Black alpacas

Those black alpacas are elusive. Tried again today to get a good photograph of Toft Ison our Champion black alpaca so I could put him up for sale on the website.
This is as good as it gets. If we could get a picture half as good as this young mans fleece, pedigree and show record there will be a queue at the farm gate.
Toft Ison is a champion black stud male from the Skywalker line. He is coming up to three years old, is ready to work and we will do our utmost to get him busy with the ladies in the coming months in a new home.

Fashionable alpaca

Busy time this week ferrying the new Toft Alpaca collection into a promotional event in Regent Street. Kerry came along as creator and designer to set up the Toft Alpaca display and of course young Edward needed to be there to supervise. Meanwhile yours truly, the faithful family retainer, was lugging the stuff up two flights into the room. The things we do...

Alpaca halter training

Finally the wind dropped. The sun shone and it the warm spell we were granted we got to grips with the Toft Alpaca Junior Show Team. We had the help of our youngest daughter Laura who is up on the Manor for the weekend with her boyfriend Miko who is playing photographer whilst Shirley Lol and I worked with the alpacas.

A wee hint of Spring

Tucked away in a sheltered spot in our garden a burst of colour made its presence felt this week despite that cold east wind. The first Daffodils burst open and we cut a few to brighten up the Toft Alpaca Studio to at least give us hope that Spring is on its way.
Not that the alpacas mind this dry cold spell. They positively thrive on this ever present wind as long as that have enough to eat. Their fleeces seem to ping out and shout at you in this cold weather and when you open them up the brightness is truly startling!
But we humans have had enough of winter now. We need a little bit of warmth in the air to encourage all those people wanting alpacas and stud services to knock on our door and see the alpacas whilst they are still in fleece. I can't believe we'll be shearing in six weeks and winter hasn't let go its grip yet. Hey ho!

Toft Alpaca Open Day

A few more pics from a memorable Toft Alpaca Event

Toft Alpaca Studio humming for Easter

The Toft alpaca open day on Bank Holiday Monday was a huge success with almost 600 people coming to the farm to enjoy our alpacas.
We were all up at the crack of sparrows to get ready and no sooner had we opened the gates than droves of alpaca enthusiasts started to arrive. Farm walks, craft workshops and halter walking went on continuously throughout the day and despite the cold east wind the Toft Alpaca Studio was throbbing all day with excited and interested people enjoying all things alpaca.
A big Toft Alpaca thanks must go to the volunteers who made the day go with such a bang.
Keith my brother in Law did a sterling job of parking the cars along with our meet and greet specialist Shirley's sister Lorna. Keiths an engineer and this meant the cars were parked with real precision.
Linda and Gemma managed the alpacas for the halter walks along with Millie and Elanor our work experiencers.
Harry our other work experiencer helped Kerry's husband Doug with the hotdogs.
Whilst my wonderful mother in law, Claire's boyfriend Chris and Claire's mother 'Michelle worked the kitchen along with Claire's sister who moved so fast and was so busy I never caught her name! Harriet's friend Frankie got stuck in too whilst Kerry, Claire, and Harriet buzzed up and down the studio organising teaching and showing everyone our wonderful alpaca yarns.
We had a the knitters knitting,the felters felting and Shirley and I doing far talks and halter walks. Meanwhile Auntie Sandra took care of young Edward, sharing her childminding duties with Doug's Mum Elanor.
All in all it was a massive effort from Team Toft and we thank everybody who volunteered to help make the day special and of course all those alpaca enthusiasts who came along to enjoy our alpacas. See you all again soon.

Alpaca fencing

Busy two days fencing the display paddocks easy for the Toft Alpacas open day today.
It always amazes me that an animal that could clear the four foot stock fencing by a foot and a half is kept in place by a three foot stock fence and two strands of plain wire.
It is truly remarkable the way alpacas see a straight line as a solid object and never jump or challenge the fences however simple they may be.
These fences I'm doing are far from that. I'm creating three display paddocks to enable the toft alpaca visitors to get close to the alpacas for photo's and fun. I've had five gates and 200 metres of stock fencing to put in by hand!
As you can see Archie the llama and his gang are supervising the job!