Llama Crossing
By Bonna L. Nelson
Photography by Tony Lewis, Jr.
At Home on the Shore
Lovable llamas, adorable alpacas raised here
 Traditionally South American pack animals, llamas are raised on six Eastern Shore farms.
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My anticipation heightened as I stood along St. Michaels’ Talbot Street, in the same spot as the previous year. After watching several marching bands, antique cars, and waving hometown politicians pass by, there they were—my favorite part of the “Christmas in St. Michaels” holiday parade! Dressed for the season, graceful llamas pranced and strutted down the street with their heads held high. Led by smiling members of the Loco Llamas 4-H group of Queenstown, the statuesque, proud llamas worked the crowd like celebs walking the red carpet and working the paparazzi.
How did it come to be that a pack of llamas makes a yearly appearance at this Eastern Shore event? Entranced as I was, I nonetheless searched the database of my brain for stray bits of information about llamas that I’d unknowingly retained over the years. Something told me they were predominantly from South America, and I didn’t think they had much practical purpose except as transportation—an ancient, living version of U-Haul for Peruvians, if you will. But this did little to explain the existence of a local llama group, so I set forth to learn more.
South American Heritage
 Properly socialized llamas, and their smaller cousins, alpacas, are known to be safe with children and easy to train.
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Llamas and alpacas, both relatives of the camel and among the oldest domesticated animals in the world, have played an important role in the central Andean cultures of South America for over 6,000 years. They were domesticated by the Incas in the Andes Mountains in what are now the countries of Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Like the North American buffalo, these animals were first considered a source of meat, fuel, and hides for clothing, as well as companionship and a mode of transportation. The Incas trained llamas to carry heavy packs in the mountainous terrain and to guard alpacas, sheep, and other smaller livestock. Woven alpaca fiber warmed and protected the Incas against their harsh environment; the fibers, and textiles made from them, also served as valuable trade commodities.
Today, many Inca descendants carry on their forefathers’ tradition of trekking down the mountains with their pack llamas to trade their goods at markets in valleys far below. By day, alpacas and llamas are led to cold Andean plateaus for grazing; at night, shepherds herd them into rocky corrals.
By the end of 2007, more than seven million llamas and alpacas populated South America. Due to importation in the late 20th century, there are now more than 200,000 llamas and 10,000 alpacas across the U.S. and Canada. There are currently approximately 1,300 llama breeders in the U.S. Twelve of these breeders are located in Maryland, six of which are on the Eastern Shore.
Lovable Llamas
 Llamas are five to six feet tall and weigh between 280 and 500 pounds.
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“Llamas are so intelligent, sociable, friendly, and easy to get along with that I take mine to schools and nursing homes for companionship, therapy, and enjoyment,” says llama breeder Alison Vooris of Moot Point Farm in Greensboro. “In buildings, the llamas love to run up and down stairways or get into elevators, and the kids and elderly love to play with them and learn about them.” An enrichment teacher for Queen Anne’s County schools, Vooris has owned and bred llamas on her family farm for 12 years and is a member of the Loco Llamas 4-H Club.
Five to six feet tall to the top of the head and weighing 280 to 500 pounds, the llama has a long, graceful neck, a relatively small but elongated head with large, expressive eyes, banana-shaped ears, and a pendulous abdomen. Their woolly covering acts as insulation and enables them to withstand cold, wind, snow, and rain. Their two-toed feet with leathery bottom pads make them especially sure-footed animals, and they leave nary a mark on the ground.
In the U.S., llamas are first and foremost pets and companions, though they are also used as pack animals for wilderness hikes out West and for their woolly fiber, which can be woven into rugs, rope, and garments. They’re used as guardians against predators of smaller livestock, and because of their harsh, Andean ancestry are hardy, healthy, and disease free compared to other livestock.
“Llamas are wonderful, gentle animals and are great with children,” Vooris says. “They are easy to raise, too. Because they are so safe with children and trainable, we can take them to schools, use them for 4-H training and demonstrations, agricultural shows, and for protection. And we teach children to make felt items from llama wool.”
Adorable Alpacas
 Betsy Rector, a member of the Loco Llamas 4-H Club, escorts a group of llamas in her Queenstown farm.
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“They are so darn cute, and that is one of the reasons we raise them,” says Marianne Jackson, owner of 22 alpacas at Sugar Magnolia Farm, her family farm in Queen Anne. “They are fun, great with kids, and interesting. I call our pasture the world’s largest playpen because we let the youngest alpacas loose to romp in the field while we work in the barn.”
About 55 alpaca breeders call Maryland home, six of which are on the Eastern Shore. The llama’s smaller cousin, the alpaca is more of a herd animal than the llama, is one-third to one-half its size, and has a smaller, shorter head with straighter ears. Alpaca wool is longer and of better quality than llama wool, and is straighter and less coarse than sheep wool. “Alpaca fleece is in high demand globally and is one of the softest and most durable in the world,” Jackson says. “Spinners, weavers, and knitters prize the rare alpaca fibers for their beauty, range of colors, thermal properties, and drape.”
