpaca business growing over the next 5 to 10 years?
Walnut Hill Farm, LLC: I see it growing steadily and consistantly. I am hoping that in ten years i will have a good size herd of very good quality stock.
AlpacaNation: Do you have a favorite Alpaca? Why is it your favorite?
Walnut Hill Farm, LLC: So far, it would be Midnight, as he is my first cria :)
AlpacaNation: What has been your biggest lesson learned in terms of breeding?
Walnut Hill Farm, LLC: The results are ultimately up to GOD. The best you can do is choose wisely and take great care of the animals that you have. GOD does the rest :)
AlpacaNation: Any embarrassing moments you would like to share?
Walnut Hill Farm, LLC: Feeling like I am asking really dumb questions :)
AlpacaNation: What sets your farm and herd apart from others in the industry?
Walnut Hill Farm, LLC: That would be hard to answer. As everyone else will say... we are committed to improving the alpaca as much as we can. I welcome anyone to come and spend some time here visiting. I am happy to answer any questions. If I don't happen to know the answer, then we will find it together :) We are a small farm and I intend for it to remain small so that I can concentrate on my animals and my client friends.
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