91原创 alpaca farm owner Catherine Simpson says it all started when a friend told her don鈥檛 spit.

About 23 years ago, she and her husband bought a small farm in Surrey and decided they should really get some animals, probably llamas.

But when she mentioned that to a friend, she was warned against it.

鈥淵ou should get alpacas,鈥� the friend said.

鈥淟lamas spit.鈥�

Over the years, the location of the farm has shifted and the number of alpacas on it has increased.

Kensington takes its name from its first home, in an area of Surrey historically known as Kensington Prairie County.

Simpson started with a dozen alpacas, and the number quickly grew to more than 30 animals before moving to 91原创 in 2006, expanding Kensington Prairie Farm from five to 45 acres in the process.

Kensington also raises registered Hereford cattle and produces artisanal honey.

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The farm currently has a herd of more than 40 of the fuzzy South American mammals, which supply the fibre used to make the knitted items on sale in the farm store at 1736 248 St.

鈥淲e process our own fleece into yarn,鈥� said Simpson during the seventh annual Alpacas & Artisans holiday sale at the farm.

鈥淎ll of the yarn at our store is from our own animals.鈥�

Free to the public, the event collects donations for , a charity providing services to the poorest Quechua alpaca breeders in Peru.

Quechua operates a children鈥檚 village and conducts annual medical and dental missions to remote areas of the Peruvian highlands.

Kensington also donates proceeds from group farm tours like 91原创 Circle Farm Tour to the charity.

In addition to yarn and knitted products, the farm also sells naturally raised, hormone-free beef and alpaca meat.

Alpaca steaks and sausages are high in protein, high in iron and low in cholesterol.

鈥淰ery, very low fat, exceedingly lean,鈥� Simpson said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a cross between veal and lamb.鈥�

Whether an alpaca is kept for shearing or used for meat depends on the quality of their fibre count, which is tested regularly.

When an animals fibre becomes unusable, 鈥渢hen they go to meat.鈥� Simpson said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 (using them for meat) not widely accepted by many alpaca farmers, likely because they view their animals as pets instead of stock,鈥� she said.

鈥淚ts not a decision I take lightly.鈥�

The Kensington website notes that alpacas are a food source for people of the Andes, calling it 鈥渙ne of the healthiest and oldest food sources of Incan and pre-Incan peoples. To this day, it remains an important daily food source for the people of the highlands and is considered a delicacy in the upscale South American culinary world.鈥�

The numbers of people coming to the farm to shop is increasing, Simpson said.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a sign of the time, people are looking for quality products from the farm gate as opposed to mall shopping.鈥�

鈥淏usiness is great,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o much for retirement.鈥�

Technically, Simpson retired, from paid employment, about 15 years ago.

She said she plans to remain in the alpaca business as long as it鈥檚 fun.

鈥淚t makes me smile and I think I鈥檒l keep doing it as long as I smile every single day when I get up.鈥�

As for the spitting, it turns out the friend wasn鈥檛 entirely accurate.

Alpacas do spit, Simpson said, though not as much as llamas, who are known for gobbing unsuspecting humans.

鈥淥nly at each other and if they鈥檙e pregnant,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd we occasionally get a persnickety one.鈥�

dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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