Happy Holidays from Golden Touch Farm!

Everyone here at Golden Touch Alpaca Farm wanted to take a quick second and wish you all a Happy (and warm) Holiday! We have been getting slammed with snow this past weekend but all our Alpaca are safe and cozy in their barns.

 Here is a video we shot over the weekend.

 

Note: If you experience stutter on playback, click off the HD ON button in the top right corner of the video. It also helps to allow the video to fully buffer before hitting play. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays from Golden Touch Farm from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Worst Kind of Weather

New England has certainly had it's fair share of horrible Weather over the last week. Between the freezing rains, the ice storms, and now the snow that has gone through much of the area, many people are still without power and the rest of us are looking for new and innovative ways to stay warm and dry. 

Living in a Coastal Town on the Southeast coast of New England, we tend to get more Rain and Freezing Rain while the rest of the area gets snow. This is a blessing and a curse, but truthfully I would rather shovel snow a few times a year than slip around in the mud all winter. Since we started shooting Video of our farm, I always tend to warm up after finishing up my chores with a cup of coffee and a clip from the summer. Today, I warmed up to one of my favorite humming bird videos, "The Swarm!". Check it out below!

 

 

The Swarm! from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Last Minute Holiday Shopping - The Ecofriendly Version

There is not enough time in the day to run the Farm, Manage the Businesses, Keep our House in a presentable condition, and then on top of all that Plan, Decorate, and Shop for the Holidays. To save time we have been doing a lot of our shopping online this year, particularly doing business with Certified Green and Eco-Friendly businesses based in the United States.

We want our Holiday Shopping money to benefit hard working American Families, the story behind each product and how it is made is so important to us and more consumers need to realize that their is a lot more costs than just the bottom price.

When you have a free moment, head over to http://www.storyofstuff.com/ and watch their 20 minute video. It goes into great detail about who benefits exactly benefits from the current way consumers are spending money.

If you are looking to shop at "Guilt Free" stores across the country, be sure to head to Greener Pasture's Blog, where they list 54 Eco-Friendly Stores with 54 Holiday Discounts.

 

 This year we asked Santa for more hours in the day! 

Happy Holidays to all from Golden Touch Farm!

Wild Turkeys are Taking Over!

Last night as I was finishing up the Animals I noticed that the females in our back field were looking awfully alerting. They did not give off the alarm call but they most certainly were spooked by something in the field. I finished up in the Cria Barnyard and rushed to see what the fuss was about. I was happy to see that it was just our lovely Wild Turkeys making their rounds. I ran back to the house and grabbed the camera to grab some quick footage of them just before they went back into the woods.

Note: If you experience stuttering on playback pause the video and click off the HD ON button in the top right corner. It also helps to allow the video to fully buffer before hitting play, Enjoy!


Wild Turkeys at it Again from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Getting in the Thanksgiving Mood!

We are posting this now because we won't have a chance tomorrow with the whirlwind that is our Thanksgiving tradition. Each year we invite family and friends over to our farm and cook up a massive meal and enjoy each others company. This year we will be hosting for over 30 people and cooking a 25lb Turkey as well as a Ham. Needless to say, it will be busy around these parts tomorrow, actually starting a few days ago, but once we are in full swing I am certain I will not be around the computer.

We wanted to take this moment to wish you all a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving. Although this year has certainly been one for the History books, and not all in the positive light, what we have learned more than ever is above anything else, You can always count on your Family and close Friends and that is what we will be celebrating this year.

To get you in the mood, below is a video we shot last winter of Wild Turkeys that graze our yard from time to time. Not all turkey's are for eating! Over the years they have become more and more part of our family and I think they feel the same way. Enjoy the Video!


The Snowbirds, and Turkeys from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Westport Rivers Vineyard Holiday Open House

Golden Touch Farm is happy to announce that we will be attending this year's Westport Rivers Vineyard Holiday Open House as a vendor as well as having our alpacas on display for the day. Come out and meet our precious animals, browse our alpaca clothing and accessories, and take a tour of the vineyard and taste some of their wonderful wines and champagnes. An event for the entire family!

Here are the details! Hope to see you there!

Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery will be holding its Annual Holiday Open House on Saturday, November 29, 2008 from 11am - 5pm at their family farm winery in Westport. This Annual event is a fun day for the entire family and an opportunity to sample local flavors and festivities. Buzzards Bay Brewing will also be open and hosting their Holiday "Lager Cafe" from 11am - 9pm. Both venues will feature outstanding local foods, world class wine & award winning beer as well as live entertainment.

Location: 417 Hixbridge Rd., Westport, MA
Admission is Free

* Wine Tastings - throughout the day
* Walking Vineyard Tours
* Kettle fires throughout the day, Hayrides - bring your blanket
* Pony rides by Pony Express available for a fee
* 11-2pm Michael Higgins the Chain Sorcerer
* Live entertainment and Christmas music all day, Christmas caroling, 2:30-4:30 The Showstoppers
* Local vendors and baked goods: Kettle Corn by Giggles, Delicious hot sandwiches available from Route 66 Diner, Dartmouth Orchards - hot cider & apples, Local artisan cheeses by Shy Brothers Farm and Martin's Cheese, Equal Exchange Coffee & free Hot Cocoa, Starfish Bakery, Black Cat Cookies, Kandies & Confections, Hana's Honey, Langdon Farms Homemade pasta sauces
* Children's activities in our Long Acre House, Ornament decorating
* 11:30-2pm Story Teller and Children's Author Gretchen Pyne, "Lulu's Rose Colored Glasses"
* 4:00 pm Christmas tree lighting ceremony
* In the Russell Gallery (above our Company Store), UMass Dartmouth Fine Arts Graduate Students show and sales

Co-Op America's Green Gift Guide is Out!

Co-Op America has recently posted this year's 2008 Holiday Green Gift Giving Guide on their site and we are excited to be a part of it this year.

"This holiday season we're making green gift giving easier—and helping you save money too. Our Green Gift Guide features special offers from businesses listed in the National Green Pages™. So this year, show you care by giving gifts from businesses that support people and the planet."

Check out Our Listing and over 50 other stores offering Great Savings for Green Products!

Vote Today!

Don't forget to Vote Today. It is shaping up to be one of the most important elections of our lifetimes, regardless of your Politic Beliefs, it is essential we all exercise our right to voice our opinion.

2008 Cria Photo Album

Now that all of our Cria for the year are on the ground and running, I figured it would be a great time to upload some pictures we have taken over the last few weeks. We truly were blessed with such amazing additions to our herd. Be sure to check out the entire gallery here.

Last cria born of the season!

Yesterday on Oct. 30,08 our last cria of the season was born. Cocoa delivered a 19 lb. 2 oz boy. Both mom and baby are doing very well. This season we had a total of 10 cria born with 7 of them being females and 3 males. Five of those mothers were maidens and they all had easy births with wonderful mothering instincts. It is nice to have them all on the ground and doing so well. One of my favorite times is to watch all of the cria play, usually early in the morning and then again at dusk. They run like the wind, in the barn out of the barn, it is quite the game of tag. What a great season!

Westport Farmers market ends for the season.

Saturday was the last day of the Westport Farmers market. It was a great season, we made many new friends and had many of good laughs. We look forward to seeing you all again next season. Have a safe and warm winter!

Fall Day on the Farm

Fall Day on the Farm from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

If your computer can handle it, be sure to check it out in HD on Vimeo!

3 New Products added to Our Farm Store!

Everyone at GTF is happy to announce the addition of 3 brand new products to our Farm Store. All the new products are made from 100% Prime Alpaca, the very best alpaca collected from across the country.

The Cable Knit Dress Scarf



The New Heirloom Baby Blanket



and finally, The Throw Afghan



Head on over to http://www.goldentouchnaturals.com and check them out!

Tropical Storm Hanna passes through!

I'm happy to say tropical storm Hanna did not leave much evidence behind. Other than a few tree limbs down and no power for 4 hours you would of never known we had a tropical storm.
The cria were happy to see the sun shinning this morning, as they were all pronking at first light. So cute! Yesterday they would come out of the barn every time it stopped raining but the minute the rain would start they flew into the barn like the wind.
Life is Good!

Baby's have been popping!!!

