Alpaca Farm opens its gates to the public once again | The Kingston Whig Standard

It was a cool start to the day, but it warmed up quickly as crowds rolled in to Ruby’s Acres Alpaca Farm in Odessa on Saturday to see, feed, and touch the adorable, ultra-soft alpacas.

It was the fourth consecutive year that the farm, just west of Kingston, opened its gates to the public.

Joanne D’Amore and her husband, Pete, have been operating the farm for five years, but D’Amore said this year ‘s dry summer brought new challenges for the family. The arean’s summer-long drought impacted many farmers, and Ruby’s Acres was no exception.

“We weren’t able to get a second or third cut (of hay),” D’Amore said. “We only have a first cut to feed our animals, which isn’t as nutritious, so we have to supplement.”

According to D’Amore, a supplement of alfalfa and beet pulp shreds — a byproduct of processing sugar beets — is currently being used as fodder to stretch out the hay supply, a mainstay in the alpacas’ diet.

“Our feed bill has gone up exponentially because we have to supplement with the other stuff to make sure that the moms are getting all the proper nutrients and the protein to be able to nurse and grow the new baby alpacas,” she explained.

The grass in the paddocks was brown and right down to dirt in some places, which meant grazing was at a minimum, and more hay was required for feeding.

The drought presented a water shortage for some of the D’Amores’ neighbours, but luckily Ruby’s Acres managed without having to ship in water.

“We must have a pretty good vein because our well did not disappoint,” D’Amore said. “Most of our neighbours had to get water.”

Their apiary took a hit last fall due to mites and a change of location. The move traumatized the bees. The combination of the move and the mite infestation resulted in a significant loss of their bees. They’re down to one hive now.

D’Amore said even with the one hive, they did well.

“We had great production with our one little hive,” she said. “I still have more in the house that I have to process. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. We’ve been so busy.”

Be careful how long you hang out in the gift shop at the farm. You might just learn something, like how education is a big part of what Ruby’s Acres does.

The focus of this agritourism enterprise is farm tours, which provide education to visitors.

You can book a tour of the farm, mingle with the herd and feed them treats, or take a guided nature walk with a fluffy friend, all while you learn about these fascinating and exotic animals. Local schools book tours on a regular basis.

There were some firsts this year at the annual open house, including two piglets and two emus, exotic flightless birds from Australia, which have been added to the farm’s livestock.

Also, a new pond was excavated. Though the pond is a little low due to drought conditions, it is still functional and suitable for the many waterfowl that enjoy it.