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LILLY — Housed on 45 acres atop Mountain Road near Lilly Borough is a herd of alpacas who are often seen roaming Tammy Crum's farm or lounging in their barns behind her home.
She's owned and operated Lilly Mountain Alpacas and Store for around a decade.
What began as her interest in the unique animals native to South America has turned into a thriving business and education center.
"As soon as the alpacas came, it was probably months and people started coming," Crum said.
Visitors from all over and of all ages travel to her home to see the animals — some just to watch them meander through the fenced-in areas, others to learn about the alpacas and still more to purchase products made from their fleece.
At the store that's attached to Crum's home, she sells a variety of goods, from hats and gloves to socks, sweaters, scarves and related items.
"A lot of the people who come here are repeat visitors," Crum said.
Although the store helps sustain the farm, the owner said, "a lot of what I do here is education."
Crum invites people to visit the space and learn more about the animals, from their lifespan and care to their habits and routines.
She often hosts schoolchildren and visitors from other organizations who stop by for the day and take in the sights.
The farm started as a hobby in 2012 and became her full-time job four years later when she retired from Verizon at 54.
Crum has maintained an interest in alpacas for several years and said she wanted to "get into something ... I didn't have to slaughter."
The roughly 30 animals live a quiet life at her residence, sometimes getting to venture out and make appearances at local fairs or community events, and being sheared annually.
The blanket, or the center of the fleece that covers the animal's back and stomach, is typically what is kept and turned into goods, although fleece from other areas, such as the upper legs and neck, can also be used.
The majority of the "clip" is sent to a fiber pull in Massachusetts, Crum said, but some of the material is also sent to a mill where it's made into yarn.
Workers at the pull will sort and grade what Crum sends and then keep it in a bank.
She then contacts the company to order products, which are made there, to replenish her store, where she always tries to keep different items on hand.