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Visit enchanting animals at Crystal Lake Alpaca Farm
Boutique sells high-quality items made from alpaca fiber
Visitors to the Crystal Lake Alpaca Farm can see a working farm in action, visit the Crystal Lake Alpaca Boutique and check out the Animal Park where they can pet and feed animals. (Courtesy Photo)
They Crystal Lake Alpaca Boutique features a wide variety of products made from alpaca fiber, which is hypoallergenic, water resistant and fire resistant. (Courtesy Photo)
6 MANISTEE NEWS ADVOCATE
COLIN MERRY VENTURE STAFF WRITER
Anybody looking to get up-close and personal with some enchanting animals need only to visit the Crystal Lake Alpaca Farm to get their fix of cute. The farm, owned by Chris and David Nelson, is located at4907 River Road Frankfort. Home to more than 50 alpacas, the working farm breeds and sells alpaca, as well as harvests and creates fiber out of alpaca fleece. The farm is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, according to ChrisNelson. “The time has flown by; it seems like we just got the alpacas a few years ago but we’ve been doing it for 20 years,” she said. “When you do something you like and enjoy, time flies when you’re having fun.” Visitors to the Alpaca farm can watch the animals in their enclosures, walking, eating and playing. Many find watching them apeaceful experience, and theymakea calming humming noise as they go about their business. Curious animals, the alpacas may even wander over to investigate people watching them. As the year goes on, people may see baby alpaca, called a cria. “They’re enchanting, sweet and peaceful,” Nelson said. “They’re therapeuticand (they) calm people. People come to the farm, sit on a bench, watch them grazing and frolicking. They look at you. It’s just, you feel your blood pressure go down. They put you at ease.” There also is an animal park, where people can pet and feed alpacas, Nigerian dwarf goats and miniature donkeys. “We started the animal park about three years ago,” Nelson said. “People wanted to get closer to the animals, and we don’t let people into the pastures with the alpaca, so we thought an animal park would be a good idea.” Aside from the animals, the animal park has a seating and picnic area for families who want to stay a while with the animals. Visitors to the Crystal Lake Alpaca Farm might also run into the alpacas’ guardians, several great Pyrenees, dogs that watch for coyotes or other predators that might try and sneak onto the farm at night. What started out as six animals is now a herd of 50 plus, and the Nelsons raise 10-13 babies each year. “We do sell them,” Nelson said. “We attend alpaca shows. We do quite well in competitions. We’re not breeding to have a
large quantity of animals, we’re breeding to have good quality animals that thrive and are happy. We’ve helped people start farms.” The Crystal Lake Alpaca Farm has received the National Huacaya Small Breeder of the Year designations in 2013, 2014 and 2015. As for the fiber, the Nelsons harvest it and send it to a processor to make yarn, which can be purchased at the farm’s boutique, which was created 10 years ago. Aside from the alpaca yarn, visitors can find everything from hats, mittens and socks made from alpaca wool, which is naturally hypoallergic, water repellant and fire resistant. Alpaca fiber also does not have the “itch factor” that sheep’s wool does. Other items found at the boutique include sweaters, shirts, blankets, stuffed animals, scarves, snacks and dryer balls. Since it opened, the number of items in the boutique have increased, requiring a second building to be used to sell alpaca products. The Crystal Lake Alpaca Boutique also now has a location in the Grand Traverse Commons at the Mercato in Traverse City. An online store can be found at www.crystallakealpacaboutique. com.
The Crystal Lake Alpaca Farm and boutique in Frankfort is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, starting May 21. The alpacas even do weddings. “We’re doing wedding venues now,” Nelson said. “We can take the alpacas to outside wedding venues and they wear a little basket where they can ‘hand out’ wedding programs. People love to take pictures with the alpacas.” For more information, visit crystallakealpacas.com, call (231) 920-7085 or email CrystalLakeAlpacas@gmail.com. The animal park at the Crystal Lake Alpaca Farm is home to alpacas, miniature donkeys and Nigerian dwarf goats. (Courtesy Photo)
The Crystal Lake Alpaca Farm is home to around 50 alpacas, an animal native to South America. (Courtesy Photo)
VENTURE: SPRING 2021 7
