'I fell in love with the animals': Franklin Township alpaca farm to host Farm Fall Festival

Scott Westberg, owner of Pure Passions Farm, said that animals are his calling — not just caring for them, but sharing them with other people as well.

From 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Franklin Township's Pure Passions Farm at 7679 Seasons Road is extending an invitation for people to come celebrate autumn with its 42 alpacas and 19 goats at its family friendly Farm Fall Fest.

Clothing made from Pure Passions Farm's alpaca fleece, including hats and socks, is available in the onsite Farm Store, along with other items.

For $10 per car — as many as you can fit safely — people can come visit the farm to commune with the animals, grab some food, drink free cider (while supplies last) and make fall-themed crafts.

Be sure to book ahead because parking is limited. A $10 ticket buys you an hour and a half time slot on the farm. The time slots are staggered to make sure the parking lot doesn't get overloaded by too many people arriving at once.

Buying the farm

Scott and his wife, Sigga, have owned Pure Passions Farm for 1½ years.

Animals are a passion of Scott's. As a high schooler, his first job was on an alpaca and llama farm.

"I fell in love with the animals," he said. "They're such an easygoing, calming, therapeutic animal." Alpacas are hypoallergenic as well, sweetening the pot for Scott, who is allergic to an extensive list of critters, including goats, which are Sigga's responsibility.

The Westbergs bought the farm from the previous owners, who were boarding three alpacas for the couple at the time.

The Westbergs were still in the hospital following the birth of their daughter when the owners of the farm broke the news that they were relocating. After thinking about it for a week or so, Scott said they worked it out with the owners to purchase the farm.

Sunsets and 'goatscaping'

It became apparent that it was expensive to maintain a farm.

"So, we're thinking, how are we going to afford this farm? It's a passion, but you can't just live off your dreams, so we started of thinking of different ways of helping the farm pay for itself," Scott said.

To that end, Pure Passions has made the farm available to rent for events like birthday parties or field trips.

The Westbergs also take alpacas offsite for nursing home and school visits, alpaca- or goat-grams, and landscaping by goat — also known as "goatscaping." According to the farm's website, goatscaping involves bringing eight to 10 goats to a property to munch on weeds, poison ivy or other unwanted vegetation: "Do you have weeds, poison ivy or other vegetation you are looking to get removed?? Is the terrain is too difficult for traditional mowers or you want a natural way of removing to protect your kids and pets???  Look no further, Goat-scaping is here!"

Pricing varies from job to job, but the basic introductory pricing with no additional work is $199 for Day 1 and $99 each day after. according to the website.

For $99, people can rent out the west-facing porch — appropriately named the Sunset Porch. There, they can watch the sun sink below the horizon while alpacas and goats graze in the field. During the evening, they have access to the entire farm.

"People bring family, friends, drinks, food, whatever they want," Scott said, "and they just relax on the porch."

Passion and dreams

Scott said that the past year and a half of farm ownership has been fulfilling and exhausting.

"It's a dream, and it's a lot of work — which is fine because I love the work," said Scott, "but it's a little bit of pressure when you're running your own business."

He and Sigga both quit their day jobs in customer service last year, vowing to make the farm work.

Sigga never figured that she'd be instrumental in running an alpaca farm, but she enjoys the work, too.

"Five years ago when Scott wanted to get alpacas, I think I had to Google what an alpaca was," she said. "I've learned a lot hanging out with the animals, observing, seeing different personalities. It's amazing how an animal is so much like a person in some ways. It's pretty mind blowing."

When Scott talks about sharing the animals on the farm with other people and teaching them about the alpacas, it's clear that he loves the work.

"Seeing the look on those kids' faces when they hold up their hand and the alpaca gently takes feed out of their hand is so rewarding," Scott said.

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Pure Passions Farm in Franklin Township to host Fall Festival