"It was a wonderful morning and the Roy’s are generous with sharing all they have learned in their eight years with the alpacas," said Nancy Paris, one of the eight alpaca enthusiasts to attend the first "Alpacas Made Simple" seminar held this month.

The seminar was held at the Roy’s Alpaca Ranch in Anza.

"I really loved the morning at their alpaca ranch. I was surprised at how beautiful the location is, I had never been in that part of California," remarked Nancy. "I heard about the class at the Vista Fiber Festival. Roy and Julie had a booth and brought two alpacas to that event. The animal’s shy demeanor and darling little faces melted my heart."

According to Julie Roy, "The morning sessions consisted of practical ‘how to’s’ in setting up the space for alpacas, basic herd management, what to look for in selecting your first alpacas – the fiber and the conformation traits, the multiple streams of income possible with the animals and products.

"We also cover some hands on with toe nail trimming, halter lessons and handling alpacas in the field by the end of the day. I want to thank all who attended our recent Open Ranch Days and to all who expressed an interest in the ‘Alpacas Made Simple’ all day hands-on seminar for new alpaca enthusiasts."

"The Roy’s are very knowledgeable about many aspects of raising alpacas and generous with sharing their expertise. The second half of the morning was spent in a hand’s on session with the animals. 

"Even though I was a bit reticent, not having a lot of experience with livestock, Julie encouraged me and I was glad she did. My favorite part was to hand feed Cleopatra, a gorgeous black and white, some pellets. She has a baby soft mouth. When I retire from teaching next June, I hope to buy two or three to Advertisement

[ Metalography ] join in the alpaca experience," says Nancy Paris. 

The Thompson family learned of the Alpaca experience from an article in the Valley News called "The entrepreneurial path: Alpacas of Anza Valley" printed Friday, Sept. 14, 2012. Their interest pricked and they ventured to Anza to see for themselves at the 5th annual Open Ranch Day in September and caught alpaca fever. They have already stepped into alpaca ownership boarding for now with the Roy’s and attended the recent seminar.

The Roy’s Anza Valley alpacas will be hosting one more Open Ranch Day this Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come experience the alpaca lifestyle and enjoy that feeling of childlike wonder when you meet the babies. There are a lot of new baby alpacas to see. Recently, the Roy’s experienced their 100th baby born on the ranch. Discover why alpacas are cute, unique, friendly, affordable, and useful pets.

When you visit, if you are interested in the next seminar all about alpacas as a business make sure to sign up, there will be a signup sheet in the Alpaca Christmas Boutique. There you will find quality heirloom items made from the "fiber of the gods." Bring your friends, family, and kids, and don’t forget the camera to record the memories. Come shop and play and be careful, for you might catch alpaca fever, too.

To get to the ranch, (from Temecula) take 79 South to Hwy 371, go north 11 miles to Cary Road, turn left and follow the signs. Address is 52700 Ardwell Drive. To contact the Roy’s, call (951) 763-4222 or Julie’s cell at (858) 361-6321. Read the full version as it appeared in the Anza Valley Outlook, "The entrepreneurial path: Alpacas of Anza Valley," to learn about the Roy’s on their website at www.alpacasav.com or visit www.anzavalleyoutlook.com.