Angela Smith, who owns and operates an alpaca farm in Murrumbateman with her husband, welcomed roughly 25 agriculture and textile students from the Canberra school, and spent the day educating them about the various facets of working with the animals. 

“In the morning we did the textile class, I showed them how to prep fleeces, and we hand-dyed some yarn,” Mrs Smith said. 

“In the afternoon we went into the paddock and showed them how to put a halter on, how to walk an alpaca, how to cut toenails, and  they all had a go at walking the alpacas around the paddock.”

The experience is beneficial for the students, Mrs Smith said, because it provides them with the opportunity to experience the industry that they’re studying. 

“I think they get to know where their products and food is coming from. Learning that you don’t just get it from the supermarket, you actually get it from the farm,” she said. 

“These students are learning ag[riculture] and textiles at school, so they already understand that, but it reinforces that education that they’re getting in school by coming and seeing it firsthand here.”

The students also had the opportunity to taste alpaca meat for the first time, and Mrs Smith said that “the visit went really well, they really enjoyed themselves.” 

When asked about the possibility of hosting more school groups in the future, Mrs Smith said that she would “absolutely” be open to the opportunity.