Fiber mill featured during Alpaca Farm Tour event

Dixie and Julep greet everyone who drives up to the Central Virginia Fiber Mill.  The two Chesapeake Bay Retrievers with their amber-hued eyes and caramel colored curly coats are the perfect match for their owner, Mary Kearney who welcomes you with a friendly smile and an energetically relaxed manner.
Twenty-five years ago, Mark and Mary Kearney moved from California to 12 acres in Greene County.  Their goal was to raise a family and to find a way to make money farming.
Six years ago, they started an alpaca herd with 4 animals.  The herd has grown to 20 animals and inspired the Kearney’s newest project - the fiber mill.
“There were no mills within 500 miles of us,“ explains Kearney.  “The nearest small mills are in West Virginia and Georgia.  There are about 3 big mills but they don’t like to deal with small farmers who have small amounts of fleece.“
“The big mills charge for every little thing and the product they give you back is not from the fiber you gave them,“ she says with annoyance.  “What is the point of all the work we do in breeding for a superior fleece if we don’t get back a product from that fleece?“
With the same enthusiasm and determination that brought them to farming, the Kearney’s ordered the machines for the mill.  It arrived the week after Christmas last year and the mill was running by January of this year.
“We are on the phone with the company all the time,“ laughs Kearney. “We do our own maintenance.  We’re learning as we go.“
“We wanted to create something unique,“ says Kearney of the Serendipity Yarns they produce.  “And we wanted to give the local alpaca farmers a place to get fiber out of the fleece from their own flock.“
Besides alpaca fleece, the mill works with other exotic fibers such as llama, mohair and angora.  Much thought and work is put into blending fibers to create their unique product.
“We don’t dye our fibers,“ stresses Kearney.  “The alpaca fleece comes in 21 natural colors and when we want to add a bit more color or texture, we blend in silk fibers as well.  This is really nice for knitters because they can create a finished piece with texture and interest without having to use complicated stitches.  The yarn provides the pattern for the piece.“
Besides yarn, the mill produces roving (a product used by crafters who spin their own yarn), felt and batting like that used by quilters.  The felt can be used for fabric art, apparel and other projects. 
Working with nature and causing as little harm as possible is important to Kearney.
“We don’t use any harsh chemicals, just soap and water,“ explains Kearney. “The soap is so mild; we put the used water back into our pastures.  And getting the fleece form the animals does not harm them.“  The mill will be part of this weekend’s National Alpaca Farm Tour event.  To find which Greene County farms are participating, to http://www.valpaca.com