Norway, Mich. (WZMQ) – Rainbow’s End Alpacas, located in Dickinson County, hosted its annual Spring Shearing Day, with the traveling shearers from Top Knot Shearing in charge of shearing the farm’s 24 alpacas.
“They start in I believe, March, then they hit the lower states, and we’re always at the tail end of it because we’re so cold up here,” commented Mary Lynn Verley, the owner of Rainbow’s End Alpacas. Verley informed that the shearers travel all across the country and the state of Michigan to shear Alpacas and Llamas, specifically.
Elijah Yeager, one of the traveling shearers, explained that they were nearing the end of their Michigan route. “So we started in west Michigan, went down to the Kalamazoo area, over to Ann Arbor and Flint, then drove up here last night,” he remarked.
“The owner is in Montana, three of us on this crew are from West Michigan, and then one of us is from south Alabama. So we’ll take shearers from Missouri, North Carolina, and one’s from Georgia. So all our crews are from all over the place,” explained Yeager.
Rainbow’s End Alpacas is a popular attraction for alpaca-lovers from all corners of the world throughout the season. “We have a guestbook in there and we have people from China, Japan, the Ukraine, Scotland, I mean – everywhere,” Verley informed.
Overall, the Spring Shearing Day was a success, thanks to the traveling shearers from Top Knot Shearing. The alpacas are now ready to bask in the glorious U.P. summer sun.
The Alpaca glow-up isn’t just for show, the shearers and farmers agreed that it’s a crucial maintenance routine that keeps the Alpacas looking and feeling their best. The shearers at Top Knot went the extra mile to make sure all 24 of them were in tip-top shape for the U.P. summer heat.
Rainbow’s End will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am until 2 pm central time, and once July hits they will expand hours to Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. central time. They are also open outside of regular hours by appointment, so don’t be sheepish and give them a call!
For more information about Rainbow’s End, or to make a special appointment with these freshly-shaved superstars, like one of the leaders in the herd, named Snarf – visit
www.rainbowsendalpacas.net/
