Alpacas are a new breed of livestock beginning to flourish state- and nationwide.

The Rice family will be celebrating their fifth summer with these long-necked, fiber coated mammals by hosting its open house this Saturday, presenting everything from free food to hay rides, brand-new babies called prias and lots of fuzzy merchandise made from alpaca fiber, called fleece.

“It's a level of cashmere. It's wonderful, (you can make items) like bedroom slippers,” Kathy Rice said.

The event will also include a petting area along with tons of literature about breeding and raising alpacas.

The Rice farm, as part of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association and the Empire Alpacas Associated of New York Farms, will be armed with every bit of material pertaining to alpacas one would ever wish to know.

“We'll have all kinds of background information,” Kathy said. “This is not all just for sales. We want to educate the public, have them ask questions,” added her her husband, Larry.

The Rices intend to present attendees with tours of the farm, explain the alpaca business for both pleasure and profit, as well as show off the newest edition to their family, a newborn pria born Tuesday.

There will also be fiber products for sale, including hats and gloves.

“We'll also have a drawing for a free breeding and discounted animals” worth more than $1,000, Larry said.

Alpacas were first imported into the United States in 1984 from countries like South America, Peru, Chile and Bolivia.

“Around the mid '90s they stopped imports and (alpacas) became most popular,” Larry said.

“The Incas first used the alpaca fiber to make clothes,” Kathy explained. “The fiber was initially reserved for royalty in 1200 A.D.”

Staff writer Beth Noyes can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 252 or at beth.noyes@lee.net

If you go

What: Rice Alpaca Farms open house

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; tours on the hour

Where: Rice Alpaca Farm, 12976 Route 34, Martville

Cost: Free

For details: Call 626-6768 or visit www.alpacasfarm.com