Behind the scenes at Red Hill Fiber Mill & Alpaca Farm
Right in the middle of the Hoosier National Forest, near Taswell, Red Hill Fiber Mill & Alpaca Farm, owned by Ty and Lindsey Higgins, is making a name for itself in the industry and is fast becoming a favorite location for anyone looking to learn about and enjoy alpacas.
But let’s acknowledge the elephant, er, alpaca, in the room. People often confuse alpacas with llamas. While closely related, llamas and alpacas are quite different animals.
“The difference is about 400 pounds and a bad attitude. Llamas are much larger and tend to be fiercer. Llamas, which are primarily used for packing or guarding herds, will spit at you ‘just because,’ while alpacas, primarily raised for their soft and luxurious fleece, typically only spit at each other.”
“The difference is about 400 pounds and a bad attitude,” Lindsey joked and added, “Llamas are much larger and tend to be fiercer. Llamas, which are primarily used for packing or guarding herds, will spit at you ‘just because,’ while alpacas, primarily raised for their soft and luxurious fleece, typically only spit at each other.”
Red Hill Fiber Mill came about in a roundabout way. Initially, Ty and Lindsey were raising alpacas as fiber pets in Crawford County. In late 2019, Ty started kicking around the idea of opening a fiber mill, after they realized the demand for fiber processing services. Through research, the couple discovered the upfront cost for buying new machines, and outfitting the building to suit, was going to be cost-prohibitive.
“Dreams dashed, we decided to put it on our 10-year plan,” Lindsey said.
In early 2020, however, the opportunity to buy a set of used fiber milling equipment presented itself, and they jumped on it. Then the unimaginable happened: COVID-19. There they were — new business owners trying to get a leg up during a pandemic. Ty was furloughed from his job, and Lindsey was trying to work from home, and both were caring for their two young kids, Paxton and Liam.
“What we had intended to be a slow build-up of learning our way and making a quality name for our products quickly became a ‘we have to make this work right now’ plan. We were one of the few incredibly fortunate businesses to really succeed despite everything COVID brought. People were home knitting and crocheting — a lot.”
“What we had intended to be a slow build-up of learning our way and making a quality name for our products quickly became a ‘we have to make this work right now’ plan,” Lindsey said. “We were one of the few incredibly fortunate businesses to really succeed despite everything COVID brought. People were home knitting and crocheting — a lot.” And just because the world had gone crazy, that did not mean animals didn’t need to be shorn. There was a heightened demand for their yarn products.
As the Higginses’ alpaca herd started growing in late 2020, people started wanting to see them. When people were ready to start getting out of the house and enjoy the outdoors, the Higginses had the perfect experience to share with the community. They’ve hosted many school trips and open farm days. They quickly discovered people are fascinated with alpacas and learning everything about them.
Red Hill hosted their first annual “Spring Fling on the Farm” in April, which featured live music, vendors and food trucks. National Alpaca Farm Day, a free public event, will be held on Oct. 1 and 2.
When guests visit, there is no guarantee of the opportunity to be one-on-one with the alpacas. “We leave it up to the alpacas. We will entice them with treats, but alpacas are naturally very standoffish. They also have a very keen sense of who a person is,” Lindsey said.
In addition to seeing the alpacas, guests can also tour the fiber mill and learn the steps to processing alpaca fiber and other natural fibers, such as sheep’s wool, yak, camel and goat. Their farm store features alpaca and other products, including socks, hats, gloves, scarves and blankets.
In addition to seeing the alpacas, guests can also tour the fiber mill and learn the steps to processing alpaca fiber and other natural fibers, such as sheep’s wool, yak, camel and goat. Their farm store features alpaca and other products, including socks, hats, gloves, scarves and blankets. Several hand-knit items by Lindsey are available, as well as crochet pieces by the Higginses’ friend Kelly Risch from VALoRs Gifts, as well as handmade soy candles inspired by their foundation herd of alpacas.
They also do mail-order for some of the items in the store, as well as their fiber processing clients. Their mill clients are both from the region and have been from as far away as Washington state, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Surprisingly, the cottage fiber industry in the U.S. has not changed for decades. The machines Red Hill currently uses are from 1910, the 1960s (updated in the late 1980s) and 2010. Their goal as a fiber mill is to push the industry in the U.S. to incorporate some modern technologies.
“We are pushing for innovation, funding and using our platform to educate on the textile industry in the U.S.,” Lindsey said. “A lot of people do not realize that approximately 60% of textiles are produced overseas.”
Lindsey has started the region’s Fibershed Affiliate program (Southern Indiana Fibershed) and is working with area farmers to get their products direct to consumers. This regional fiber ecosystem not only helps the farmer to get a better price on their product, but it also drastically reduces the environmental impacts that come with shipping.
In addition to educating the public, Ty and Lindsey are working to help lenders and investors understand the market and the growing demand. In the U.S. alpaca industry alone, there are roughly 260,000 registered alpacas — and most likely a similar number of unregistered alpacas, which equals roughly 2 million pounds of fleece a year. There are only about 20 cottage mills in the U.S. that are able to process alpacas, and a handful that will process 100% alpacas. Red Hill can only process 600 pounds of fiber a month.
“I think the ultimate part of owning the business is knowing that we went for our dream, and we are succeeding. One day we decided to stop saying we wish something would come along – and took steps to actively make it,.”
“I think the ultimate part of owning the business is knowing that we went for our dream, and we are succeeding. One day we decided to stop saying we wish something would come along – and took steps to actively make it,” Lindsey said.
Ty and Lindsey’s favorite day-to-day part of the business is the agri-tourism side. “We’re both passionate about the alpacas and raising awareness about how sustainable farming them is,” Lindsey said. “We have a unique chance to get people really thinking about where their clothing comes from and how their decision in buying it matters. We appreciate each and every person who visits us, and we love sharing that.”
Future plans include adding a cabin or two so that they can offer lodging, in addition to the RV and primitive campsites they offer.
Future plans include adding a cabin or two so that they can offer lodging, in addition to the RV and primitive campsites they offer. They are also working to expand the current mill building. “We are working in very tight quarters, and our ultimate goal is to add a full garment machine to have the ability to knit all our scarves, sweaters and gloves in house,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey adds that she also wants to inspire youth to know that they can think outside of the box and turn their passion into a career. Raising alpacas is a very niche branch of agriculture, but the collective of alpaca owners is working hard to make it be seen as more than just a hobby.
“Our kids inspire us. I never thought my love for knitting would one day turn into me raising alpacas and making yarn for a living,” Lindsey said. “I want our kids to see us working hard to make our dreams come true and know that they can do the same thing.” •
Farm tours and visits are by appointment only. Typically, they are available between 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. For more information, go to redhillfiber.com, facebook.com/redhillfiber and @redhillfiber on Instagram and TikTok.
Story and photo (above) by Carol Ubelhor-Troesch
Photos below submitted by Red Hill Fiber Mill & Alpaca Farm (except where noted)
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