Wow, where does the time go, it has been so busy I haven't had a chance to announce the last three cria that have been born. SORRY!!
On August 14, 08 Golden Touch's Cappauccino, aka "Cappy was born. A male, deep chocolate brown with black points. He weighed in at 19 lbs. The delivery was uneventful and both mom and baby are doing well.
On August 16, 08 Golden Touch's Sweet Persuasion, aka "Suede" was born. A female, medium brown in color and weighing in at 14 lbs. Suede was born a couple of weeks early and is a little spit fire. She is growing like a weed and has no trouble keeping up with the older cria.
Today, September 3, 08 Golden Touch's Moon Beam, aka "Beamer" was born. A female, dark silver gray with a lighter gray tuxedo pattern. She weighed in at 17 lbs. 8 oz. Mom is a maiden and is tending to her baby just wonderfully.
We have three more cria due in September and one due the end October. Our herd sire Teddy is father to 4 and all have been females and Dante is dad to 2 so far and he has one male and one female. I am thrilled with both herd sires as they have produced some awesome babies.

Our Farm mentioned in Boston Globe Article

The Boston Globe wrote an article about Westport, MA and how it has become a charismatic destination through out New England.

Golden Touch Farm and our Alpacas are mentioned as a must "Do" while visiting.

Read the article here.

Next Farmer's Market with the alpaca scheduled!

The alpacas will be back at the farmers market on AUGUST 30,08 from 8:30 to 1:00. The alpacas were a huge hit this past Saturday and have been requested to return.
Once again thank you to all who came, it was great fun meeting all of you and also spending time with familiar faces. For anyone that missed out we'll be back so mark you calender for August 30, 08. The Westport Farmers Market it located on Main Road at the Westport Grange Building. See you there!!!

Thanks for coming out Saturday!

The Alpacas had a wonderful time meeting all of you at last Saturday's Farmer's Market. We are currently working on scheduling another similar day a little closer to the Fall, as well as a Farm Day of our own, an open house of the farm open to the public. Please stay tuned for more information on these events.

Alpacas at Westport Farmer's Market this Saturday!

Since 4th of July weekend we have been setting up a booth at the Westport Farmer's Market. This upcoming Saturday (August 9th) we will be bringing several of our Alpacas to the market to showcase the animals and their fiber. From 8am to 1pm the Alpacas will be on display, so come and get a hands on education about these amazing animals, their fiber, our farm, and the benefits of clothing made from their fiber.


Want to know more? Look for our article in The Chronicle, on the 2nd Front Page showcasing our animals and our farm! Released today, Wednesday August 6th. If you don't have access to the paper, read the article online at:

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080806/PUB02/808060377

We look forward to seeing you all at this Saturday's Farmers Market!

Wordle - GTF

Click the Thumbnail to see our blog Wordle'd

Our Farm Right Now - Video Post

Golden Touch Farm - Right Now from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Remembering the Sun - More Hummers!

While the Alpacas, Sheep, Deer, and Donkeys were cooped up staying dry, I decided it would be a great time to throw together some Hummingbird Clips of sunnier days. Enjoy this Hummingbird Capture, some truly amazing shots!


Remembering the Sun from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

6/24 ThunderStorm Video

For all of you in the Southeastern, MA area you know how violent the T'Storms were yesterday as they swept through the area. Thankfully everyone is intact, and the garden and flowers soaked up the rain. Here is a video we threw together of the storms and the birds.


Rain is Beautiful from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Overdue cria finally arrives!

Last night about 6:30 Golden Touch's Amazing Grace a.k.a. Nayla finally gave birth to a medium fawn female cria. Nayla was due for her baby on June 12, 08 and has never gone beyond her due date more than a day. So it was a great relief for both of us that she gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby. Seeing that she was born on my daughters wedding anniversary I wanted to give her a name that tied into the wedding. My daughters flowers were Stargazer Lily's so we decided it would be a great name for our new addition. Introducing Golden Touch's Stargazer Lily, weighing in at 22 lbs.

New Cria - totally unexpected!!!!

