Dave has worked on our farm now for several years – bringing his knowledge of large farm equipment and his love of animals to our herd. He is primarily responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the infrastructure of the barns, fields and feeding supplies for the animals. He mixes grains, clears and cuts fields and has the never-ending job of road repair to the mile driveway leading to the farm.

April is the newest member of our farm family. Growing up in southern Columbia County, she was born and raised on a dairy farm, coming home after school to do her chores. She brings her experience with large farm animals, plenty of hands-on know-how, and a can-do attitude to her part-time position at our farm. Her first day at the farm it was clear that she knew how to gently but deliberately handle animals so they would respond. She and Tracee can often be seen working together with the animals and doing the clean-up chores, grooming and training that takes two for best results.

Our farm family also consists of various Arnows that help out with all sorts of chores around the farm. This photo shows Eli and Farmer Joe splitting an old elm tree for firewood down by the vegetable garden.


Joe, now semi-retired, has been our farmer for the past 35 years, following in the footsteps of his father who also worked on our farm. For many years, he raised Dorset and Suffolk sheep breeds with 75 breeding females producing young lambs for sale in the early spring. His farming operation over the years has included goats, rabbits for breeding, as well as a small herd of young dairy cows raised for milk production. Our fields of silage and hay have been used to feed the animals on the farm. Joe continues hay production for neighboring horse farms and has, for the past 25 years, made it a point to travel to Spain each summer to run with the bulls in Pamplona.

Tracee has brought her many years of experience working with the care and training of horses to our farm and has been in fast motion, learning about all the attributes of hands-on alpaca care, training and the alpaca breeding industry. She has a young family of her own, and brings her love of animals to her new part time position as herd manager. She is responsible for providing medical follow-up, grooming and training of all the animals, particularly the youngest, and scheduling vet visits and care. Most days you can find her, between cleaning the automatic waterers, hiking the fields to inspect fencing, taking a grooming brush to a top knot, or talking to an animal on a training lead, reading a bestselling novel by the stone wall before heading home to her son.