Alpaca extravaganza held at Lake Co. fairgrounds

Ten years ago, Caryn Wolf was shopping at Northbrook Court and came across a kiosk selling items made from alpaca hair.

The Deerfield resident wasn't exactly sure what an alpaca was but knew she liked the feel of the fur.

On her next trip to Northbrook, Wolf noticed a pen in the middle of the mall with two alpacas inside.

"That was the end of it for me," Wolf said. "My 'aha' moment."

Today, Wolf owns Wolfpaca Ranch in Salem, Wis., where she has 20 alpacas.

"I grew up in Skokie, went to Northwestern. My parents were the first people to say, 'Are you crazy? You think you are a farmer now?' " Wolf said. "But I just knew this was something I would love, and I have never looked back."

Wolf represented one of 136 farms from 12 states this weekend at the Northern Illinois Alpaca Extravaganza held at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake.

The Alpaca Extravaganza has been the second-largest event held annually at the fairgrounds, said organizer Ray Rodriguez, of Long Grove.

More than 400 alpacas with large brown eyes and kinky hair were on the grounds. Rodriguez said alpaca farming is a growing industry.

"A lot of late baby boomers are retiring and looking for something to fill their time," said Rodriguez, who owns Leraso Farm. "This is a hearty livestock that is low maintenance."

Alpacas have only been in the United States since 1984.

Today, there are almost 100,000 in the country. While that is a lot, it pales in comparison to the 10 million horses in America.

Tripp Forstner, who runs Magical Farms in Ohio, said after spending some time with alpacas, it is easy to see why the industry is taking off.

"One of the greatest benefits is you don't have to kill them to make a profit," Forstner said. "They are not like pets, but they are lovely animals that really become part of the family."