This morning has proven to be quite an interesting day. We have been on cria watch for three of our females that are due this month (one being overdue). After morning chores and a shower I went back out to check on all the females, the girls I'm patiently waiting to deliver were quite comfortable resting chewing their cud. I decided I would go for another walk to the back pasture and check on the other female pen, well low and behold Cover Girl had just given birth to a true black female cria. The funny thing was I was planning on breeding Cover Girl this Spring. I attempted to breed her for the first time last Fall but she never acted ready and would run from the males (no wonder). I assumed she was still immature and would hold off until Spring, Surprise, Surprise. I know last Spring we did have a break in to the girls pen with Teddy and Dante and I didn't think they had a chance to breed anyone, boy was I wrong. I strongly suspect Dante is the father as his mother was a true black. I will know for sure when I send in the blood to match up the DNA.
I happy to say that Cover Girl is the most attentive mother especially for her age. She has plenty of milk. I will post a picture of Golden Touch's Black Lace this afternoon. She weighed in at 18 lbs. 2 oz.

First Cria of the Season Born

With the Summer Heat Wave sweeping across New England, our first Cria of the season was born and it's a girl to boot. Golden Touch's Light My Fire (Tee Tee) gave birth to Summer Sizzle, a 22.6lb light fawn girl. It is Teddy's first Cria on the ground, and we couldn't be happier.

Alpaca Page Updated!

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to make a post about the new and improved Alpaca Section on our website. We have categorized our herd into Females, Herdsires, and Fiber Pets to make it easier for interested parties to find exactly what they are looking for. We also have added easy to access information on the Alpaca Lifestyle, as well as the Investment opportunities associated with raising Alpaca as livestock.

Now that the section is live, we will be constantly updating pictures, descriptions, and adding new Animals so check back often. If you see something you like, Request More Information on the animal.

We have packets made up of our Investment Quality Females as well as our Herdsires available for Stud to send to interested parties. If you live in the area, schedule a time to come and visit to get a first hand experience with the animals. If you are unable to come out to the farm, we also are able to capture video and images of specific animals so you can really get a good feel for the animal before making a decision. Check back often as our Alpaca Section will always be evolving.

It's baby time again!!!

Cria watch has begun on the farm. Baby time at the farm is always so exciting. It doesn't matter how many births we experience every one is just as exciting as the first one. The four girls due this month are being closely watched, just waiting for the signs of impending labor. The last month of their pregnancy always goes slowly, as they say the last mile is the longest mile. So true! To keep them comfortable, on hot days we spray their belly's down with a house. Even though the temperatures have not been on the high side, it really helps keep their bodies feeling cool and refreshed.
I'm overly anxious to see this crop of cria as they are sired by my two new herd sires, Teddy and Dante. These will be their first kids to hit the ground. If we are lucky enough to catch the birth happening we will try to get a video of it for all of you to see. If we can't get the video we will surely post some photos.

New Video - Birdwatching in May

Now that May has come and gone(almost) the Feeders are really starting to pick up with all kinds of great activity.


Birdwatching on the Farm from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

New Video - Hummingbirds of May

Hummingbirds in May from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

New Video - First Day on the New Grass

GTF's Alpacas - First Day Out of Barnyard from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

You can watch it in full HD Quality here - http://www.vimeo.com/1006506

Spectacular bird watching!

This Spring has been great for bird watching. We have enjoyed the wild turkeys on a daily basis in our pastures and in the yard. I'm glad they find our farm a fruitful place to stay.
The Baltimore Orioles are here in droves, with the apple trees blossoming along with the maple trees they are just all over the place. Check out one of the latest videos and catch one visiting the hummingbird feeder.
We have 5 blue bird nest boxes up and I'm happy to report that 2 out of the 5 are actually occupied by blue birds. I love to see the male blue birds in flight as their color is just magnificent.
The male Goldfinches have turned from a dull olive green to a brilliant yellow hoping to attract the females. Good luck to them as there seems to be a lot of competition.
The hummingbirds are in full swing at the feeders. I purchased larger feeders this year so I won't be filling them twice a day in peak season (then again maybe I will be) The new feeders hold 32 oz. as opposed to 16 oz.
If you enjoy birds it is a great time to get out in the yard and see what is happening in your neck of the woods.
ENJOY!

There's no place like home!

For the last two weeks Chris and I have been on the road at alpaca shows. The first was MAPACA in PA and the last one was Buckeye Alpaca Show in Columbus Ohio. We had an information booth for ( NEAFP) The New England Alpaca Fiber Pool and it was great meeting many of our customers in person and making many friends along the way. Columbus Ohio was a haul, 14 hrs to be exact and driving straight through after a long day made it even seem longer.
Thanks to everyone who stayed behind to take care of the farm, you all did a great job and I really appreciate that. It's nice to be able to go away and know everyone is in good hands. THANK YOU!!!

