We found twin angora does, Charlotte & Fern.
Fern died in the summer of 2002 and we frantically began a search for a companion goat.
My sister had just given me a copy of Spin-Off with an article about Pygora goats. I didn’t even know they existed but was intrigued by their size and fiber range. When we couldn’t find a young angora near us, I started searching the net for pygoras. Most breeders are in the Pacific Northwest but I found a breeder in Maryland. After a few emails we were heading to Maryland to see Pedro. When we arrived, I fell in love with Pedro and my husband fell in love with Winthorp. After a little maneuvering, we managed to get both 3 month old kids in the dog carrier, stuffed the carrier onto the back seat of the Audi and drove the 7 hours to get home.

So started our love affair with pygora goats. We started acquiring does from farms in Oregon to begin our own breeding program with the intention of adding a buck in 2004. In March of 2004 I went to a feedstore/llama farm to look at a used blower. After figuring out that it wasn’t what I needed, the woman said to me, “Do you want a llama?” I had never even thought about a llama except that they seemed intimidating to me, which is funny as I have had a horse ever since I was a child. I didn’t know what to say, but I went to look anyway. She took me to meet Bailey’s Irish Cream on March 17th; I am half Irish, it was fate! She explained to me that he was too small for her breeding program so she was selling him. Two weeks later I brought him home after my convincing argument that we needed a guard llama for our goat herd, and especially for our future kids!

I fell head over heels for Bailey. Once again to the net I went! I found the AMLA. Miniature llamas? Who knew. I like small! I started emailing all the farms that I could and found Julie Chapman of Minnesota Mini’s and Miss Mocha Latte. After agreeing to purchase Mocha, Julie told me about another young llama she was thinking of getting, but thought that I would like. That was Sarmiento’s Joya from Carothers Country Farm.

So I met Lynda Carothers through emails and agreed to get Joya. Our two new girls arrived
mid-April 2004 and my obsession with llamas was revving at the starting gate. Summer saw
four more llamas arriving, Emilia and her cria, Sarmiento’s Zeus, Sarmiento’s Katalina and mini potential Playmate. All from Lynda and Julie, and we still had not met face to face! Then a half interest in our first full Argentine, Just Perfect with Lynda. I know I had Greg’s head spinning, but I couldn’t stop. I was in LOVE with llamas! A bored moment surfing the net and finding the LlamaSales Online auction resulted in the purchase of MGF Jubilee and her half argentine cria, Black Ice. At the bitter end of the auction Greg was urging me to bid higher; you gotta love that gambling spirit! Then little mini male Max and Miracle arrived, and I also found myself with a half interest in a full argentine female, Sombra, with Lynda (how did that happen?) and ownership of her Halloween cria, Argentine Truco. Whewww. By then I was told, no more llamas. But I just took that to mean at least for 2004!

So TuckerWoods Farm came to be. Named in honor of Tucker, a rottie shepherd cross, our beloved first dog who passed away in the Fall of 2005. Hanging out with the animals at the end of a hard day is just the best. From the endlessly funny antics of the goats to the calm, zen-like demeanor of the llamas, we love them all.