Fox Wire Farm of Toano is made up of approximately 200 acres of farmland, pastureland, woods, and creeks. The farm is situated on its own peninsula at the end of a mile-long private road. This creates the PERFECT environment to raise healthy, safe, and happy alpacas!! The farm sits at 100 feet above sea level, the highest elevation in James City County, on a peninsula formed by Little Creek and Yarmouth Creek. Located in an area which is part of the Chesapeake Bay Estuary and Tributary System, we practice excellent environmental stewardship of our land through sound farm management practices.
In addition to raising and caring for our alpacas and other animals, a significant part of our mission is to mentor and educate our visitors of all ages in an enjoyable and interactive manner through our farm tours, educational programming, and event schedule.
Enjoy a flyover viewpoint of our farm here.
Our Alpacas
John Ballentine and his wife, Laura Hineman, started Fox Wire Farm Alpacas in 2005 with four alpacas. Since then, the farm has continued to expand along with their commitment to and love of these wonderfully personable and good-natured animals. Together, they have built a warm and welcoming place for our animals, staff, and visitors where we practice the tenets of KLR—Kindness, Love, and Respect for our animals, our environment, and each other.
The farm is now home to over 100 Huacaya alpacas with superior genetics and championship bloodlines. With eleven clean and well maintained barns and plenty of pastureland, we provide a pleasant environment in which our alpacas thrive.
John heads up the business and operations of the farm, while Laura serves as Fox Wire Farm’s “Alpaca Whisperer”, overseeing and managing all aspects of the alpacas’ daily care and feeding. Barns and pastures are cleaned twice daily to ensure the animals’ health and well-being, with plenty of fresh water and hay available around the clock. All alpacas are given a daily feeding of high quality grain, which is seasonally supplemented with our farm-grown barley grass, harvested daily in our hydroponic fodder house.
From the moment an alpaca is born or brought to the farm, Laura and her staff work with each animal to assess its personality and disposition so that upon weaning or arrival at the farm, it can be matched into a gender-specific barn where it can develop and enjoy friendships with its “roomies”. Our alpacas also receive individual attention in the gentling process so they are trained to walk on leads and interact with humans in a calm manner so activities, such as shearing, public events, and visits from the vet and tour groups are safe and stress-free.
Other Animals
Over the years, John and Laura have added a variety of animals to the farm to provide additional enjoyment and a broader educational experience for our guests when visiting the farm in the context of a tour, as well as to expand our store’s offerings of farm fresh eggs and pork products.
Currently, we enjoy the company of one guard llama, three miniature donkeys, one miniature horse, four full-size horses, five Jersey steer, four Nigerian Dwarf goats, nine barn cats in our managed feral community, and more chickens, ducks, and pigs to count! We encourage you to visit us on a tour and meet each personally!