Alpaca Workshop and Training for small farms & acreage

Our February workshops are fully booked but we do have four places available for March 14th.

Alpacas are fascinating animals, but they require special management. Join us for our unique alpaca workshop that is perfect for people living on small farms or acreage. A great introduction to see if alpacas are the right fit for your farm.

Read more here

https://www.facebook.com/events/891064741422986

Little Valley Farm ~ Alpaca Workshop and Training for small farms & acreage in the Hunter Valley If you are heading to the Hunter Valley and require accommodation let us know as we have a list of places to stay that are close by in Laguna, Wollo…

Little Valley Farm ~ Alpaca Workshop and Training for small farms & acreage in the Hunter Valley

If you are heading to the Hunter Valley and require accommodation let us know as we have a list of places to stay that are close by in Laguna, Wollombi and Cessnock (near the vineyards) so you may as well make a weekend out of it).

Baby Piaf at Little Valley Farm

Baby Piaf strikes a pose!

You get to meet this little beauty when you book your exclusive farm stay with us or book in for an alpaca workshop.

Learn more about these majestic creatures before you venture into your own alpaca journey.

Workshops for small farms and acreage

www.littlevalleyfarm.com.au/online-products/alpacatraining


piaf .jpg

Alpacas are fascinating animals, but they require special management. Join us for our unique alpaca workshop that is perfect for people living on small farms or acreage. A great introduction to see if alpacas are the right fit for your farm.

Photo credit Little Valley Farm ⓒ

Alpaca workshops in the Hunter Valley

What a beautiful way to end our week!

Another wonderful alpaca workshop with our fabulous alpacas and wonderful guests. We had such a great time hosting everyone and talking alpacas.

We ended the workshop with a sitdown grazing platter from @Lagunavillageprovidore and a cool down affogato caffee. My fav coffee with ice cream on a hot summers day.

January workshops are fully booked and our next one is scheduled for February 7th.

Discover more on our alpaca workshops in the Hunter Valley here.

IMG_1183.JPG
IMG_7248.JPG

Fibre of the Gods!

Sustainable, renewable, ethical, biodegradable. Alpaca is one of the finest animal fibres in the world, comparable to mohair, cashmere and other rare fibres.

No wonder its referred to as the Fibre of the Gods!

There are two types of alpacas – Huacaya (pronounced Wuh-kai-ya) and the Suri. Huacaya fibre is similar to sheep fibre with a crimpy structure to the fibre but without the lanolin. Suri fibre can be described as a flat fibre that handles and behaves like silk when processed and dyed. The fibre hangs in locks from the alpacas and is considered a premium fibre.

Check out this four-star chart comparing alpaca to wool, cotton and feather/down.

So be sustainable and get into alpaca now.

Contact us for raw fleece, yarn supplies and also in-fills for cushions, bean bags and soft toys.

IMG_2735.PNG

Alpaca Fleece

Shearing has been done for 2020 and our beautiful alpacas are now ready for Summertime.

We have now saddles available to purchase for $10, $20 and $30 in white, fawn and chocolate in Huacaya and Suri fleece.

Pick up is in Laguna via appointment only from November 1st. We have over 40 saddles currently available that are perfect for spinning and felting.

We also have raw fleece available suitable for stuffing for handmade knitted toys or cushions from $10 per bag.

Handspun 8 ply alpaca huacaya fleece

Handspun 8 ply alpaca huacaya fleece

Step Up Your Adventuring With 5 Of The Best Alpaca Farms Worth Visiting In Australia

AUSTRALIA

By Jessica Best of Urban List
2nd Sep 2020

Little Valley Farm

NSW

Three words for you — alpaca farm stay. Little Valley Farm is about a 90-minute drive from Sydney, located in Laguna. The farm is totally off-grid and although the alpacas here are no doubt the main attraction (of the Huacaya and Suri) kind, you’ll also find a whole heap of garlic and tomatoes grown here as well.

