This face-to-face, and hands-on, experience gave us a true perspective and understanding of the animals and the business of raising them. We finally concluded that with careful planning and execution we could develop a five-year plan that safely minimized the 'downside' and realistically presented us (anyone) with a high probability of success - a wonderful lifestyle, positive cash flow, and substantial annual appreciation in herd value.

So we sold our home on the water and moved 120 miles north into the beautiful rolling countryside of north central Florida - long renowned for raising Kentucky Derby winners - where we built a ranch home surrounded by sufficient acreage to raise a herd of alpacas. And now we live there...with our new children.

In case this sounds dull and uninteresting to some people, let us point out that during the summer of 2004 we survived four major hurricanes, and since then have had countless gorgeous cria born on the farm – several of which were premature due largely to the storms that literally passed right over us. We have also taken in some abused and mistreated alpacas that had been abandoned by a bankrupt circus – they had been badly mistreated with open sores, broken noses, a broken hip, and a face full of scar tissue, and we brought them back to full health and fitness and slowly developed in them a new trust in people. They are now living happily on farms owned by loving and responsible people.

We have also re-bred all of our females several times, cleared another three acres of land for additional pasture, installed more fencing and an irrigation system, built a barn and workshop, had over a hundred people visit our farm to look at, and learn about, our alpacas - and we took some of our animals to schools so that children could learn about them and where they come from.

Trust us when we say - there is always plenty to do, and plenty of satisfaction to go along with it!