Farm owner Tammy Crum said coming to the farm is free of charge to teach the children that although alpacas are commonly thought of as “cute and cuddly,” they are still livestock.

Kids should “respect them as livestock, just as you would a horse,” she said.

Twenty-six alpacas roamed Crum’s backyard Saturday afternoon, along with pigs and chickens.

In June 2012, Crum bought six alpacas from Salona, Pa., after years of learning about alpacas from educational classes and working alongside experts.

Alpacas roam Lilly Mountain Alpaca owner Tammy Crum’s backyard on Saturday at the farm. Mirror photo by Colette Costlow

After she brought them onto her farm, she said that people were “almost immediately” on her property, eager to see the animals.

Typically, the farm is only open on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., but Crum said their hours also “depend on what’s going on in the community,” including college welcome week events, library events and birthday parties.

With three part-time workers, Crum said “Christmas starts in August” for them because of the changing seasons, such as hunting season.

While Crum said some of her alpacas are “show-worthy,” she said she is mainly interested in their fiber and promoting the fiber industry.

To promote the fiber industry, Crum said their alpacas will be sheared once a year, starting in March.

Hats made with alpaca fiber sit on a stand at Lilly Mountain Alpacas on Saturday. Mirror photo by Colette Costlow

Jeanna McConnell mainly shears Crum’s animals while owning her own business — Shear Delight Shearing — on the side.

From Alabama to New York, McConnell said she shears thousands of alpacas across the east coast with her brother, typically starting from March until the beginning of August.

She said working on Crum’s farm was her first job, stating that shearing “fell into her lap.”

To shear an alpaca, McConnell said they use a “rope system,” meaning that they will tie the animal onto a mat and cut off a layer of fur.

With that layer of fur, around 75% of their fur goes into a fiber pool in Massachusetts while 25% is kept on the farm to create items from alpaca fur, Crum said.

Brooklynn Kadillac (left), 8, feeds alpacas with her cousin Cali Schlosser, 8, at Lilly Mountain Alpacas on Saturday. Mirror photo by Colette Costlow

On the farm, they sell hats, socks and decorations made from the alpaca fiber from their farm as well as Peruvian items like blazers and sweaters.

LeAnn Mandichak creates decorations from the fiber including small tabletop Christmas trees.

Having worked with alpaca fiber for seven years, she said they will dye or mix fibers to create a specific color and item, Mandichak said.

Alpaca products are “not cheap to purchase,” Crum said, because there are not as many alpacas in America compared to sheep.

Yet, she went on to say that alpaca fur is not only for cold weather — the wool can be distributed into different weights, creating lighter items that are more suited for warm weather.

Colton Schlosser, 6, feeds alpacas at Lilly Mountain Alpacas on Saturday. Mirror photo by Colette Costlow

This region “wants practical things” like socks, hats and gloves, she said.

Local residents like Colton Schlosser, 6, Cali Schlosser, 8, and Brooklynn Kadillac, 8, wanted to visit the farm to see the “fluffy” animals.

Their grandmother, Christina Greathouse, was not aware that this weekend was National Alpaca Day, but she said she brought her grandchildren to the farm to learn.

Her grandchildren can “experience the different things that (the farm) teaches them.”

With an accessible farm, Crum said she hopes to teach people about alpacas because they’re “unique” animals.