The owners at this farm are registered alpaca breeders with the Australian Alpaca Association (so your conscience can rest easy) and you can quite literally go for gold with the alpaca antics while glamping or staying for a few nights in the farm’s vintage train cabin and shepherds hut. Plus, the best part is that this farm stay is all about minimising your environmental footprint which means a whole lot of relaxing, wine-drinking, exploring and stargazing.

It’s been dubbed by those that have stayed there to be a complete “alpaca oasis” with alpacas grazing in front of your stay all day long, hammocks, a fire pit, an outdoor bathtub for prime alpaca views (plus, the owners spoil you with fresh eggs and tomatoes straight off the vine).

Screen Shot 2020-09-10 at 5.27.47 pm.png

Special thanks to Urban List and enjoy reading more here.

Book your alpaca adventure for 2021 here.

Photo credit Urban List

Photo credit Urban List

Take Sunset Baths And Long Walks At This Eco-Friendly Alpaca Farm Stay In The Hunter

Local Escapes by Urban List By Jessica Best
4th Sep 2020

Some stays in NSW are just too good to be true and Little Valley Farm is absolutely one of them.

Located about 90-minutes north of Sydney in Laguna, this charming farm brings together two great concepts—getting off the grid and… alpacas. 

Little Valley Farm is all about getting in touch with your surroundings and the stays here operate in a way that minimises your environmental footprint. The owners are also registered alpaca breeders (so yes, you could potentially go home with one of these fluffy beings).

There are two rustic accommodation options to choose from and each gives you the freedom to be completely surrounded by bushland, paddocks (filled with the aforementioned fluffy ‘pacas), and fresh produce depending on the time of year. 

The T4615 Red Rattler is a converted 1950s train carriage. This guy packs a spacious bedroom with a queen bed, a camp-style kitchen, an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven, an outdoor bath with hot water, hammocks, and two yoga mats that you can roll out on the deck.

Little Valley is truly off-grid so the Red Rattler only has 12-volt power, which means you’ll be able to charge up your phone and torches, but it’s not really suitable for your shaver or hair straightener.

If you have a few more people coming with you or you’d rather head out in full glamping mode, there’s also a handbuilt Shepherd’s Hut (think tiny home-style), which can be moved anywhere on the farm. The hut shares the train’s kitchen and glam bathroom and you can also opt-in for a tent for any extra friends.

To really top things off, these guys plant a tree for every visitor that stays, not only to remember all the people that have come by but to ensure every visit to the farm is carbon neutral. The trees planted remove around 10 times more carbon over their lifetime than the average two-day visit and overnight stay (plus, you can even ask the owners to pop your name on it).

You can book your stay here.

Looking for more delicious getaways in NSW? Head on over to our local escapes section. 

Image credit: Little Valley Farm

Get our top stories direct to your inbox from Urban List.

Screen Shot 2020-10-21 at 3.35.19 pm.png

Hunter Valley Agribusiness Cluster Action Plan aims to help agribusinesses grow

Helping Agribusinesses and Agritourism is what we are passionate about. So it is wonderful to see Cessnock City Council champion this initiative and get wide feedback from the community.

We were lucky to have Tony & Andrew come out and listen to some of our bigger plans as an agri-tourism consultancy and as a growing farm.

If we could live in communities with a foundation in our 'agri-past', with new ideas for 'agri-futures', we believe communities and people would be far better off for it.

Read more here

Special thanks to Cessnock City Council, Boutique PR and Cessnock Advertiser.

Screen Shot 2020-09-05 at 11.44.49 am.png

Alpaca Sales and Workshops in the Wollombi Valley

Alpacas are fascinating animals, but they require special management. Join Daniela at Little Valley Farm for their unique and hands-on workshop that is perfect for people living on small farms or acerage and that are thinking of having alpacas as pets.

You will also be given a copy of the AgGuide - Farming Alpacas book to take home.

A basic guide to some of the skills and practices of alpaca production. This guide covers information on alpaca production including health, breeding and farming, nutritional needs and breeding to improve fleece.

Book in now for Sept and October 2020 dates in the Hunter Valley.

