Conversations with Kim Stewart

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Stewart

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I can still hear my daddy say “you know they are not making any more land”, I knew at my parents passing, any land I inherited would be kept in my family to honor his wishes and lifelong hard work as a farmer and land owner. From the get go, Daddy encouraged me to get a “state job” to which I did and I moved away from farming and began a career working with people with disabilities. I’ve since retired and found myself back on the farm. The very land I inherited was a huge tobacco field at one time and I knew a major transition had to take place. Hardly Farm was born! From tobacco to alpaca pretty much sums up the transition that took place! You see, after visiting a festival in Swansboro, NC, my daughter and son in law, who live on one acre of the property, met an alpaca farmer. That was in October of 2022. They presented the idea of raising alpacas on the farm land to me and I was all in. “Alpacas in the Pines” is nestled in the north eastern corner of Franklin County just approximately 1 hour from Raleigh. Hardly Farm is home to 14 alpacas and 1 very friendly llama named Wednesday Addams. Additionally very stately loblolly pines surround the property. We offer farm tours, field trips, camping opportunities and fun classes on site in our barn.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting up a new adventure or endeavor will always come with its own challenges and rocky roads. Once we decided we were going the alpaca route, we did our due diligence and visited other farms and met with other alpaca owners. Finances were our first challenge because in February of 2023, I made a deposit on a small herd (the price seemed too good to let the opportunity pass us by) and we did not have any infrastructure-no barn and no fencing. Thankfully we were able to secure a farm loan through our local branch of AgCarolina and we were off to the races. Hurdle one. Working with family in a family owned business brings about its own issues as well. I’ll just leave it at that! Occasionally hurdle two😎! At the end of the day, we all know our strengths and weaknesses while striving to realize this wonderful opportunity and gift we’ve been given. To bring and share joy, excitement, laughter and education to a small rural area of the county and surrounding areas.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Alpaca fleece creates some of the most luxurious fiber in the world, second behind their cousins the Vicuña. On our farm, we utilize our fiber to make various value added products. I make beanie hats with my knitting machine, make dryer balls and nesting balls all using the fiber shorn from each animal in the early spring. Many of the classes offered on the farm, we teach in house such as painting on canvas, soap felting, crocheting and kumihimo braiding. We love giving back to the community creating a place to fellowship while learning a new skill. I consider myself a true PROCRAFTINATOR!

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
As a farm primarily offering Agri tourism, one MUST be a people person. As divine intervention would have it, I mostly fit into that category. My daughter says I can “ talk to a wall”! She, on the other hand, has a degree in animal science and knows the herd health management aspect in and out… This is vital to the success of our farm. She’s able to provide basic livestock care. Her husband knows all about the breeding process, genetics and has plumbing, carpentry and electrical skills. Again paramount to our operations. Even my 5 year old granddaughter prides herself as the alpaca poop scooper! I call us the trifecta!

Pricing:

• General farm tours are $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids 3 and under
• Field trips where various educational stations are set up are $10.00 per students with teachers and chaperone fees are waived
• Classes vary in price from $10.00 to $60.00 depending on the class

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hardlyfarm.com
• Instagram: @hardly_farm
• Facebook: Hardly Farm LLC
• Other: TikTok @hardlyfarm