Posted : November 3, 2020
Our blog is chock full of great ideas for fun things to see and do in York Durham and Headwaters. We are always adding new content and updating old posts, but sometimes you might stumble upon something from our vault. If this article has inspired you to hit the road, be sure to double-check that the featured stops in this post are still welcoming visitors.
Forget Me Not Alpacas
1595 Concession 3, Beaverton
www.forgetmenotalpacas.ca
Videography by Barry Best
They have a face that can soften even the hardest of hearts, with a glaring underbite and impossibly long eyelashes. They are gentle, sweet creatures that communicate in clicks and hums. Sometimes they spit. Everyone loves an alpaca. Their hypo-allergenic fleece is incredibly warm and soft, is a highly durable, flame-resistant fibre, and is almost completely waterproof.
This is the sustainable resource which owners Sandra and Jeff Bannon jumped head-first into growing nearly five years ago. With no previous alpaca experience, they uprooted their suburban lives in Newmarket to raise their family in a rural setting. Much research, planning and all-around hard work went into starting their farm from scratch, and today they are truly living their dream.
But it doesn’t seem like hard work when you are doing what you love, does it? The Bannons are enthusiastic about bringing the unique joy of alpaca love to Durham Region. At Forget Me Not, you will find over thirty adorable alpacas to watch, take photos of, and get up close and personal with. You can take a tour of the farm to see how these creatures are cared for. You may even want to book your engagement or wedding photos at the farm—no kidding; it’s actually become quite a popular thing to do!
And on the subject of sustainability, the Bannons are committed to a natural farming operation, without the use of chemicals and other harmful products. Alpaca manure is a fantastic fertilizer, since it does not need to be composted the way other manures do. So, in addition to selling their “Paca Poo” to keen gardeners, the team at Forget Me Not uses it on their own fields as well. Now that’s recycling at its best!
Story by Katherine Ryalen