Click here for workshop info.

3.png

The 10 Best Cabin Escapes Around NSW - Australian Traveller

AS SEEN IN THE MEDIA

We are number 2 of the top ten list - Thanks to Australian Traveller 2020.

“In need of an escape from the daily 9-5? Want to get out of the city and get back to nature? Well, haven’t we got a treat for you.

 There’s nothing quite as restorative as a weekend in nature, breathing fresh air and switching off your phone.

Check out our list for the top cosy cabin escapes in NSW and spend your days bushwalking, bird-watching, star-gazing and sleeping in.

A truly unique experience, the 1950’s Sydney Train Carriage and Tiny Shepherd’s Hut is 100% tranquil, and completely surrounded by bushland.

 Satisfy those outdoor cravings and check out this eco off-the-grid farm accommodation. The two separate cabins can sleep up to four adults.

 The train deck is the perfect spot to spend the afternoon watching the farm’s alpacas, guinea fowl and chickens roam about.

Rates from $149 per night.”

Read here Australian Traveller Magazine here.

BY ALICIA POOLE of Australian Traveller magazine.

IMG_7981.jpg
IMG_7978.jpg

Alpaca GOLD

The beauty of alpaca manure - big beautiful sunflowers and amazing produce at the farm.

Alpaca manure is called alpaca gold and for very good reason.

Although lower in organic matter than other traditional manures, alpaca manure has a lot of value in the garden. In fact, many gardeners find this type of manure to be an excellent source of nutrients for optimal soil and plant health.


Using alpaca manure as fertiliser is beneficial. Even with its lower organic content, alpaca manure is considered a rich soil conditioner. Alpaca fertiliser improves the soil quality and its ability to retain water. It is also good for plants, providing a fair amount of nitrogen and potassium and about average levels of phosphorus. Since alpaca manure is mostly found in pellet form and is weed free, it does not need to be aged or composted before use. You can spread it directly onto garden plants without burning them.

Best of all, it does not contain any weed seeds to contaminate your garden beds.

This years large sunflowers. nothing added except organic matter and alpaca gold.

This years large sunflowers. nothing added except organic matter and alpaca gold.

Millions of fungi spawn after rain.

Millions of fungi spawn after rain.

Great pumpkin growing.

Great pumpkin growing.

Bloopers at Little Valley Farm staring Neve the alpaca

Neve decides to spend the afternoon with us filming in the paddock. She is a real star and the video bloopers are hysterical.

The humans have been in isolation way to long and look forward to re-opening our farm stay mid year as we have been closed since November due to the Summer bush fire season.

Fingers crossed, stay covid safe and hope to see you mid year.

Covid19 farmstay safe

Back in March we were prepared for Covid19 and cancelled all of our bookings as well as self-isolating which is pretty much the norm when you live out here.

Daniela also quickly completed the Certificate in Acknowledgment in infection control training Covid19.

This week we downloaded the CovidSafe app and so should you. We really want to get back to normal and start to run our business once again. Our valley suffered through the horrendous Summer bush fires of 2019/2020, and really we have been shut down since November 2019. Its now time to support our business, our valley and the Hunter Valley community.

We hope to see you all after the ISO lockdown. In the meantime, stay safe and keep social distancing.

Visit our online shop for alpaca fleece, alpaca yarn, farmstay and alpaca workshop gift vouchers.

Screen Shot 2020-05-06 at 9.25.56 am.png
We have downloaded it. Have you?

We have downloaded it. Have you?

Alpacas on the Old Wheat Paddock

Taking some of our alpacas for a stroll past Platypus Walk and into the Old Wheat Paddock on this hot summer afternoon.

Its always fun having the alpacas follow me around the farm. Highly recommended and alpacas love a new paddock every couple of weeks. Paddock rotation is extremely important for us and for the health of our herd. Find out why, when you book into on our on-farm workshops.

If you are looking at starting your own herd, why not book in for one of our alpaca training workshops and we will show you how we manage of herd of huacaya and suri alpacas.

See more on our website.