'Tis the season for alpaca products, fa la la la la

Beginning in December, Via Verde Farm will be opening their first pop-up store in Ada, displaying a wide variety of alpaca and fiber products for the holidays.

Tamara Miller, owner of Via Verde Farm, says the pop-up store will be based in Scooper's Ice Cream Store at 591 Ada Dr SE in Ada. 

Miller says the inspiration for the pop-up store was really just constant encouragement from her customers and demand for her products: "I had been to a few sales and things went well. There was demand and people were interested. This is the season for alpaca products."

The store will feature alpaca sweaters, coats, hats, mittens, and socks as well as carpets made from fiber from the farm. There will be also be hand-spun yarns and commercial yarns.

Miller says she will also have a unique product with a family twist. "I have several handmade dog leashes constructed out of hand-spun alpaca yarn and then twisted into rope. The handle is woven back into the rope and a clip is twisted into the rope so it is secure. My son makes the rope."

Besides the traditional alpaca products, the pop-up store will serve as a launching pad for a new venture that Miller and two friends are working on. "Two of us make the fabric by nuno felting alpaca fiber into silk or chiffon. Then our friend designs gorgeous pieces of clothing from the fabric," she says. "I will have several of the pieces in the store."

The store will be open until December 21st with operating hours of Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To learn more about Via Verde Farm, you can visit their site here.

Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor