In conjuncture with National Alpaca Farm Days, the only alpaca farm in Greene County will be opening up to the public to educate the community on the animal and their distinctive traits Sept. 23-24.

Lippencott Alpacas, owned by Phil and Lena Galing and located in Waynesburg, have been offering a farm open house each year for the past decade. The theme for this year’s event, “Let’s consider owning alpacas,” was thought of by Lena Galing because of a current problem she

is facing.

“Every year we do a different theme and this year we’re up to…30 [alpacas] and that’s too many for us,” said Lena Galing. “Some of them are going for cheaper prices because we want to make room for new babies next spring and with the whole alpaca industry, everybody needs to sell alpacas to get more people involved in the alpaca

lifestyle.”

Along with encouraging others to consider owning a furry camelid, Lena Galing said the open house will also be educational for those who attend. Out of the 30 alpacas on the farm, including one which was recently born, Lena Galing said individuals will also be allowed to take an alpaca for a walk.

“I have a lot of people who come and don’t know one thing about alpacas, they’ve never been around an alpaca [or] don’t know what to expect,” Lena Galing said. “Our farm is truly an open house, we give presentations on handling training and then I’ll have some people walking with alpacas to get them involved.”

Lena Galing said people underestimate how friendly alpacas can be and how easy it can be to train them.

“My goal is to educate, but also to let people know alpacas are nice animals,” Lena Galing said. “They are very considerate, they are easy to train, there is a training and handling technique. Some people go out and drink their morning coffee with them.”

However, according to Lena Galing, an alpacas disposition is not their only benefit, but also their fiber.

“[Alpaca socks] wick away the moisture, it’s what makes them better than sheep’s wool – sheep also wick away the moisture, and they are very good at it, but alpaca actually does a better job,” Lena Galing said. “It’s amazing, [alpaca’s] are warmer, they are lighter, they are not scratchy as much as wool.”

At the open house, the Galings will have their farm store open, which features a wide variety of merchandise centralizing around alpaca fiber.

In addition to sweaters from Peru, Lena Galing said the store will also feature many handmade items including yarn and

alpaca socks.

Besides alpacas, the open house will also feature hayrides for visitors as well as live demos from fiber artists. Additionally, the Galings said various food vendors will be in attendance, including 5 Kidz Kandy and Anne’s Apple Pies.

The open house will be Saturday, and Sunday, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. with free parking and admittance – cameras are also permitted for attendees.