ON THE RECORD
WEEKEND WITH ALPACAS FAMILY’S PASTURES OFFER FIBER, FUN
BY NICOLE BALDERAS
W
hen Jim Patrick and his family happened upon the swampy property off of U.S. Highway 380, they had almost given up searching for a place to retire in the area. Tall grass had taken over the seemingly uninhabitable estate, but for Jim, his wife, Rita, and daughter, Stephanie, it was the perfect location to raise alpacas. “We originally were going to get some goats and sheep for the ranch,” Jim said. “Then my son Jayson called me and told me about alpacas. I said ‘What the hell is an alpaca?’” After looking into the animals, which resemble a mix of llamas and camels, Jim made his mind up. “This might just be me, but when I look at alpacas I see unicorns,” Jim said. “They look mythical to me.” More than 100 alpacas populate the secluded ranch and Irish-styled bed and breakfast. “If you stay out there long enough you will get to know them all,” Jim said. “People ask me, ‘How do you remember 100 names?,’ but I ask them, ‘How do you remember 100 people?’ It’s the same thing.”
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The couple put all their savings into the construction of the just-out-of-Denton getaway, which Jim describes as “close to humanity, but still feels rural.” “I hope this all works out,” he said jokingly. “Or we’ll be under a bridge with some alpacas and a dog.” Patricks’ Pastures Alpaca Ranch and Olde Irish Bed and Breakfast officially opened for business on June 29. Although the ranch is unique in North Texas, breeders around the country prize the domesticated camelids for their fiber coats, which are used to create items such as blankets, gloves and scarves. Jim began work on the land in December by planting more than 100 fruit-bearing trees. Peach, plum and apricot trees sprinkle the property, and Jim plans to add more in the fall. The ranch features three secluded lodges, each with a pair of custom-made rocking chairs on the front porch. A handful of fluffy, white Great Pyrenees puppies live on the land and instinctively guard the alpacas along with a small herd of llamas, who also act protectively of the alpacas. “Llamas will circle around the alpacas and sound the horn when danger is near,” Stephanie said. “A llama will field goal
kick a coyote.” The Patricks sell fiber and the alpacas themselves to patrons with enough acreage to host the furry animals – prices for an individual alpaca at the ranch range from about $1,000 to $5,000. “I always say it’s not the alpaca you’re buying, it’s the alpaca knowledge,” Jim said. “I’ll help them set up, make sure they have the right kind of fence.” Alpacas live for about 20 years, making them a long-term commitment. Jim said caring for the creatures is relatively easy, even when it comes to dispersing of the animals’ droppings. “We vacuum it up and grind it up into a powder and use it as fertilizer,” he said. “Because of slow-released nitrogen in their digestive system it doesn’t smell.” Jim is happy with his decision to go with alpacas rather than more traditional farm animals. “Alpacas are really different animals,” he said. “If you bring a baby in they all gather around, and if one dies they all parade around the animal, almost ceremoniously. They’re curious and charming creatures.” ALPACAS GRAZE ON THE RANCH AT PATRICK’S PASTURES. PHOTO BY MICHELLE HEATH
JULY 2012