We are John and Robin Watson of Pineview Farm Alpacas. Our 25 acre farm is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, just a few miles from both Smith Mountain Lake and Roanoke. Our farm is home to deer, turkey, owls and other wildlife. Other residents include 2 horses, 3 cats and 2 dogs - and now 6 huacaya alpacas!

We haven't always been an alpaca farm - heavens no! Just last spring we took our daughter, Isabella, our cousins, and their 2 little girls to a strawberry festival. We set out to pick some strawberries, eat some popcorn and let the girls ride the ferris wheel. Little did we know that a great adventure was in store for us! We met JoAnn Wood and Nancy Fish from Fishwood Farm with their 2 darling alpacas, Tigger and Java. We didn't even know what an alpaca was when we went to the festival, but we fell in love at first sight with these adorable animals. We talked about them in the car ride home and immediately started researching the alpaca business, attending shows, seminars and visiting other alpaca farms.

One beautiful summer day we took a drive to Floyd and visited Hope Springs Farm Alpacas. As we drove down the driveway William and Candace Frey were outside with a brand new baby alpaca (called a cria) and it stole our hearts away. The Freys spent many days and hours teaching us about alpacas and the alpaca lifestyle and we purchased 4 alpacas from their farm. We have been so fortunate to start our alpaca adventure with some awesome genetics, both Chilean and Peruvian. Our 3 females come from the incredible bloodlines of Hemingway, Guellermo, Victor and Felix. They have been bred to El Moustachio and Leon herdsires. We anticipate the arrival of 3 outstanding baby girls in 2008 (everyone wants girls!) Our herdsire is a full Peruvian Guellermo son. With these great Accoyo and Allianza genetics and good breeding choices, our herd will just continue to improve.

But we didn't stop there - we needed some boys to keep our herdsire company (they always need a partner). So, we went to visit Fishwood Farm and ended up buying Tigger and Java. Amazingly, the 2 boys that we fell in love with at the strawberry festival became our very own! These geldings have personality plus and are so gentle and easy to handle. Java is so quiet and friendly that he will be Isabella's "obstacle" alpaca at the alpaca shows, which is a performance class for young children. Don't tell any of them, but Tigger has quickly become my favorite!

Acquiring a foundation herd, designing a logo and setting up a website was Phase I of our building plan. With this phase now completed, Phase II, our goal this year, will be to start our fiber arts studio and store located right on our farm. Our farm store will carry yarns and lots of wonderful alpaca products for women, men and children, along with unique handmade alpaca items. If you are not within driving distance, we will also have some of our products for sale at Pacabella.com, our online farm store. Phase III, which is still in the planning stages, will encompass the opening of new fields and the erection of a new barn!

As you can see, this is an adventure the whole family is enjoying! Our alpacas are truly exceptional, chosen carefully for their fine fiber and bred to improve on that fineness while paying close attention to conformation and density. We invite you to visit Pineview Farm Alpacas and allow us to introduce our outstanding alpacas and lifestyle to you - just give us a call or send us an email!