Where do I begin the story of us?  How did Sage Hill Farms Alpacas come to be?  I guess it began with me.  I’m Bonney Hettinger, a lifelong manager and professional educator.  A recovered workaholic.  My kids are grown. I have a great job and a great husband.  But one day you wake up and realize that the years are passing by. The big "R" is  being spoken more often.  I need to have a "next act" to look forward to. What does my future hold?

I have always believed that to predict the future, you need to make it.  So if you are interested  here’s the ongoing Story of Us along with some TIPS we have garnered along the way.  Remember I warned you we are new at this, but learning fast!

The story begins when I woke up one morning and realized that I was fast approaching sixty! Somehow that had previously escaped me, but suddenly it was there, in my face.  And I realized that I needed to know what came after career number one.  After all, 35 years in teaching and developing people taught me something!  Everyone  needs a plan and since really retiring in my sixties is not a notion that I can deal with, my plan would be for my next career.  

So I considered my options:

Flying all over the world to consult in my area of expertise  -  learning and learning technologies. Sounds interesting and impressive. Is possible.  Requires being away from my family for long periods of time. Requires FLYING.  Hmmm, sounds like my current position.  Nix on that option since I prefer keeping my feet on the ground!

Teaching online  -  after all, I am an expert in my field.  I could stay home and do virtual classrooms.  Feet securely under my desk!  Is possible.  Sounds like a real cut in pay!  Sounds lonely.  Better keep thinking.

Becoming a farmer  - Now where did that one come from? Possibly there are some clues if I think back - way back!  My dad grew up on a dairy farm and as a little girl I spent every weekend playing around my grandfather’s cows.  Back at home I was a collector of small animals (since we lived in town) - cats, dogs, ducks, chickens, rabbits.  Once I even tried to buy a small pony for fifty dollars and bring it home to live in my garage!  OK, this is beginning to explain the farmer idea.

As a young adult, I convinced my husband that we should show, breed and sell Great Danes.  At one point we had 12 beautiful danes.  But three children later and on teacher’s wages we dropped to "pet only" status.  We have always had one or two danes in the family in the years since.  Add a few Bengal cats - the picture is pretty clear.  I am an animal person!  Why is this a surprise?

So what animals would I "farm"?  My husband answered that question one Sunday morning as we drove by an alpaca farm.  He said simply  "We could raise alpacas".  I could stay close to home, be near the family, stay on the ground and interact with animals and people.  Very possible. Intruiging.  And I was off to the races!