OUR STORY
Our (Lee and Sue Allison) story began after a chance meeting at our local high school’s Christmas craft fair where I (Sue) learned about alpacas and experienced products made from their luxurious fiber. The ‘paca people were Ray and Laurie McDonald of McPaca Ranch, formerly of Keller, Texas, now retired. Ray and Laurie shared all things “alpacas“ with me, and I became very intrigued. I attended my first alpaca show and fiber competition in Fort Worth, TX that very next February, and I was hooked. Now, all I had to do was convince Lee that alpaca farming was going to be our next great adventure.
That was in 2013. At the time, we owned no land, no barn and had no knowledge of how to care for alpacas. Fortunately, facts have never been a deterrent to any of my dreams.
For the next six years, Lee and I researched the care and management of alpacas by attending conferences and shows as well as visiting alpaca farms all over North Texas and Central Oregon, asking some very hard questions.
During one of those conferences, Lee had intense conversations with several alpaca farmers about how to assure that our alpaca farm can succeed as a business and not as simply a hobby. We aimed to develop a business where we could practice responsible stewardship of the land and the alpacas under our care.
Eventually, Lee was convinced that we could accomplish our goals of a viable and sustainable business working to make wise breeding decisions and at the same time, create an enjoyable and educational destination for animal lovers.
And so began the adventure of a lifetime. In 2019, after much prayer for the right land in just the right location, we purchased a beautiful 7 acre plot of land just outside of Sanger Texas.
By the end of 2020, we had built the house and barn. Our first furry, friendly alpacas arrived in October 2021. Lee and I looked at each other with much trepidation and smiles and said, “What did we just do?” Thus, Goshen Meadows Alpaca Farm was born.
WHY “GOSHEN”
At Goshen Meadows Alpaca Farm, we named our farm “Goshen” after the region in Biblical Egypt where God’s people, the Israelites, lived for 400 years.
The Goshen region was known for its fertile pastures and abundant waters. The Israelites’ patriarch, Jacob, and his family traveled into Egypt to escape the drought and famine that was ravishing their land. Jacob was preceded by his son, Joseph, who had gained notoriety in Egypt as caretaker and leader of the Pharoah’s household and property.
Upon their arrival, Joseph assigned the rich land of Goshen to God’s people, 70 in all, on which to reside. They stayed there for 400 years, and under the leadership of Moses, God directed over 2 million of His people to return to the promised land.
Goshen provided a temporary place for God’s people until they returned to the land that He had promised them. While we look forward to the Lord’s return and His establishment of the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21), our farm is also a temporary place for us to live and to serve.
Goshen was known for being a place of peace and plenty. As a reflection of that, we desire for our farm to be a place of peace and refreshment for our alpacas as well as all who venture here.
