Today we’d like to introduce you to Krystin Salome.
Hi Krystin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My love for llamas and alpacas started in college- I mean, what’s not to love about this floofy, adorable animals? After grad school, I was presented with an opportunity to get my herd, which, of course, I jumped on! So I drove to Florida to pick them up and since Thanksgiving day of 2015, I’ve been enthralled with them!
I learned a lot of things, joined a lot of groups, and became very involved in the community of alpaca and llama owners. I learned how to shear so that I could better care for my own animals, then realized there were very few shearers in the area, but a surprising number of camelid owners! I started shearing for other farms on the weekends and grew my network and knowledge base even more.
Soon after that, I started fostering for Southeast Llama Rescue, then eventually became an adoption coordinator for Texas. All the while, I mentored new owners and shared everything I could with people about these amazing animals. In 2022 I dove full-time into my farm business, expanding into the agritourism world with farm tours and event appearances. I started hosting experiences on Airbnb, and have met so many amazing people from around the world.
Now I host groups at our farm in Anderson and take my animals to events like fall festivals, weddings, and birthday parties. We’ve even had bridal and family photos with our herd at the farm. I believe these animals can bring great joy to people, and I love sharing them with everyone!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life is never “smooth”- especially not on a farm. There are hard days, weeks, and even months. This past summer took an especially hard toll on our animals with such high temperatures. Being from the Andes Mountains in South America, they are not well adapted to the Texas heat, so I work hard to keep them cool in the summers with kiddie pools, sprinklers, fans, and shade.
One of my sweetest llamas, Sanman, had a bad bout of heat stress and required intense medical care this summer. He has since recovered, but it is never easy seeing your animals struggle or become ill. Veterinary care is expensive, and intensive rehabilitation is very time and energy-consuming.
I also battle the weather constantly- whether it’s trying to shear herds across the state before it becomes too hot or having to reschedule an event due to rain. But one thing is for certain- come rain, shine, sleet, or hail the animals must be cared for! It’s my honor and privilege to care for them to the best of my abilities.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Shear Joy Farm & Shearing?
Shear Joy Farm & Shearing provides llama and alpaca shearing services, farm tours, event appearances, and natural fiber products. Our mission is to share the JOY of llamas and alpacas with our community. Farm tours and event appearances are our newest venture and they are so much fun!
We can host small groups at the farm in Anderson, Texas where we spend a couple of hours learning all about llamas and alpacas, feeding them, interacting with them, and making things out of their fiber (that you get to take home as a souvenir)! This is a great opportunity for homeschooling groups, dates with your loved one, or a family outing. It’s great for all ages too! We’re a short drive north of Houston, and well worth the trip. Off the farm, we can attend events, weddings, and parties where we bring the animals to you! This is a super fun opportunity for you and your guests to interact with these unique animals.
For people with their own herd of camelids, we provide shearing services- traveling across Texas each spring to shear the fiber (wool) off of animals, providing them with sweet relief from the Texas heat. Shearing is an essential part of ownership and must be done once per year in the springtime. After shearing, the fiber is processed and turned into products like dryer balls, rugs, yarn, and felt. Alpaca fiber is well known for its luxurious softness and it is also hypoallergenic and 10 times warmer than sheep wool! We are starting to sell some of these handmade products on our website.
What’s next?
We are looking forward to everything the future has to offer! 2023 will be our first full year doing farm tours and events, and we can’t wait to meet all the new people that will bring in! In the spring, we plan to expand our herd with a few more llamas that will travel to events with us, along with some educational courses for those interested in owning llamas or alpacas.
Pricing:
- Farm tours range from $15-25 per person
- Events start at $100/hour
- Fiber products start at $16.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shearjoytx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shearjoytx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shearjoyTX
Image Credits
Jamie Hardin Photography
