ROCHESTER — This may only be the first year the Sippican River Farm has participated in National Alpaca Farm Days, but there was a large turnout of enthusiastic residents who came to meet the four-legged animals. 

Cheryl and Bronie Rozenas, who care for 18 alpacas on their small farm, hosted the event on Sept. 29 and 30 to teach people about the animals and demonstrate how they process the fiber before turning it into knit products. 

“These alpacas are really soft,” said Karen DeSimone while she fed one of the animals. 

As dozens of residents crowded around Bronie while he spoke about the animals, some of the alpacas roamed around the pen and approached other children who offered up hands full of food.

Alpacas come from South America, mainly Peru, Chile and Bolivia. The average alpaca can weigh up to 140 pounds, live for almost 15 years, and they come in 22 different natural colors. 

The animals are primarily used for their fleece, a natural fiber similar to sheep’s wool which can be spun into yarn. Bronie said that though their fleece is soft, it will become coarse as the animals age so harvesting it from younger alpacas is better. 

Alpacas need to be shorn once a year, typically in May. Cheryl and Bronie skirt the fiber, a process of removing debris such as leaves or dirt, and bring some of the fiber to a local mill where it is processed and made into various products. The remaining fiber is processed at the farm.

“I try to set us apart from other farms, so we process a lot of our own fiber here,” said Cheryl. 

At the farm, the fiber is cleaned, disentangled and made into pieces of material which can then be spun. The yarn is used to make a variety of products such as socks, mittens, hats, scarves, and specialty items like alpaca dryer balls.