Local Luxury Fiber

Preserving the multi alpaca... one gray, pinto, and appy at a time

Homegrown • Handspun • Handmade

Preserving the multi alpaca... one gray, pinto, and appy at a time

Welcome to County Road Alpacas

Located just minutes south of Madison, Wisconsin, County Road Alpacas offers quality huacaya alpacas and products made from their fiber. Our products are available in all natural, non-dyed colors from our herd of multi-colored alpacas and colony-raised angora rabbits. All fiber preparation is done on our farm – we skirt, sort, wash, pick, card, spin, knit, crochet, felt, and weave on site. We offer a truly local luxury product from the animal to the handmade item.

Shop Our Online Store

News

Follow us on Facebook!

2019 - 2020 Winter Market Schedule

Dec 1: Good Shepherd Catholic Church, N88W17658 Christman Rd., Menomonee Falls, 9am-12:30pm

Dec 4 (Wednesday evening): HotelRED Holiday Market 1501 Monroe St., Madison 6PM-9PM

Jan 19: Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Church, 7152 N. 41st St., Milwaukee, 9am-12pm

Jan 26: North Shore Congregational Church, 7330 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Fox Point, 11am-1:30pm

Feb 2: St. John’s Lutheran Church, 20275 Davidson Rd., Brookfield, 9:30am-12:30pm

Feb 16: Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church, 2366 N. 80th St., Wauwatosa, 9am-12pm

Mar 1: St. Sebastian Catholic Church, 1725 N. 54th St., Milwaukee, 9am-1pm

Mar 8: Ascension Lutheran Church, 1415 Dopp Street, Waukesha, 9:30am-1pm

Read about the markets

Visit the Food, Faith, and Farming Network website

About

We have been in business since 2003. We're in the country on a small piece of land with twenty six alpacas, three angora rabbits, five cats, a large flock of chickens and four ducks all protected by three beautiful Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dogs. Life is good.

About Alpacas

  • They are herd animals and also prey animals.
  • They are intelligent and very curious, similar to cats.
  • They are considered livestock in Wisconsin.
  • They are shorn once a year in spring.
  • Their fiber is softer and warmer than wool and contains no lanolin.
  • Gestation is 11.5 - 12 months. A baby alpaca is called a cria.
  • Lifespan is 15-20 years.
  • They use a communal dung pile. Their "beans" are not "hot" and can be used directly on plants without burning roots or stems. Alpaca beans make wonderful fertilizer.

 

 

 

About Us

The humans of County Road Alpacas are Mary Sternitzky and Josh Biser. In our other jobs, Mary is a Senior Information Processing Consultant at the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Josh is a Chemical Applicator and Jack-of-All-Trades at the Oregon Farm Center.
The Supervising Cats of County Road Alpacas are Carlos, Earl, Hal, Jasper, and Malcolm and they would be greatly upset if they were not mentioned here. Who wants upset cats? Not us.

Our hard working, loving Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dogs are Peanut, Poppy, and Preston. They take good care of all of us.

 

Meet The Alpacas

26 alpacas call County Road Alpacas home.

Abby

Abby

6/18/10 • ARI# 31807135
Adaline

Adaline

5/16/11 • ARI# 32151817
Alexander

Alexander

8/22/10
Amelie

Amélie

10/19/04 • ARI#1046137
Bright Star

Bright Star

5/24/09 • ARI#31823647
Daphne

Daphne

5/28/14
Dusty

Dusty

8/31/05 • ARI#1219890
Emerson Spots

Emerson Spots

5/19/14 • ARI#32736434
Flynn

Flynn

9/6/02 • ARI#841391
Gypsy

Gypsy

4/19/08 • ARI#31478946
Irena

Irena

10/3/08 • ARI#31847124
Leeroy Spots

Leeroy Spots

6/26/11 • ARI#35100720
Leonard

Leonard

9/17/12 • ARI#30898875
Liberty

Liberty

7/4/01 • ARI#833880
Matilda

Matilda

9/24/10 • ARI#31807142
Maya

Maya

6/13/09 • ARI#31809030
Oreo

Oreo

8/26/05 • ARI#30013252
Osckar

Osckar

6/25/11 • ARI#30898905
Paca Sandra

PacaSandra

6/5/04 • ARI#1219906
Sasha

Sasha

5/12/14
Shouka

Shouka

10/10/04 • ARI#1244793
Starburst

Starburst

2/20/00-6/7/19 RIP • ARI#817397
Tatiana

Tatiana

6/13/10 • ARI#31807159
Zorianna

Zorianna

10/20/04 • ARI#1297133
Zach

Zach

9/18/17
Zeus

Zeus

9/20/17
Sparky

Sparky (Sparticus)

10/8/17

Products

Our products are hand-processed and handmade by us on our farm using fiber from our alpacas and bunnies.
We also belong to fiber pools and offer socks, inserts, and gloves – all USA grown and made.
Purchase Online or call (608)239-3157 or Email to set up a time to view and touch the products in person. Follow us on Facebook for recent updates.
All of our handmade items come with a care instruction card and a photo of the alpaca(s) that contributed fiber.
Thank you for supporting our small family farm!