Bird Watching - Baltimore Oriole Siting

It is not just the Hummingbirds that are back around. Now that the Apple Tree's are in blossom, the Orioles have decided to hang out for a while. Here is a short clip we shot yesterday. Head to Vimeo.com for the full HD version (if your computer can support it).


Bird Watching - Baltimore Oriole from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Hummers finally arrive!

We had our first sighting of the hummingbirds today and it is always like a holiday when they arrive. Last year they showed up on April 29 and I was curious how close to that date would they show and low and behold it's April 30. I wonder if they would of showed up yesterday if the weather had not been so lousy.

New arrival

On Saturday April 12 we had a baby chinchilla born. Mom and baby are both doing well. I'm not sure if it is a male or female yet as I don't want to interfere with the bonding process. He/she looks just like mom, light gray. I'll post a picture in a couple of days.

All eyes to the sky!!!

The hummingbirds should be arriving any day now. They have already been spotted in MA so if you don't have your feeders up already now is a good time to get them out. I've had my feeders up for a couple of weeks and can't wait to spot my first hummer. I'll be sure to let you know when they arrive.

New Farm Video - Faces of the Farm

Many Faces of Our Farm from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

New Video uploaded today. Watch it on Vimeo for the full HD Quality Treatment.

Golden Touch Naturals Online!

After several months of working hard, our farm store, Golden Touch Naturals is up and running and we couldn't be happier with the finished product. It is a place where we can share all of our wonderful Alpaca Products, as well as other like minded one of a kind goods.

Our Alpaca clothing ranges from strong and sturdy Boot Socks to Knitters Yarns and everything in between. All of our Alpaca items are made in the U.S. with North American pooled fiber, in certified Eco-responsible mills. There is such a high demand for guilt free products, and we are glad to meet that need. We are one of the only Alpaca stores to carry over 25 items 100% Made in America.

We also wanted to use our online Farm Store to showcase other like minded items, such as Organic Soaps and Herbal Teas, Local Artwork, Handcrafted Jewelry, Stone Thrown Pottery, and a ton more Back to Basic and One of a Kind items. The majority of these items are Made in New England artisans and crafters who in turn support their own local economies.

We invite you to check out our store today and find something special for yourself or family and friends.

www.goldentouchnaturals.com

All Friends and Family of Golden Touch Farm are encouraged to use the Check out Code: Teddybear to receive an extra 10% off your Shopping Cart. Thanks for your continued support!

Perhaps our last Snow of the Season?

The Alpaca's didn't seem overly impressed with our most recent snow storm and I can't blame them, it was fairly uneventful. Perhaps it is our last of the season, but then again, this is New England.

Partner's Village Visit a Success

On Saturday we spent a few hours at Partner's Village Store in Westport, MA showcasing our Alpacas, their fiber, and the finished products made from it. It was an amazing event. People came out from all over Southeastern, MA to experience our wonderful animals. Dante and Teddy both were wonderful, keeping a great demeanor even with the crowds of people. To read up on the entire vent head to :http://www.aldenhill.com/essay/community.htm

Over the weekend we also launched our new Farm Site, with some great changes we are excited about. There are a ton of great videos added that showcase our entire farm.

The Neglected Blog

How fast does time fly?

Quick apology to all those who read this religiously, it seems a few months have come and gone without updates from the Farm. We just have been incredibly busy over the last several months and this blog slipped below the radar.

Golden Touch Farms is in the process of opening up an online farm store, Golden Touch Naturals that will feature a variety of U.S. made Alpaca Products, Organic All Natural Health and Beauty products, local art and many other one of a kind items. We also will be selling our alpaca goods in several different Retail stores across Southeastern Massachusetts. Stay tuned for a store listing near you.

When we aren't turning the barn into a nursery for this years batch of baby lambs, we will be migrating our website and blog over to the new online store and farm website. I will keep this blog up as a living history of the last year or so, but all new business and news will be on the new platform.

Quick Note: We will be at Partner's Village Store in Westport, MA this Saturday (the 26th) from 11 to 2 to discuss Alpacas, their Fiber, and the finished products made from them. We would love for anyone interested in the farm or products to swing through.