Sustainability
Caring for our animals, our land and our community
At Blackwattle Alpaca Farm, sustainability is part of everyday farm life.
As a working farm and tourism business, we have a responsibility to care for the animals, land and resources that support our business today, while making thoughtful choices for the future. For us, sustainability isn’t about being perfect. It’s about making practical choices, reducing waste, caring for our environment and continually looking for ways to do things better.
Caring for our land: Our farm is more than a place for our alpacas and visitors. It is a living environment that we want to protect and improve for generations to come. Over the years, we have planted more than 1,000 native trees across the property. These plantings provide shelter and shade for our animals, help create habitat for native wildlife and contribute to the biodiversity of the farm.
Our tree plantings have been supported by Greening Australia, helping us establish pockets of native vegetation and a green belt across the property. We continue to look for opportunities to improve vegetation, protect existing trees and create a healthier and more diverse farm environment.
Caring for our animals: Animal welfare is at the heart of everything we do. Our alpacas and other farm animals are not simply part of a tourism attraction – this is their home. We provide appropriate food, fresh water, shelter and shade, regular health checks and veterinary care when required. Our animals are monitored daily and their wellbeing takes priority over visitor experiences.
Our tours are designed around responsible animal interaction. Visitors are guided on how to approach and interact with the animals safely and respectfully, and our guides monitor interactions throughout the experience. If an animal doesn’t want to participate, that’s okay. Our animals always come first.
Our visitors also have the opportunity to learn about responsible livestock care and what is involved in managing a working alpaca farm.
Making the most of our alpaca fibre: Every year our alpacas produce one of our farm’s most valuable natural resources – their fleece. We believe in making the most of this fibre wherever possible.
Usable fleece can be processed into yarn and other products, while fibre that isn’t suitable for textile production can still have a useful purpose, including being used as mulch or bedding.
Our aim is to find a use for as much of the fibre as possible rather than treating it as waste.
For visitors, this also provides an opportunity to understand the journey from alpaca to fibre, and how a natural agricultural product can be used in different ways.
Responsible Water Use: Water is an important resource on any farm, particularly in the Australian climate. We collect and store rainwater in nine rainwater tanks across the property. Rainwater is used where appropriate around the farm and gardens, helping us reduce our reliance on mains water.
We also have access to bore water and a farm dam, providing additional water resources for the property. Our water management supports our animals, gardens, grounds and day-to-day farm operations.
Wastewater from our buildings is treated through onsite wastewater systems, allowing us to manage wastewater responsibly on the property. We continue to look for practical ways to reduce water use and improve water efficiency.
Using Energy Responsibly: We have invested in solar energy at Blackwattle and continue to look for ways to reduce our energy consumption. Solar generation helps us produce renewable energy onsite, while energy-efficient lighting and equipment help reduce unnecessary electricity use. As our tourism business grows, we will continue to consider practical opportunities to improve energy efficiency and increase our use of renewable energy.
Reducing and Reusing Waste: Running a farm and tourism business means dealing with many different types of waste. Where possible, we look for opportunities to reduce, reuse, recycle or repurpose materials before they become waste.
Food scraps from our café can be put to use around the farm, including being fed to suitable farm animals. Organic material can also be reused around the property where appropriate, including as mulch and soil improvement. We separate recyclable materials and aim to minimise unnecessary waste through thoughtful purchasing and reuse. Our alpaca fibre is another example of this approach – finding a purpose for fibre rather than sending it to landfill.
Supporting our community because sustainability is also about people!
Blackwattle is part of the Murrumbateman and Canberra Region tourism community, and we believe that supporting local businesses helps create a stronger and more sustainable regional visitor economy.
We work with local suppliers, producers and tourism businesses wherever practical and actively encourage our visitors to explore the wider Murrumbateman region.
Our visitors don’t just come to meet alpacas. They can discover local wineries, food producers, makers, artists and other tourism experiences while they are here.
By encouraging visitors to spend more time in the region, we help spread the benefits of tourism beyond our farm.
One of the most important ways we contribute to sustainability is through education. Our farm experiences give visitors the opportunity to learn about agriculture, animals, fibre production and life on a working farm.
For school and community groups, these experiences provide a hands-on way to explore where food and natural fibres come from, how animals are cared for and the importance of looking after our natural environment. Rather than simply telling visitors about sustainability, we give them the opportunity to see it in action.
They can meet the animals, walk through the farm, see our native plantings, learn about alpaca fibre and discover the work involved in caring for a working property. We believe that helping people understand where things come from is an important step towards making more responsible choices.
Looking towards the future….
Sustainability at Blackwattle is an ongoing journey. We know there is always more we can do, and we regularly look at how we can improve the way we use resources, manage waste, care for our animals and protect our land.
Our goal is simple: To leave our farm, our animals and our community in a better place for the future.
By making practical improvements today and sharing what we learn with our visitors, we hope to demonstrate that sustainability can be part of everyday farming, tourism and community life.