Having escaped suburbia we are now living at Apple Tree Farm, in the beautiful South Pennines, a small holding totalling some 11 acres. As mentioned Calderdale is a charming valley with Hebden Bridge being a natural tourist magnet. We use ‘Hebden’ as we call it for all our local needs including our agricultural supplies such as feeds, gates, fencing etc. We have a great relationship with our local farmers who come on the land with the ‘big stuff’ to treat the land and also for hay making in the Summer. These guys really are worth their weight in gold as they can make short work of a field of hay that needs cutting and bailing.
We love the Alpacas to bits, and take pride of place. But its not easy, you need to know about these animals to truly take care of them and that’s where being associated to the Yorkshire Alpaca Group (YAG) really comes in handy. Our regular YAG meetings allow us to discuss with other owners what’s going on in the World of Alpacas, and usually there is a lot. We cover topics such as alpaca husbandry, with local vets giving talks and also how to grade and treat alpaca fleeces once cut. There is always something new to learn.
Our boys are always up for a bit of fun. They are so nosey and will always come across to see what you're up to and to say hello. They all want your attention all the time and this is where the walks allows them to interact with people, we suspect the Alpacas enjoy this even more than the visitors. Be warned… if you take you attention off them, and take in the breathtaking views as you may, you may get a soft muzzle in your back reminding you where your attention should be!
