HELENA — National Alpaca Farm Days are this weekend, September 28th and September 29th.
Sapphire Alpaca Farm in Helena is bringing awareness to the creatures that have been providing for humans for thousands of years.
Doug Fejes, one of the owners of the farm, says, "They show a link between the past, the present, and the future."
The farm has focused on the impact of South American animals on sustainable agriculture since 2017.
The farm's other owner, Dana Fejes, says, "Alpacas are raised for fiber primarily, so aside from having a wonderful animal that you can watch in the backyard and enjoy its companionship they also produce fiber for you."
Alpaca fiber is a renewable resource and is also biodegradable.
Sapphire raises Suri alpacas known for their silky textured fiber. The duo sends the fiber to be tested in New Zealand to get data about which alpaca's fiber is most breedable.
The key thing to look for is luster or shininess, a trait prevalent in the Sapphire herd.
"There's times in the afternoon when the sun is coming in where it looks like a herd of glowing deer," Doug says.
Alpaca fiber is versatile and has many compelling properties like durability, warmth, antimicrobial, and antibacterial.
Sapphire's goal is to produce nice local products that are also functional for Montanans…scarves.
The duo settled on scarves because, "you're not really pinned down by size, so as long as you have a neck you can enjoy wearing a scarf," Doug says.
Sapphire tethers the past with the future through the use of an ancient material and modern technology. The farm bought a knitting machine from Europe and can now make twenty five detailed scarves a day locally.
Although alpacas have only been farmed in the United States since the late eighties, they have a complex story to tell.
Dana says, "There is just so much in the world of alpacas to learn and to visit and to just enjoy and have fun with them."
The pieces available for purchase from the farm honor Montana's flora and fauna and are available for purchase throughout Helena and the state, including Yellowstone National Park.
