..continued from Page 5 << Cria Needs a Coat by Linda Berol, Farm Manager

I am not a professional seamstress. Anyone with a little knowledge of sewing can do this! It has been a lot of fun for me to make alpaca coats. It IS a time-consuming project. I am by nature a resourceful person. Perhaps it is in my genetics. My grandmother Rhodes designed and sewed her own clothes. And because of my grandmother’s resourcefulness and ingenuity this farm is still in our family. She also grew her own flowers and vegetables, and entered samples of flowers and vegetables into the local Harford County Fair, using her prize money to help pay for the real estate taxes. I often think of this, feeling grateful for her hard work. So this proud and grateful feeling motivates me to purchase old raincoats from a thrift store and convert them into alpaca coats.

I am happy to share these ideas with others and I wish success to others in this project. It is possible to do this same thing with smaller pets, such as cats or dogs. We are a small alpaca farm, continually learning, and just trying to be the best alpaca farm that we can be. We are enjoying the day to day routines of working on an alpaca farm. I hope I will motivate others to go the extra mile in caring for animals – and always, treat your animals with respect and kindness.

This article is copyright 2011 and beyond, copyright by Linda Berol. Cannot be republished elsewhere without express written permission.