About The Alpaca Trading Company
We’re Steph & Mike Barnhart. We’ve owned more than a dozen businesses over the years and wanted to get into something that was a sound investment while also being a lot of fun! We found our answer- big time- with suri Alpacas.
We started investigating the possibility in 1999. We had owned horses in the past, but the tax advantages had all but dried up in the horse realm. We found that new records were being set for alpaca prices at auction and that the average sale price of alpacas were on the rise. We were further encouraged when we learned just how docile and easy- to- care for these animals are.
We purchased our first two alpacas in 1999 and our herd has been growing ever since. At the time, we never dreamed that our farm would grow so much in just a few years! Over the past 7 years we have grown to over 180 Suri Alpacas! We can truly say that, without a doubt, alpacas are the best business opportunity we have been lucky enough to get into!
Steph is an AOBA certified fleece judge with 20 years of livestock experience from Arabian horses to alpacas for the last decade.
Mike is a “serial” entrepreneur who has been involved in industries from computers to pizza to ice cream and now alpacas!
ATC is home to more than 180 alpacas. We have more than 60 crias born here on the farm each year! We are one of the top suri farms in the country. Our farm is ranked in the top 1% of award winning suri alpacas. We have been very successful in the show ring over the years as we have developed our breeding program and continue to have sought after genetics here on the farm.
Our farm is state of the art, with new investments being made each year. We have a combination of barns and shelters to accommodate all of our alpacas from birth to retirement. We have automatic waterers and electricity ran all throughout the farm. We have a birthing suite that is equipped with heat for the winter and air conditioning for the summer. It has an advanced web camera system that can be viewed from anywhere in the US. We video record all happenings in the warm room each day. We have a state of the art vet room with equipment for blood work analysis machines, microscopes, centrifuges, and an ultrasound machine, oxygen, and much more medical necessities.
We have developed an excellent Bio Security program to keep our animals and sour customer animals safe on the farm. Our expertise combines with our knowledgeable veterinarian help us stay on top of any medical issues.