Five Things About Alpacas

And one thing you should definitely do when you stay at Hill Farm.

The first thing most guests notice when they step outside is the mountain views, but standing in the pasture just beyond the barn, curious and calm, are the second thing: the lady alpacas of Hill Farm. Before you introduce yourself, here is what you should know about them.

They Hum to Say Hello

Spend a few minutes near a herd of alpacas, and you will hear a soft, low humming. Alpacas are vocal animals that use humming to communicate a full range of emotions, like contentment, mild unease, and even affection. The hum changes in pitch and rhythm depending on what they are expressing.

Once you know this, the sounds they make begin to feel less like background noise and more like conversation.

They Are Remarkably Gentle on the Land

Alpacas have soft, padded feet rather than hard hooves, which means they move across the earth without tearing it up. Combined with their naturally light grazing habits, they clip grass rather than pull it from the roots, making them among the most land-friendly farm animals in the world.

For a property like Hill Farm, where stewardship of the land is a core value, alpacas are a natural fit. They take what they need and leave the pasture intact.

Their Fleece Comes in 22 Natural Colors

Alpaca fleece is one of nature's most extraordinary textiles, available in a natural palette that runs from snow white to deep charcoal, warm caramel to rich brown, and every shade in between. No dye or processing is necessary! The range of 22 recognized natural colors means that artisan weavers and knitters can work entirely with undyed fiber.

Color that comes from Mother Nature herself is a quiet, yet elegant, luxury.

It Has Been Called the “Fiber of Gods”

Alpaca fibers are softer than cashmere, warmer than wool, and naturally hypoallergenic.

Alpaca fiber is lanolin-free, which is what makes it hypoallergenic and a genuine alternative for people who find traditional wool scratchy or irritating. It is also hollow at the fiber level, which gives it exceptional insulating properties: warm in winter, breathable in summer.

For thousands of years, fine alpaca textiles were reserved for Andean royalty. The fiber is still considered among the most prized natural materials in the world. What you see grazing on our lawn is, in the most literal sense, walking luxury.

Ask at the Front Desk for Apple Slices

Our ladies are friendly, a little particular, and very food motivated. They love natural snacks, and apple slices are a particular favorite. A proper introduction goes better with a treat.

When you check in, ask any member of our team for apple slices, and they will set you up. It is a small moment, but guests mention it again and again in reviews, in conversations over dinner, and in the notes they leave behind. Something about standing in a Vermont pasture with the mountains in the background, feeding an alpaca on a quiet afternoon, ushers in a peaceful moment of decompression from what’s going on in the world.

Plan Your Visit

Hill Farm Inn is a 235-year-old working farm and historic inn nestled in the Equinox Valley of Southern Vermont, just outside of Arlington. Our 70-acre campus sits between the Taconic and Green Mountain ranges, with over a mile of the Battenkill River running through the property.

In addition to the alpacas, guests enjoy farm-to-table dining, fly fishing with Orvis-endorsed guides on the Battenkill, walking trails, a market garden, and the kind of quiet that is very hard to find anywhere else.

Hill Farm’s lady alpacas are waiting for their apple slices!