The Herd Wrap.

$225

Stripes of natural color from everyone in the herd plus the bunnies.
Approximately 14" x 72"

The Herd Scarf.

$65

Stripes of natural color from everyone in the herd, plus the bunnies.
Approximately 4.5" x 50"

The Herd Hat.

$45 (Solid); $50 (Multi)

Warm and soft with minimal "hat hair." Colors vary depending on whose fiber we've processed most recently.

Fingerless Mitts

$50

Warm and cozy, leaves your fingers free to do whatever you need. Can also be worn over thin gloves.

Dryer Balls!

$7 each or 3/ $20

Reduce drying time and soften clothes without chemical dryer sheets. All natural colors - no dyes to bleed.

Our Neckwarmer.

$40

No fringe or length to get in your way. Can be adjusted to fit any neck size by moving the button.

Our Lace Cowl.

$65

Pull the cowl over your head to keep your neck toasty warm. I wear mine indoors and out in the winter time.

The Herd Mitten.

$60

Our hand-knit mittens with a needle felted alpaca on the left mitten. Adjustable tie at the wrist

Friendship Bracelets

$10

1" wide with Swarovski crystal pearl closure. Be friends with Shouka (Gray) or Dusty (Tan)

Handspun Yarn

$13/ounce

Most often two-ply in skeins of 100% alpaca (sometimes 95% alpaca, 5% angora rabbit).

Fiber Nests

$6/oz

Carded 1/2 oz "nests" of fiber ready for spinning or felting. Colors shown are Tatiana, Bright Star, and Gypsy

Bird Nesting Coils

$8, $2 refill

Treat the birds in your yard to alpaca fiber to line their nests. Hang in a tree and the birds will help themselves.

Fiber Garden Mulch

$10

Keeps down weeds, holds in moisture, protects crops from touching the ground, may deter predators. 2# bag

Baby Socks

$30

We knit our baby socks by hand using 100% alpaca. Sized for a young baby. They also make nice ornaments.

Knit Gloves

$29

Gloves made by one of the fiber pools/co-ops that we participate in. Toasty warm, soft gloves. S, M, L

Low Pro Socks

$20

Medium weight ankle socks with cushioned, reinforced soles. Also work nice as slippers or bed socks.

Gentle Touch Socks

$22

Medium weight socks that feature looser calf elastic so that they are non-constrictive. Perfect for diabetics.

Survival Socks

$22

Medium weight socks that have become our go-to sock. Machine Wash. Soft and cushioned inside.

Superwarm Socks

$28

Our heaviest weight socks. These are for people who spend a lot of time outdoors in cold weather!

Outdoor Adventure

$26

A bit taller heavier-weight sock. Machine wash. Like the others, cushioned inside, moisture wicking.

Leather Work Gloves

$59

The warmest, sturdiest gloves for anyone who works outside. Alpaca felt lined with satin next to skin.

Extreme Slipper

$22

The original extreme slipper socks. Moisture wicking and warm and cozy. Reinforced heel and toe. Hand wash.

Extreme Crew

$26

The original extreme crew-height socks. Moisture wicking and warm and cozy. Reinforced heel and toe. Hand wash.

Boot/Shoe Inserts

$10

Inserts will conform to your foot and wick away moisture, providing comfort and warmth. Can be cut for perfect fit.

 

 

Farm Photos

Here are some photos of life on the farm.

Alpaca Birth Sequence

This is a series of photos showing a typical alpaca birth in the pasture featuring Gypsy and Leonard.
Gypsy had it all under control so we just held back and watched and took some photos. I've been lucky to have been able to watch most of the births on the farm.
It is amazing to see the dam's reaction to the process, to see that she knows just what to do, and to watch how the rest of the herd responds.
Leonard's birth took less than 30 minutes, he was nursing in an hour and a half, and walked out to meet the herd 2-1/2 hours after being born.
He did have curved ears at birth, but they straightened out without any intervention in the months that followed.

Get in Touch

Plan a farm visit! We would be happy to speak with you about the joys of owning alpacas and working with their fiber.
Please call or email to schedule a time to visit and shop.

Contact Info

County Road Alpacas, LLC
W503 Amidon Road
Brooklyn, WI 53521
(608) 239-3157
CountyRoadAlpacas@gmail.com
Follow Us On Facebook