Alpaca Acres hosting festive farm activities for residents

Alpaca Acres is a family-run farm in Great Tey and has been holding different experiences with their animals as the festive season begins.

Dawn Goulding owns Alpaca Acres and runs the farm day to day.

Pose - Paige Goulding is the farm manager (Image: N/A)

Best friends - Kelly Barnard is the farm supervisor (Image: N/A)

Get creative - the farm has been holding wreath making sessions (Image: N/A)

Inspection - an alpaca takes a look at a wreath design (Image: N/A)

She said: “Initially for us, it was just a field, we bought a plot of land and to start with I just farmed Alpacas and that was all we had here.

“We had the eventual plan to do trekking, but I had a nasty accident and severed my leg badly.

“I was told I would probably never walk again and spent two years in a metal brace before I eventually has surgery last August.

“I have had some complications, I can’t bend my leg properly now, but it has led us a different way and moulded who I have become.

“I thought the animals here have got me through this as I had to get up every day and feed them regardless of how I felt, it gave me purpose, and I wanted others to enjoy their company.

“I have done a lot of work with children with anxiety, special needs and others, and animals have a real calming and therapeutic effect.”

Meet and greet - guests with a pig on the farm (Image: N/A)

Hungry - there are chances to feed the alpacas on the farm (Image: N/A)

The farm has hosted various events already and has got more coming up.

Dawn said: “We have had wreath-making sessions, Santa experiences, children can make reindeer food and write letters to Santa, alpaca yoga, hot drinks experiences, and opportunities to meet and pet the animals.

All smiles - a group enjoys feeding the farm's alpacas (Image: N/A)

Animals - a pair pictured with a farm goat (Image: N/A)

“There are obviously the alpacas, but we also have pigs, sheep, goats, all the animals are very calm, inquisitive and friendly.

“It is nice downtime to chill, reflect and enjoy time with the animals.

“We also only let one family on the farm at a time, so it is nice and personal too.

“The reviews have been lovely and everybody says the same, it is just nice to have time away and enjoy the animals, and it is always nice for me to see the children and adults smile.”