BAS alpaca farm day

BAS members are set to open their farms to the public on 4 September 2020, for the UK’s first Alpaca Farm Day.

T he event, which has attracted support from more than 100 owners, offers a fantastic opportunity to showcase alpacas and promote alpaca ownership as a lifestyle or business choice. Welcoming the public onto your farm allows you to promote your business, and provide an interesting outdoor experience for people, particularly families, who want to learn more about these endearing animals.

Ensuring you are organised well ahead of the event is essential and to help you plan we have put together a farm day checklist.

Publicity

Get in touch with your local newspaper and/or radio station – there is a lot of press interest in alpacas and Farm Day is expected to generate local and national press interest and positive publicity for the alpaca community. BAS CEO Duncan Pullar will have a press release available that you can adapt to your farm.

Leaflets and posters (including a design for social media) to print and use are available from BAS.

Type of event

The type of event is up to you but decide in advance if you are happy for visitors to wander around the farm. Would a guided tour work better? This could be either a walk and talk style presentation, or a self-guided tour with a farm trail leaflet and/or signs to direct people. Perhaps you could offer a spotters alpaca/nature quiz for children.

Make sure paths are safe and there are no trip hazards. You will also need to complete a risk assessment – templates are available online – and have adequate public liability insurance (see separate article). Will you need extra help from family or friends – perhaps to direct people or answer questions?

Parking and traffic

Do you have adequate parking? This is essential – neighbours are not going to appreciate random parking and blocked driveways. The BAS will have direction signs available (three/four for each farm) and these need to be ordered in advance.

Where there is likely to be a lot of traffic on small lanes consider informing your local council – a one way system may be helpful to avoid congestion.

Visitors at Cary Alpacas

Size of event

Small – a private event for friends/family or local village/school or other group.

Medium – limited to about 50 people. A booking system through your website or social media pages will be helpful to ensure you are not overwhelmed. With a big event (more than 50 visitors) timed pre-booked tours for groups may be a good plan.

Opening times – will you open all day or just mornings or afternoons? Make visitors aware of opening and closing times on event publicity.

Ensure you are able to comply with any social distancing requirements and visitors are aware of Covid-19 restrictions.

Hand washing facilities are essential – you need to have warm running water and adequate liquid soap supplies (not blocks) and paper towels to dry hands. Sanitiser is not considered adequate when visitors are touching animals. Sanitiser could however be available at stations around the farm.

Disabled access – is your farm wheelchair accessible? It would be helpful to let visitors know in advance.

Lock away any medicines, farm chemicals and machinery – be aware of security.

Displays and demonstrations

Farm day is an opportunity to showcase alpacas and promote alpaca ownership. Perhaps you could display photographs of your alpacas/cria, as well as educational materials, farm/herd leaflets, fleece, yarns or products.

You could ask your local spinners and weavers guild if they would like to demonstrate handspinning or maybe felting? Farm Day is a great opportunity to demonstrate that alpacas are fibre producing animals with an exceptional quality fleece that can be made into fabulous alpaca products. Are you serving refreshments or allowing picnics?

Finally, you will need toilets – hire companies can provide portaloos.

Charges

The intention is that BAS Farm Open Day has a basic free element where the public can meet an alpaca. Merchandise, food and experiences can be charged for as extras. The aim is to promote alpaca ownership and showcase the amazing world of alpacas to the public.