SMOKY MOUNTAIN ALPACAS & Dan & Marlene Radulescu's Page

How many alpacas do you own?

20-50

In case of evacuation, can your farm be used for short term boarding??

We are always willing to help anyone in need. It may take a day to get ready, however, we have the land and the heart. That is all that is needed.

What is your farm name?

Smoky Mountain Alpacas

What is your name?

Marlene Radulescu

Where is your farm located?

Stuart, Virginia

How long have you been raising alpacas?

7 years

What kind of alpacas do you raise?

Suris

Website:

http://www.alpacanation.com/smokymtnalpacas.asp, www.smokymountaina...

Tell us more about yourself!

Dan and I are nurses. Dan is a Nurse Practitioner in Trauma at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, NC. I am retired, which means tired twice, first tired of working then tired of not working. I enjoy being on the farm and having my days to care for these intriguing animals.

It's always amazing to hear how individual farms got started. Our story is: The stock market took a dive and 2001 became a year of fundamental decisions. As we had just lost a substantial amount of our retirement,
the question became how to protect the remainder. We investigated several avenues that brought us to the alpaca industry. The decision was relatively easy, given the demeanor of these animals. The investment in the livestock industry had to satisfy not only our age group but also that of our grandchildren.