PHOTO GALLERY: Green Castle farmer featured in Missouri Life Magazine for his exotic animals

By Marty Bachman
Daily Convey

A Environmentally friendly Castle farmer was showcased in the January/February concern of Missouri Life journal in an short article highlighting five Missouri fiber farms that are open up for visits from the public.

Randy Jones, who life with his wife in the vicinity of the end of Daniel Cemetery Path off of Hwy. 149, raises alpacas, llamas, sheep, goats and miniature donkeys and runs a business, Papa’s Alpacas Petting Zoo, which offers academic opportunities for regional faculty little ones as well as goods these kinds of as gloves, hats, rugs, and even artwork, produced from alpaca fiber.

According to the journal write-up, even though in his 20s, Jones was studying to be a veterinarian at Truman State College when he was forced to make a selection continue to be in college or purchase the relatives farm

“The allure of that farm found in close proximity to Green Castle was way too potent and he obtained the household and the surrounding 200 acres,” the magazine post states, noting that around the decades, Jones has expanded to 520 acres and the farm has metamorphosed from the herd of dairy and beef cows he started with to a person which is loaded with unique animals.

“I preferred to have one thing other than a normal cattle farm for my grandkids,” he said in the journal. “I preferred to have anything special, so I just started off acquiring unique kinds of animals.”

He reported that he started out with sheep then included goats, alpacas, llamas and miniature donkeys. Just after amassing his collection of unique animals, his daughter recommended that he required to open up up the farm and let persons pay a visit to. He took her information and currently the petting zoo is open up to the general public by appointment. He has invited educational institutions and other teams to stop by and find out about the animals though making it possible for them to interact jointly. The tours are no cost but donations are approved.

“I experienced like the entire initial quality course from Kirksville arrive out very last yr,” he mentioned. “Like 300 children, but they arrived out in diverse teams, you know, just one group in the morning, a person team in the afternoon for two different times. So then I would clearly show them all the animals and they would enjoy with them.”

He also has a developing adjacent to the animal pens where by people can see the quite a few items built from alpaca fiber, some that are readily available for purchase. He also has looms in the making exactly where his new hobby is building rugs, tea towels and other solutions made from alpaca fiber.

“I just obtained them in December so they’re truly new to me,” Jones claimed about the looms. “I’m sort of practicing.”

Jones, who retired from the Postal Service ion 2017 soon after 27 a long time of working days and then on the farm at night time, also usually takes his petting zoo on the highway, visiting town block parties, nursing properties and festivals where by his petting zoo is constantly a big hit with little ones and grownups as very well. When his sons established him up with a Facebook website page and site, phrase of mouth has been nearly as powerful in drawing visitors.

“Probably a couple each and every summer months for the very last couple of several years,” he mentioned about his existence at Kirksville summer block get-togethers, noting that even though he does not get paid to established up, seeing youngsters participate in with the animals helps make it worth the vacation. “They’re not used to viewing animals like this and staying ready to get up near and pet them,” he reported.

He stated that the Kirksville Long run Farmers of The usa group always has a petting zoo in February during Countrywide FFA Thirty day period and he introduced his menagerie to the event previous 12 months. Jones’s animals were being so popular, the president of the corporation requested if they could return for this year’s show.

Jones, owning turned 62, mentioned he is seeking to unwind some and is in the procedure of downsizing his farm, however there’ nevertheless a lot of cattle and sheep.

“I’m completely ready to sluggish down, you know, with the the even larger animals, since the alpacas are just a whole lot simpler to take care of than cattle, of course, just due to the fact of their size and their temperament,” he reported.

To make an appointment to visit Papa’s Alpaca’s Petting Zoo, call 660-626-6461, check out his Fb page (Papa’s Alpacas), or verify out their web site at https://papasalpacas.com.