Alpacas are gentle, inquisitive, and intelligent. Like llamas, they are generally easy to care for, hardy, healthy, and disease free. Once they get to know their owners, they may allow their backs or necks to be touched but generally don’t like to be petted the way llamas do. In addition to being used for fiber production, they are used as companion animals, for pet therapy, and are sold for breeding stock.
At Home on the Shore
 A playful llama enjoys a good roll in the dirt.
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Veterinarian Marian Shaw has been breeding llamas for 11 years at Spring Cove Farm in Queenstown. She welcomes visitors to see her 15 llamas, especially on Wednesday afternoons when the Loco Llama 4-H Club, which she co-leads, meets to work with the animals. (Please call before visiting.) Shaw says raising llamas is “hobby farming,” and she likes that llamas have far less of an impact on the environment than other livestock. Their soft, padded feet cause less pasture damage and less water runoff. They require less feed than horses, take up less space to forage, are easily transported in vans and large cars, and graze on grass, weeds, leaves, and shrubs.
“Llamas are a good choice for a small farm. They are gentle and easy to handle for kids in 4-H compared to horses, cows, pigs, chickens, even dogs,” Shaw says. “Since they are native to an elevated, cool climate, they get special treatment in the hot, humid Shore summers. By the end of May, we shear them and turn on the fans in the barn to keep them cool. You should see them frolicking in their pasture wading pools.”
Shaw sells llama fleece to local specialty knitting shops and to local spinners. The fine, soft llama fleece usually is blended with sheep fiber, which is coarser. She also sells llamas for guard purposes, to protect sheep and alpaca from dogs and coyotes. The 4-H group makes and sells felt hats from the fleece. In addition, Shaw takes the llamas to schools, nursing homes, parades, agriculture festivals, and livestock competitions up and down the East Coast for education, entertainment, training, and competitive purposes.
Like Shaw and Vooris with their llamas, Jackson enjoys raising her alpacas on the Shore, instead of other livestock, because they are gentler on the environment. Raised on her parents’ farm next door, Jackson learned the challenges of both crop farming, which is weather dependent, and raising cattle, pigs, horses, and chickens to supplement crop income.
So alpacas also produce income for her. Their fleece is in high demand. A local knitwear designer, Sanguine Gryphon, creates patterns for alpaca fiber bought from the Sugar Magnolia Farm. The fiber is coveted by the fashion industry and cherished by hand spinners due to its cashmere-like softness. Jackson also sells alpacas to new and experienced alpaca owners. She arranges open-house visits for knitting, spinning, and weaving groups, school groups, and others, and takes the animals to shows such as the annual Queen Anne’s County Rural Heritage Festival.
Contact one of the farms or associations listed below to arrange a visit to see other llamas or alpacas, or to find out about upcoming agricultural or competitive shows, where they can be seen and to learn about buying and raising these creatures. And look for me at the parades with a big smile on my face!
Bonna L. Nelson is a freelance writer who is raising a golden retriever, an English setter, and a husband on Jack’s Cove in Easton. She would love to raise a llama or alpaca, too!
Managing Editor Andrew Keatts contributed to this article.
Do they really spit?
Llamas and alpacas communicate with one another through body posturing, gentle humming sounds, and spitting. When correctly reared, well-socialized, and trained to halter and lead, they will rarely spit at humans. But being a social herd animal, they do spit at each other for control—to divert annoying suitors, ward off a threat, or establish a pecking order at mealtime.
“All llamas and alpacas have the ability to spit, but alpacas don’t usually have that temperament,” Jackson says. “Though at dinnertime, look out, because spitting is a form of their communication. And I have been spit on just from being in the midst of their feeding frenzy!”
A Sampling of Easton Shore Llama and Alpaca Farms
Llama Farms
Marian Shaw, DVM
Spring Cove Farm
P.O. Box 168
Queenstown, MD 21658
410-758-0121
shaw@friend.ly.net
Alison Vooris
Moot Point Farm
25351 Moot Point Ln.
Greensboro, MD 21639
410-924-2877
Lucretia Wooters
314 School House Rd.
Centreville, MD 21617
Alpaca Farms
Marianne Jackson
Sugar Magnolia Farm
1035 Damsontown Rd.
P.O. Box 225
Queen Anne, MD 21657
410-820-2901
sugarmagnolia@dmv.com
Tom and Lu Ann Lumsden
6304 Kent Point Rd.
Stevensville, MD 21666
410-643-1993
Chesapeakealpacas.com
Jackie Mathiason
Alpaca Road LLC
Ridgely, MD 21660
410-343-1661
Alpacaria.com
Associations
Alpaca and Llama Show Association (ALSA)
Alsashow.org
Llama Association of the Mid-Atlantic States (LAMAS)
Llamaweb.com
Maryland Alpaca Breeders Association
Marylandalpacas.org
Suri Network
Surinetwork.org
Tags:
Llamas
Alpaca Farms
Alpaca
Eastern Shore Wildlife
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