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Winfield, Oyama, Okanagan Centre and Carrs Landing since 1951
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2 5 0 - 76 6 - 2 0 9 9 10 9 - 9 6 8 5 H w y. 9 7 N (Winfield Plaza) Lake Country Fu s i o n S t u d i o @ s h a w. c a
July 3, 2013
▼ SELLING FARM
Inside
Alpacas pack their bags KEVIN PARNELL
Monarch butterflies may not be able to say thank you, but local girl guides are helping them survive and thrive in Lake Country. ...............................
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A few problems with discipline though the season didn’t stop the U-18 boys soccer team from finishing on a positive note. ...............................
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Local dentist recognized for supporting Lake Country Welcome Wagon. ...............................
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Flyers ■ Budget Blinds ■ Home Depot ■ JYSK ■ Shoppers Drug Mart
Over the past 14 years, the Oyama Lake Alpaca Farm has become a staple in the community of Lake Country, working as a trend-setting business in the agriculture tourism industry as well as offering a high-quality, hand-made product line that has grown to become very popular over the years. But now, owners Darlene Homenchuk and Jim Covington— both in their 60s—are ready for the next stage of their lives and are looking to retire from raising alpacas. The farm is up for sale and the couple are looking to place their remaining 14 alpacas in a new home. “We are downsizing and moving into retirement mode so we are looking for good homes,” said Homenchuk, a skilled fibre artist who makes products with the alpaca fur. “We
love the lifestyle here with the alpacas but it’s an all-encompassing job. In the wintertime with the snow and ice we get, we have both fallen on numerous occasions doing the chores. It’s become a safety concern when you get into the winter months.” There has been interest in the Oyama Lake Alpaca Farm, a five acre parcel on Oyama Lake Road, and Homenchuk says they would like to find a home for the alpacas before the property sells. Over the years the pair have become very close with their animals, which can live to between 20 and 25 years of age. Homenchuk says they are delightful creatures that produce amazing fibre. “They can live in harmony with horses, donkeys, sheep and they are good guard animals,” she said. “They are easy to raise and we have raised most of them from birth so they can be quite
CONTRIBUTED
DARLENE HOMENCHUK and Jim Covington, owners of the Oyama Lake Alpaca Farm, with 10 female alpacas. The couple are looking for homes for their remaining 14 alpacas after putting the farm up for sale.
snuggly and will nuzzle you on the cheek. We’d love to have them placed locally so we could visit them.” The couple were living in the Lower Mainland when they started doing research on raising alpacas. The animals are native to South America and when Homenchuk and Covington opened their farm, they started with six females and six males. Over the
years they had as many as 35 animals at their farm, working to turn the alpaca fibre into products and also offering tours of their farm to families. They were early to the agri-tourism industry and are members of the B.C. Agiculture Tourism Alliance as well as the Lake Country Chamber of Commerce. “It’s been a wonderful experience and we would do it again in a heart-
beat but it’s the safety factor,” said Homenchuk. “As we age into our senior years we don’t want to be getting seriously hurt.” Homenchuk plans to continue working with the alpaca fibre and offering products for sale as the pair look to remain in the area if their farm sells. “It’s a real passion for me,” she said. “It feeds my soul and I really
enjoy the creativity.” If you are interested in learning more or adopting any of the alpaca’s from the Oyama Lake Alpaca Farm, you can call Darlene Homenchuk at 250548-4004, e-mail info@ alpacadelights.com or check out the web site at www.alpacadelights.com. newsroom@lakecountrynews.net
Homenchuk will continue her spinning, weaving and felting As Darlene Homenchuk and her partner Jim look to move on from raising alpacas at their Oyama Lake farm, Homenchuk says she will keep up her work as a skilled and award-winning fibre artist. After shearing the animals, Homenchuk enjoys carding, spinning, knitting, weaving, felting and hand-dyeing the alpaca fibre from her animals, a passion that she says “feeds her soul,” and so she will continue her work with the fibre even after selling the farm. The soft alpaca fibre, in 14 natural colours, is the inspiration to create one-of-a-kind originals she sells in her
gift gallery, from head wear and foot wear to accessories, garments and the popular alpaca socks. During the past 14 years in the Okanagan, Homenchuk has won numerous awards for her hand spinning, weaving, felting and hand dyeing the natural fibre from her animals. She won seven ribbons in the Alpaca Canada Fibre Arts competition when it was held in Kelowna in September, 2007. As the grand prize winner for her lovely multi-coloured felt alpaca blanket, she received the Award of Excellence trophy and a cash prize in recognition of the ex-
cellent quality and workmanship in creating her unique felt blanket. A member of the local spinners and weavers guild, Homenchuck is also a teacher and mentor. “I can offer assistance to people and can easily act as a consultant,” she said. “I have a wealth of information and people who are interested in creating products can come to me and I am more than willing to share what works.” Homenchuk can be reached at info@alpacadelights. com.
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Lake Country's 1 Top Producing Realtor for Royal LePage Kelowna (based on sales for 2012)
Television host of the upcoming...
Being filmed in the Okanagan this summer!