From Sea to Shining Pasture?

The sea was calling to us, and we answered. In the spring of 1991, shortly after we were married, Michael and I moved to our, “yacht”, a 1973 Chris Craft Commander. We lived on it just outside of Boston Harbor, and planned to do forever! Or so we thought.

By the middle of the second unusually cold winter, my parent’s gracious offer for an empty apartment in their home was thankfully accepted.

The apartment was great for the winter and the boat was perfect, of course, for the summer. But both Michael and I yearned for a little place of our own. Greener pastures as they say.

We found and purchased a true fixer-upper in Malden Mass during the middle of a major New England blizzard. Our first piece of The American Dream. Our boat became just a weekend getaway rather quickly.

Michael  wanted more land and a quieter country life. So in 1999  we found a brand new house on a beautiful cul-de-sac in Wilmington Mass. Nothing to do but add Man Town, as Mike affectionately referred to his un-finished attic. While he was building this room for billiards, I sat alone watching a late night show, and saw an ad for Alpacas. Thus began the demise of Man Town.

I researched, and talked and talked about Alpacas to my wonderful husband. I even told him I was going out to buy a couple! I said, “Our half acre property would do just fine. We have wonderful neighbors, and they won’t mind. Much.”

On April Fool’s Day I asked a fellow co-worker to call Michael and tell him that his two Alpacas would be arriving later that day.

At last I had his attention, and our Alpaca journey began!

We went to several shows, and began to visit farms. As passionate as we were about the sea and boating, and smitten with our new home in Wilmington, we both felt the same way when we saw our first Alpacas. It was love at first sight with these amazing animals.

A short time later we visited Chase Tavern Farm, and made the proverbial plunge – selling the boat and purchasing several bred females and a young male. This young male, turned out to be the Multiple Champion, GREYBEARD! So bye-bye Sea, and hello Greener Pastures.

The next several years were spent doing anything and everything Alpaca related. Helping out at Chase Tavern Farm, attending shows, visiting farms, and taking clinics. We continued agisting/boarding all of our alpacas.

Along the way we were able to add some additional, “foundation herd” females, as well as two future Herd-Sires, CHRISTIAN GOLD, son of the nationally known 4Peruvian Altiplano Gold, and Wolverine of the Accoyo Grand Master line.

We always knew we wanted our own farm someday. At this point in our lives, the thought of living in the country and starting our own business was very appealing. So in the spring of 2005 we sold our house in Wilmington Mass, and purchased an 1880’s classic New England farmhouse in Auburn, Maine, with 26 acres of land and a pond.

Plans were to begin pasture and barn improvements in the spring of 2006, and move our Alpacas to our own farm “before the snow flies” as they say. And this we have accomplished. Also on-site is a small farm store which will carry our alpacas yarns, rovings and other alpaca garments.

As we continue along our chosen path, we both find it delightful that the calling of the sea has ever so magically been replaced by the gentle humming of our Alpacas.

Darlene & Michael Reardon-Full Moon Alpacas & Full Moon Country Store

Article as written for The Maine Alpaca Association.

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“A is for Alpacas Arriving in Auburn!!”

Announcing Full Moon Alpacas & Full Moon Country Store, located at 272 South Witham Road in Auburn Maine.

Alpacas are a fiber producing animal, and are indigenous to South America.
They were once revered by the ancient Incan people for their fine wool. They were considered a “gift from the Gods!”

Our 16 award winning alpacas have all been re-located from several other local Maine farms to their new “home” in Auburn on the weekend of November 18th.

Our farm and alpaca journey began for us over 4 years ago, when we first began to learn about alpacas, and the wonderful life-style they can provide. Not to mention the financial rewards involved in alpaca owner-ship.

So we invested in a young un-proven Jr. Herd Sire named GreyBeard and 3 bred females. Greybeard went onto be a 9 time Grey Champion, our females gave birth to award-winning cria/babies, and our herd began to grow, and be agisted/boarded at a large farm in Maine. (Chase Tavern Farm in Bowdoin, where GreyBeard still resides)

Now how to further our quest to actually own our own alpaca farm? As we were not exactly living in a “farming community”, on our ½ acre cul-de-sac home just outside of Boston in Wilmington Massachusetts. But further it we both knew we must, as our alpacas were not just “gently humming” to us, but actually now calling to us!

So it began. We had just a few obstacles to over come. We had to actually find a farm, and then sell our lovely “new” home in Wilmington. So we took the proverbial “leap of faith”, as they say, and proceeded full steam ahead!

And all of the “Alpaca Gods” aligned for us! In April of 2005 (at a major alpaca auction) we were lucky enough to sell the first off-spring of our Herd Sire Greybeard, Treasure, for a GREAT price, giving us enough for a deposit on a beautiful farm, and 1880’s farmhouse we had already been lucky enough to have found in Auburn. We actually only looked at 2 other properties, but when we drove up to 272 South Witham Rd., we both knew it was the one! We made an offer on it the very same night. It’s like it was meant to be!

Our home in Wilmington sold in just 2 weeks, we packed up all of our “city” clothes, purchased our “muck” boots and simply moved to the “farm” on “lucky”, August the 13th of 2005.

So we worked on the “olde farmhouse’s” interior throughout the fall and winter of 2005, and began in ernest to “Alpaca” ready the land and barns in the spring, summer and fall of this year.

May thru November flew by it seems, with working each and every day and night to get our farm ready. We cleaned out and prepared the old 3 story barn. Built a new barn for the males. Added over-hangs to each barn. Removed all of the old fencing and installed new 5 ft. high no-climb fencing. The “olde” farm is looking not so “old” anymore!

The final piece was to test and fertilize the soil. Which we did this Summer, and this beautiful land gave us almost 500 bales of the most amazing 2nd cut hay, to feed to our beautiful Alpacas!

Our Full Moon Country Store (which will be inside the old barn) is almost complete as well. We had to turn one of the horse corrals into a small store, which will carry our yarns and rovings (from the fleeces of our alpacas) and other various alpaca garments.

So what began as an April Fools joke (another article for another day), has come to fruition finally for us, and to say the least we are both thrilled!

Our love of the sea (we lived on a boat when we were first married over 15 years ago now) has been replaced now with the gentle “humming” of our alpacas and our beautiful shining pastures!

Hope to see you soon for a farm visit or to visit our store! (please call ahead to arrange a visit or to check which days the store is open, at 207-782-3404).

Also please visit our web-site at www.fullmoonalpacas.com, for the latest info, farm updates, and future dates for “Open Farm Days”!

Darlene & Michael Reardon
Full Moon Alpacas
fullmoonalpacas@adelphia.net
“Let Our Proven Genetics Illuminate Your Herd"