Carolina Pride Pastures
Education doesn’t always come from books, and nobody knows that better than people who work the land for a living. One local woman, Alicia Holbrook, has gained great wisdom from immersing herself in nature, building a successful business along the way. As an alpaca farmer, her entrepreneurial spirit has shown many just how much the Palmetto State has to offer.
The Alpaca Farmer
Fifteen years in the corporate world might not have prepared Alicia Holbrook to be an alpaca farmer, but it sure helped her get her agribusiness off the ground. She got the idea for her business when her youngest daughter was 6 weeks old. By then, she was a stay-at-home mom, sleep-deprived and awake in the middle of the night with her restless baby. She clicked on the TV and began watching the Discovery Channel.
“It was a lady talking about her alpaca farm,” Holbrook says. “My husband says it’s lack of sleep, but I got the epiphany to be an alpaca farmer.”
In 2013 Carolina Pride Pastures opened their gates to the public with a starter herd of five pregnant alpacas, and the farm has continued to grow. They sell alpaca fiber and fertilizer, but they specialize in hosting educational tours. Kindergarteners through second graders enjoy field trips to the farm to learn about alpacas and llamas.
“We talk about their needs—just like humans, they need food, water, and they need shelter,” Holbrook says.
Holbrook tries to pass on the importance of being a pet parent, regardless of the breed.
“We talk about the responsibility we have as farmers to teach folks about animals,” Holbrook says. “They’re not just something you can run to Tractor Supply and get at Easter. They’re like family. They’re livestock, but they’re family."
Many farms and other businesses had to adjust during the pandemic, and Carolina Pride Pastures is no exception. To pivot, Holbrook decided to develop a virtual and interactive farm experience that meets several educational standards. It includes a pre-recorded farm tour, a workbook and a lesson plan for educators.
Whether you’re 6 or 86, Carolina Pride Pastures offers an educational experience for everyone.
“Not every person that comes here wants to be an alpaca farmer or a farmer, period,” Holbrook says. “They just want to learn, and one of the jobs of a farmer is to be a teacher as well.”
But Holbrook is not the only one that offers up wisdom on the farm.
“I can honestly say I have learned more about myself and how to handle people from the alpacas and the llamas,” Holbrook says. “They’ve taught me a lot of patience and then also a lot of gratitude.”
