Down Spooner Creek Lane is a 12-acre property near Dakota Creek that is home to national champions. They’re grass-chewing, fleece first-placers.
The Sunny Alpacas farm, at 9200 Spooner Creek Lane, follows its tagline “In pursuit of elite alpacas” seriously as it breeds the llama relative for shows across the country.
James and Ichi Kwon came to the U.S. from South Korea in 2010. In need of a job and in possession of a life-long love of animals, James discovered alpacas.
After researching the animal, James visited an alpaca show in Oregon, then an alpaca auction in Hillsboro, a city outside of Portland, in May 2011. With previous business experience from South Korea, the Kwon family bought the farm in August 2011, and Sunny Alpacas was born in 2012. The farm specialized solely in alpaca sales until last spring, when it started offering tours to the public that allows them to feed and walk the alpacas.
“I want to show my American dream,” James said. “Here I can do that.”
The couple chose Blaine because of its scenic nature, proximity to the border and a general love of the city.
At first, James wasn’t sure if there was money in the alpaca business. Turns out, there was.
Most of the alpacas sold at the farm come from champion bloodlines. These alpacas come with a price tag ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Females tend to be on the higher end, due to the likelihood that they are pregnant or can become pregnant later. Since beginning in 2012, the Kwons have sold about 110 alpacas.
Sunny Alpacas produces alpacas that compete at halter and fleece competitions. Halter competitions are focused solely on the quality of the alpaca, including their grooming, how well they walk and personality. Fleece competitions are all about the quality of the alpaca’s fur.
The Kwons are selective about which alpacas to breed in order to produce the best offspring for both competitions. That discernment placed Sunny Farms in the top 10 of national fleece producers last year from the Alpaca Owners Association, Inc., among individual accolades the alpacas have won.
“I wanted to be one of the best alpaca breeders before I started,” James said. “When I bought an alpaca, I very carefully chose the best bloodline, best quality. I bought 20 alpacas, and improved on some of the low-quality ones. Then we only go to major shows. We don’t compromise.”
The alpaca farm is named after the Kwons’ daughter, Sunny. To James, the farm isn’t about him; it’s about the future generations.
“I want to make an estate for my next generation. When my next generation comes here, this can be their hometown,” James said. “This was not a farm. This was visible ground, but I designed an alpaca park.”
Sunny Alpacas offers tours at 2 p.m. Wednesday and Friday. On weekends and holidays, tours are given at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. All tickets must be booked in advance. The tours are limited to 30 adults and 10 children. For more information, visit bit.ly/3Iyr0ptor or email info@sunnyalpacas.com.
