Hey Farm Friends, It has been a busy month for our little farm. We celebrated our five year anniversary, started up a social media schedule, had many tours, visitors, and memories made along the way. As we finish out July and welcome August, we are running a sale on sweaters in our store, this includes capes and cardigans, for 20% off. Our alpaca woolen sweaters will last you a lifetime. With buildable pieces for your capsule wardrobe to statement pieces to create iconic looks, alpaca sweaters are an investment in sustainable shopping.The Andes Mountains in South America, the origin location of alpacas, maintains one of the most dynamic and extreme climates on earth. In a single day it can hit both extremes (sounds like a Virginia summer) and because of this, alpaca fiber is so uniquely multi-functional. Alpaca wool is: 1) Odor-resistant Bring on the sweaty, humid Virginia days. The keratin protein in alpaca fiber has natural antibacterial properties that prevent the bacteria from breaking it down to produce odorants. 2) Three times lighter than sheep’s wool Summer means picnics, barbecues, and plenty of outdoor activities which are better enjoyed in light, breathable clothing. However, these pieces also work great for layering outfit looks in the colder months without overheating yourself. 3) Durable Fast fashion has deteriorated the quality and longevity of clothing. Your favorite sweater is worn and beaten long before it solidifies its place as your favorite sweater. Alpaca sweaters will hold true for years to come. 4) Soft The “come here and feel this” kind of soft that when you’re shopping you have to pull your shopping buddy over to make them feel the fabric. Yeah, *that* soft. 5) Hypoallergenic Because it does not contain lanolin (the waxy oil in sheep’s wool meant to create a water-resistant layer to keep the sheep dry), alpaca fiber sweaters don’t have that itchy, old sweater texture that wool tends to have. 6) Moisture-wicking We established before that the lanolin enables sheep to create a moisture barrier for themselves. So, without that, how does the alpaca fiber do it? Let alone, how does it have a water retention rate of only 8%, as opposed to other wools which hold 16-20%? The air pockets. Having small air pockets in the alpaca fiber allows for moisture to effectively evaporate from the fiber back into the atmosphere. This allows you to not feel clammy, sweaty, or broil inside of your alpaca sweater. There are so many reasons why to invest in a quality fabric like alpaca fiber. Which is why we are so excited for you to have the opportunity to experience one of the most functional and sustainable materials in your own closet. To our crafter, crochetier, knitter, and weaver out there: starting Monday, August 1st, if you buy more than 5 skeins, we are offering 10% off your entire yarn purchase. If you lean towards a personalized, homemade touch to your presents, with Christmas just 5 short months away, it is time to get started on those holiday gifts. Come stock up at our farm store and give them a gift just as durable and long lasting as the love you put into it. Sorry our livestream got cut short friends. Watching the playback, we realized there was only 16 minutes. The extra footage will be in some of the YouTube videos this week. See if you can spot them and leave a wink in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our small walk along the Northpoint trail and visiting one of the two alpaca barns together. We are excited for us to have more opportunities to chat about the farm and to answer any questions you may have. We want to get to know our community, so even if you can’t stay long in the stream or aren’t sure what to say, feel free to even just say hello or share your day. We would love to hear from you. So excited to see you there. There’s so much planned for our alpaca farm. Hope you’ll join us here, on facebook, instagram, and our YouTube channel. Stay safe <3