Patty Loew:
Those birds migrate to escape winter in Wisconsin. Alpaca's grow a thick coat to shelter them from the cold. There are nearly 250 alpaca farms across the state and it might be the only time fleece is a good thing when it comes to a financial investment. This week contributing producer Steve Doebel takes you to Jean Garvey's alpaca farm in Mazomanie.

Jean Garvey:
Would you like an apple? There you go.

Jean Garvey:
You're a wonderful boy. My name is Jean Garvey and I have been an alpaca farmer for eight years. I raise and sell alpacas. We wanted something to do on small acreage. What we discovered about alpacas is that they're an excellent livestock investment. They don't take much acreage and that they are very enchanting animals. There is a difference between an alpaca and llama. Most people don't know what it is. I'll be glad to tell them. A llama is a large animal and it was bred as a pack animal mainly. An alpaca has always been a small animal and bred for fiber. They definitely have personalities. They hum and talk to each other in a hum, hmmm, hmmm. They like it when you talk softly to them or sing to them. I'm down here talking and singing to my alpaca's a lot.

Jean Garvey:
She looks likes the flying nun's hat.

Jean Garvey:
If they argue with each other, which is usually when they spit. The horrible smelling green stuff comes out of their mouth and oh my, it does smell terrible. It smells awful. Alpacas are terrific livestock to own because they go potty in the same spot all the time. So we have dung piles. I happen to love to run around and clean up alpaca manure. I'm a very strange person. I can keep track of my alpacas by cleaning up the manure to make sure everyone is healthy. Come on, let's get some apples.

Jean Garvey:
Owning alpaca's has been life changing for me. I personally wasn't supposed to see the change of the century. I have certain illnesses and conditions that it's remarkable that I'm still around. But alpacas have given me that incentive and the love of alpacas and the attention and love that they give me, gives me the incentive to keep moving and keep moving keeps you alive.

Jean Garvey:
Go to the barn. There you go. There you go. My partner in all of this alpaca business and mill business is Roy Lord, who is my life partner. The first love of my life. Then there are the dogs and the alpacas. He's the first one. He runs the mill. Our fiber mill processes alpaca fleeces for us and for other farms all over the country. Alpaca fiber has incredible insulative qualities. We've walked out after a snowstorm and brushed off six inches of snow off the top of our alpacas because it doesn't melt. They're so insulated that the heat doesn't get away from their body to melt the snow off their backs. Stetson is getting cleaned right now. Now he'll shake it off and his fiber will be all separated and clean. This yarn is hand spun yarn from one of our alpacas. Her name is Icy Mocha. If somebody wants to make something out of hand spun Icy Mocha they can do it. Individual animals do have followings. You'll have a hand crafter that wants Icy's fleece this year and can I contract to get Icy's fleece next year, too or they can have a throw or something made out of the fleece from a special alpaca. All alpacas are special, actually.

Patty Loew:
Buyers will spend from $500 to $500,000 on an alpaca.