Langley, BC --- April 7, 2016-
Kensington Prairie Farm
, a locally owned breeder and producer of award-winning alpaca fibre, invites the public to attend their Annual Shearing Day on Friday, April 14, at their farm in Langley, British Columbia.
"Dave Carlson, our amazing shearer from Fort Macleod, Alberta, will shear 80 alpacas in one day,"
said Kensington Prairie Farm proprietor, Catherine Simpson. She and her farm staff of 12 will be on hand to help accomplish this considerable 1-day feat. Carlson estimates that he shears about 13,000 sheep each year, along with 1,500 llamas and 1,500 alpacas.
The event will take place from 10am until 5pm at Kensington Prairie Farm located at 1736 - 248th
Street, on the
Historic Otter 248
th
Street Trail
, in Langley, BC. Refreshments from
Krause Berry Farms
will be available by donation to support Kensington's preferred charity,
Quechua Benefit
. There will be a children's Easter egg hunt in the garden by the shearing barn from 11 am - 12 noon.
"After shearing, we will 'skirt' each fleece to remove the coarse parts, sort by colour and general grade,"
says Simpson, who is certified as a qualified fibre sorter.
Simpson continues her tradition of making the annual event accessible to the public. She sees increasing interest from people in learning what their clothing is made of, and where it comes from. That encouraged Simpson to build a Kensington Prairie Farm store on the property. The store stocks her own fibre that has been made into knitting yarn, socks, beanie hats and home décor items such as pillows, baby blankets and throws.
"It's a great opportunity for families to bring their kids to see where alpaca fibre comes from, and how it begins its journey to become a baby blanket or sweater,"
said Simpson.
Visitors will be able to watch as award-winning alpacas are shorn by hand - a process that does not hurt the animals. "It's fun to see how energetic the alpacas are after 'losing' an average of 5-10 pounds of fleece."
About Kensington Prairie Farm
Kensington Prairie Farm is a diversified farming operation, which includes breeding, raising and showing Huacaya alpacas, breeding and raising Registered Polled Hereford cattle and producing artisanal honey. Kensington Prairie Farm markets and sells a variety of high-quality Canadian-made and imported alpaca products from their on-farm boutique and online store. Kensington Prairie Farm is a member of the Canadian Llama and Alpaca Association, Alpaca Canada, Fraser Valley Llama & Alpaca Association, BC Llama & Alpaca Association and Alpaca Registry Inc. For more information, visit:
www.kensingtonprairie.ca
About Catherine Simpson
Catherine Simpson established Kensington Prairie Farm in 2000 on five acres of land in Surrey, BC in an area historically known as Kensington Prairie County. Home to 12 alpacas, the farm quickly grew to 30+ animals. In 2006, Kensington Prairie Farm relocated to Langley, BC and expanded its operations from 5 to 45 acres and now has approximately 50 alpacas. Catherine is board member of the Fraser Valley Farm Direct Marketing Association, Fraser Valley Llama and Alpaca Club, West Coast Hereford Club and participates in the Shop Historic Otter 248th Trail marketing group.
About Quechua Benefit
Quechua Benefit, a charity founded in 1996 is dedicated to helping the Quechua people in the highlands of Peru. This region is where the vast majority of alpaca fibre in the world is produced. Quechua Benefit and its volunteers deliver medical, dental and optical care; distribute warm clothing; provide shelter, food, and sociological services with an emphasis on children. More information can be found at:
www.quechuabenefit.org
Photos:
Catherine Simpson and Granddaughter (sorting fleece), Dave Carlson ( Shearing), KP Farm award winning alpaca (Antonia), KP Farm Hand Knitting Yarn (Made from fibre harvested from Kensington Prairie Farm animals), KP Farm scarves, socks, blanket
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