When Yussy and Travis McManus closed their construction company in 2020, they never imagined they’d be running one of Maryland’s largest alpaca operations just five years later. What started as a conversation about sustainable agriculture has blossomed into Black Barn Alpacas, a 50-acre agritourism destination that drew over 20,000 visitors to its inaugural fall festival in Texas.

Yussy describes their venture as a pandemic baby, born from their journey from Texas interior design and construction entrepreneurs to Maryland alpaca farmers. The couple had been planning their next venture and considering agriculture since they both wanted to return to their farm and ranch roots.

The Alpaca Appeal

The couple’s decision to focus on alpacas wasn’t arbitrary. After visiting several farms and meeting the animals in person, they were sold on both the creatures themselves and the business potential. Once they met the alpacas and learned about how sustainable, kind, curious, and cute they were, they instantly fell in love. They had discussed raising more sustainable animals than cattle and horses, which they respectively had experience with.

That sustainability factor has become central to their operation. Alpacas produce hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, and thermoregulating fiber while requiring fewer resources than traditional livestock. The farm’s retail shoppe showcases this natural fiber transformed into sweaters, socks, gloves, hats, blankets, stuffies, and more. The McManus’ have embraced the amazing properties of the hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, thermoregulating, and fully sustainable natural fiber that alpacas naturally provide.

The Accidental Agritourism Empire

The McManus’ didn’t initially envision events and tourism as part of their business model. Shortly after they started their herd in Texas, a friend pitched an idea to host a fall festival at their property. They agreed to let her plan and host it, supporting the process.

The results exceeded all expectations. Media attention from several news stations and the hit Texas TV show “YOLO TX” helped drive attendance to record levels. They ended up having record attendance for their fall festival with over 20,000 people in one month. That inspired them to introduce agritourism for people to meet and learn about these amazing animals they love so much.

From 20 to 150 Alpacas: A Cross-Country Move

One of the farm’s alpacas grazes near the barn, part of the herd that makes this Maryland’s largest alpaca operation. Photo courtesy of Black Barn Alpacas.

What began as a herd of 20 alpacas in Texas has grown dramatically. The McManus’ now care for 150 alpacas in Maryland, but the move wasn’t just about expansion—it was about animal welfare. Though they were highly successful in Texas, the heat was very hard on their animals. They decided it was best to move their family to Maryland, where Yussy had grown up, chasing cooler weather and better living conditions for their herd.

The logistics were daunting. It was a challenging feat to relocate nearly 100 animals across four different species, heavy equipment, vehicles, trailers, two small businesses, and their house.

The move also brought along new challenges. In Texas, there is little to no regulation on agritourism, which allowed them to pursue any event or idea without permits, certificates, or expensive construction. In Maryland, however, agritourism is highly regulated, resulting in extra paperwork, permits, costs, and modifications to their agri-tourism offerings.

Multiple Revenue Streams

Travis’s decades of retail and sales experience made expanding into retail a natural fit, but diversification was also a business necessity. Any farmer will tell you that having various revenue streams is critical for survival. Today, the farm offers a variety of experiences for students, families, corporate groups, and beyond.

Educational Programs

For students, the farm is more than a field trip. Nearly 39% percent of teens report anxiety from social media, and half of Gen Z students feel disengaged in school. At Black Barn Alpacas, stepping away from screens and into nature helps kids reset. The farm tours combine math, science, and sustainability into hands-on activities, while younger children build confidence feeding or leading alpacas. Educators are discovering that alpaca encounters are not just adorable, they are powerful tools for social-emotional learning and support programs like PATHS® (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies), which foster emotional literacy, self-control, and social competence. The calm, nurturing environment encourages mindfulness, empathy, and lasting social-emotional growth for students of all ages.

Seasonal and Wellness Offerings

The farm hosts seasonal events such as “Fall ‘Ag’tivities,” “Easter Egg’stravaganza,” and “Fleece Navidad,” alongside summer camps, shearing demonstrations, and fiber crafting. Wellness experiences, including yoga and guided mindfulness walks, are designed to reduce stress, taking advantage of the calming effects of interacting with alpacas.

