Our sustainability and environmental projects
Fleur de Lys Alpacas has devoted about 20% of its area to revegetation and conservation. These areas preclude the alpacas from grazing and include a 50-acre scrub lot that hosts an amazing display of native orchids in spring. There is a 1.5km riparian zone which includes some endangered swamp species and is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. These areas are linked by several wildlife shelter belts that allow birds, insects and small animals to move easily in their environment to access water, food and shelter.
Our olive grove
The 25 acre olive grove has about 2500 olive trees that are harvested for their award-winning Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The olive grove is a lovely place to walk through; it often has the alpaca stud males grazing quietly amongst the trees.
Fleur de Lys Extra Virgin Olive Oil is also available for purchase.
The longer story:
Once upon a time there was a little girl growing up in suburban Melbourne, who did not understand why she could not have a horse in her backyard! The big black Labrador was reluctant to accommodate a saddle, so walks with him to the nearest park, before and after school, were the limit of Lee’s agricultural pursuits.
Rolling forward a few decades and Lee can now be found at home with both her horses and alpacas. The 300-acre farm at Pages Flat between McLaren Vale and Mount Compass in South Australia, is home to a herd of about 300 alpacas. Lee, together with her husband Greg and their sons Alexander and Luke, call this corner of the world home, though visitors often refer to their farm as “paradise”.
With sandy loam soil flats near the house and gentle sloping paddocks on either side of the water course, this property is well suited to grazing livestock. A generous buffer around the water course and a 50-acre bush block add significantly to the biodiversity of the area, with a proliferation of small birds and wildlife. A 25-acre olive grove also contributes to the activities of the farm and is a favourite summer grazing paddock for the alpacas.
In this idyllic setting, Lee and Greg are raising their sons. The boys ride ponies and motorbikes, lead alpacas into the show ring and help wrangle them for shearing. The challenges of animal husbandry and farm management are all skills learnt along the way. While there is always a long “to do list”, there is also great enjoyment to be shared.
So please feel most welcome to our website and you may like to visit our farm as well…
