Earlier this year, on a random Sunday morning, I stopped by the Spa City Farmer’s Market to visit and photograph all the vendors there for a photo-journey blog post (see earlier post). One of the vendors in particular, Judy Leon of Haven Hill Farm, caught my attention and we had a really nice conversation about her beautiful felted and knitted products, created from alpaca wool from her own herd. I was fascinated with the process, in love with her products, and curious about her farm, located in Greenwich, NY.
Judy was gracious enough to invite me to Haven Hill Farm to meet these adorable animals, and get up close and personal with my camera. I happily accepted and we agreed that I would visit after the snow was finally all gone and before the alpacas were sheared. I finally made it over there a couple of weeks ago…at about the same exact time that the spring weather was, at long last, bursting upon us.
My first glimpses of the farm were absolutely breathtaking! And then I got to meet the beautiful herd of alpacas…
Seriously. Does it get much cuter than this? I don’t think so. To say I was completely smitten would be an understatement. They were a little bit shy, but did not seem to be scared of me and were, in fact, very curious about my camera. I was beyond charmed.
The alpacas are sheared for the fiber which is then made into roving or spun into yarn, and used to create gorgeous hand-felted scarves and other items such as mittens, socks and hats…each more beautiful than the last.
There is so much more to Haven Hill than the alpacas, although they are the sole focus of the photos in this post.
No matter which direction I turned, I was treated to a view of either the cats, dogs and horses they have rescued, something green and growing, or something just plain magical like the many bird feeders or wind chimes. It was a truly enchanting visit.
As quoted from the “Alpacas of Haven Hill” website, “Haven Hill Farm is also a garden where we grow plants, flowers, and vegetables organically for ourselves and for you — we bring what is in season to the Spa City Farmers’ Market every Sunday, and the Troy Waterfront Farmers’ Market every Saturday. We also provide assistance with garden planning and installation as well as offering unique, stunning flower arrangements at the markets or by order for special events.”
How about these two cuties peeking over the wall at me? Absolutely adorable…
And, as for Judy, it is apparent that she is passionate about this farm, the alpacas, and her life here.
I will be heading back later this summer to visit when the flowers are in full bloom and will focus that post on photos of everything else this wonderful farm has to offer but, for today, I just could not get past the alpacas. And, let’s be honest, I will probably take more pictures of them when I go back. There’s no way I will be able to walk past without getting a few thousand additional shots.