Specialized Experiences and Celebrations

Black Barn Alpacas is also a destination for corporate retreats, book clubs, writing groups, baby showers and milestone events. Outdoor team activities improve communication and collaboration, while family and community gatherings are enhanced by alpaca encounters, yard games, and the farm’s rustic charm, leaving lasting memories.

• Seasonal Events: “Fall ‘Ag’tivities”, “Easter Egg’stravaganza”, and “Fleece Navidad” for Christmas
• Educational Programs: Summer camps, school field trips, and shearing and fiber showcases
• Wellness Offerings: Yoga sessions, meditation, singing bowls, and full moon hikes
• Specialized Experiences: Alpaca walks, luxury picnics, fiber crafting events, corporate retreats, book clubs, and baby showers

Visitors enjoy a picnic as alpacas roam the pasture behind them, blending farm life with a unique agri-tourism experience. Photo courtesy of Black Barn Alpacas.

Fall: The Peak Season

September and October are the farm’s busiest and most profitable months. Every Friday and weekend features “Fall ‘Ag’tivities,” an all-inclusive event that goes far beyond simple alpaca encounters. The experience includes alpaca feed and the opportunity to meet 150 alpacas on their beautiful property. Visitors are always delighted to meet the herd and discover the wide range of personalities, from curious and playful to calm and gentle.. The farm operates a show-quality breeding program, which means visitors get to meet adorable babies—some have even watched births or bottle-fed a baby alpaca.

The fall experience includes:

• Locally grown pumpkin patch with complimentary painting
• Scenic hayrides across the 50-acre property
• Themed games like pumpkin ring toss and “pumpkin bowling”
• Photo opportunities throughout the grounds
• Cider and donuts for purchase
• BYOB and picnic-friendly policies

Access to Black Barn Alpacas’ onsite shoppe featuring all things alpaca is a real hit during fall. People can stock up on their cool-weather alpaca goods like sweaters, socks, gloves, hats and blankets. Alpaca fiber is guaranteed to keep you warm during winter.

Community Connections

Visitors pose with alpacas during a tour, where meeting the herd up close is part of the experience. Photo courtesy of Black Barn Alpacas.

Black Barn Alpacas has embedded itself deeply in the local community. The farm sources pumpkins from local young farmers, partners with area wellness instructors, and works with local businesses for merchandise and signage. The McManus’ are big believers in community support and try to work with local producers and businesses whenever possible.

Items in their store include natural handmade bar soap and scented felted alpaca air fresheners made with fiber from their own herd, all produced locally. The farm is also a proud member of the Carroll County Agritourism passport program, encouraging visitors to explore farms throughout the region.

Looking Ahead

Black Barn Alpacas continues to evolve, with new events and experiences regularly added to its roster. Recent additions include a Summer “Cap”-Off Hat Bar, where visitors design custom trucker hats while meeting alpacas, and expanded wellness programming.

Customer experience is at the heart of everything Black Barn Alpacas does. The farm regularly asks visitors for feedback and the responses are overwhelmingly positive. Guests often comment on how spotless the facilities are, how well-loved and cared-for the alpacas seem, and how welcoming and educational the staff is.

But beyond the immediate success of their agritourism operation, each visitor interaction serves a larger purpose. Every guest who learns about alpaca fiber’s benefits, every locally-made product sold in their shop, and every conversation about sustainable agriculture moves the McManus’ closer to a much bigger vision.

The Bigger Dream: Transforming American Agriculture

Calm and curious, alpacas roam the fields, offering visitors a glimpse of everyday farm life. Photo courtesy of Black Barn Alpacas.

Black Barn Alpacas may be known for agritourism, but the McManus’ are dreaming bigger than their 50 acres. They want to change the way America approaches farming—making it more sustainable, kinder to animals, and better for the planet. Their hope is to create a system that delivers top-notch animal care while producing goods that are as eco-friendly as possible.

At the heart of this vision is a fundamental challenge to how critics view alpaca farming. Yussy states firmly that PETA got it wrong, referring to the animal rights organization’s campaign against alpaca shearing following their 2020 undercover investigation at a Peruvian facility. PETA documented abusive practices at Mallkini, the world’s largest privately owned alpaca farm, where workers roughly handled animals during shearing, leaving some bleeding and distressed. The organization has since convinced over 80 major retailers to ban alpaca products.

But Yussy argues that PETA’s campaign unfairly condemns an entire industry based on one facility’s poor practices, while ignoring a crucial fact: alpacas must be sheared annually for their health and survival.

Dr. Michelle Ing, a veterinarian who has specialized in alpaca care for 22 years, explains the medical necessity: “A full fleeced alpaca during summer months will suffer from heat stress. Heat stress (hyperthermia) can be a life-threatening medical condition. Sadly, an unshorn alpaca can die from this condition. Left unshorn, their fleece will continue to grow. It can mat. It can cause or contribute to injuries and illness, including overheating, infertility, miscarriage and even death. Not shearing is cruel.”

The difference is in how it’s done. Responsible alpaca farmers treat shearing like a routine health procedure. Their animals are handled gently, sheared quickly by professionals, and show no distress. They’re not talking about the industrial practices PETA filmed—they’re talking about ethical, humane care that’s necessary for the animals’ wellbeing.

What often gets left out of the conversation is that synthetic fabrics and fast fashion come with their own serious animal welfare consequences. Every time synthetic fabrics are washed, they shed tiny plastic fibers. These microplastics enter waterways, where fish, birds, and marine animals ingest them. The result can be intestinal blockages, malnutrition, or even death. In other words, rejecting natural fibers like alpaca in favor of polyester or acrylic doesn’t eliminate harm to animals—it simply shifts the suffering out of sight, into oceans and ecosystems.

Beyond Fashion: A Sustainable Future

Yussy and Travis’s vision encompasses multiple interconnected goals that could reshape American agriculture and manufacturing. While sustainable textiles are part of the equation, the scope extends much further.

Environmental Impact: Alpaca farming represents one of the most sustainable forms of agriculture available. The animals require significantly less water, land, and energy than traditional livestock. Unlike sheep, alpacas don’t pull grass up by the roots, making them gentler on pastureland. Their soft-padded feet cause minimal soil compaction compared to hooved animals, and alpaca farming is carbon-neutral.

Superior Products: Alpaca fiber is better than wool in almost every way—it’s hypoallergenic, naturally antimicrobial, thermoregulating, and incredibly durable. Plus, the animals live longer, healthier lives than sheep typically do in commercial operations.

American Manufacturing Renaissance: Currently, most alpaca fiber processing happens overseas, primarily in Peru and Bolivia. The McManus’ wonder what would happen if they could manufacture sustainable alpaca products right here in the United States. They could create American jobs, reduce shipping emissions, and maintain the highest animal welfare standards.

Network Effect: The McManus’ envision a network of small alpaca farms across America, each contributing to a domestic industry that prioritizes sustainability, ethics, and quality. They’re not just talking about better products—they’re talking about revolutionizing how Americans think about sustainable agriculture, manufacturing, and the relationship between animal welfare and environmental responsibility.

Educational Mission: Every visitor to Black Barn Alpacas becomes part of this larger mission. When people see how gentle and sustainable alpaca farming can be, when they feel the quality of the fiber and understand the environmental benefits, they become advocates for this vision.

A guest in farm apparel enjoys a close encounter with one of the herd. Photo courtesy of Black Barn Alpacas.

The farm’s commitment to animal welfare, sustainability, and community connection serves as a living example of what this future could look like—a proof of concept for a new model of American agriculture where business success, animal welfare, and environmental responsibility aren’t just compatible, but mutually reinforcing.

For families, school groups, corporate retreats, or anyone seeking a unique rural experience, Black Barn Alpacas offers more than just entertainment. It provides a glimpse into a sustainable future where American agriculture leads the world in both innovation and ethics.

The post From Construction to Alpacas: How a Texas Couple Built Maryland’s Premier Agritourism Destination, “Black Barn Alpacas” appeared first on citybiz.

This contant was orignally distributed by citybiz. Blockchain Registration, Verification & Enhancement provided by NewsRamp™. The source URL for this press release is From Construction to Alpacas: How a Texas Couple Built Maryland’s Premier Agritourism Destination, “Black Barn Alpacas”.