Worcester Business Journal

30 Worcester Business Journal | December 1, 2025 | wbjournal.com PHOTOS | COURTESY OF PLAIN VIEW FARM F ounded in 2010, Plain View Farm in Hubbardston is the embodiment of Keith Tetreault's lifelong love of alpacas and llamas. Each interaction with the animals brought him joy, inspiring him and his wife, Debbie, to fully dedicate them- selves to raising alpacas and llamas on their six-acre farm. Together, they educate the public and create products from the gathered fiber, which are sold in their barn gi shop. a couple pairs of socks here and there. e reality is, I like animals better than people. We have sold animals over the years, but we sell a lot more socks than we do animals. When we first started we had four alpacas who were pregnant. Our largest herd was 50 alpacas, but we stopped breeding them seven years ago. ey can live 20-plus years, and I might not, so it wouldn't be fair to my wife or to the animals to leave that many behind. So, I'm down to 21 alpacas, three llamas, 28 chickens, two dogs, and one wife. What does your gift shop offer? My great uncle built a gi shop out of one of our stalls in the barn, and a couple of years back we expanded it, doubling the size of the gi shop and the barn itself. We sell socks, hats, mittens, gloves, sweaters, and more, all made from the alpacas' fiber. Some of the products are ours. We also buy from importers in Peru, where the animals are native. e fiber is more versatile than people realize. It can be used for cold weather clothes, but also to block weeds in the garden. My wife uses it for felting and cras. One of our biggest sellers is dryer balls which we make. We sell up to 1,000 dryer balls each year. Right now, our gi shop is open from noon to 5 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sun- days through Christmas, and we set up at many events and cra fairs. How do you attract visitors to the farm? e property is on Route 68, which helps, and we primarily use Facebook and word of mouth. When we set up at different events, people oen come back and visit our barn. We are part of the Country Roads Tour, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. e tour highlights 21 local shops throughout Phillipston, Temple- ton, Barre, Hubbardston, and more. For each one you visit, you get a stamp card. If you visit all of them, you are entered in the grand prize of $50 gi cards to each shop. ere are other prizes as well. It used to be one weekend, but now it is from Nov. 8 through Dec. 7. We get hundreds of people from the tour. It has become a family holiday tradition for many people, and one group of women even rents a limo to visit all the shops. Why are you so passionate about llamas and alpacas? ey're friendly and inquisitive. You reach and touch them, they run away. ey're not aggressive. If you want some- thing so and cuddly, get a puppy or a kitty. If you want to look outside to see these beautiful animals quietly grazing or sitting in the barn, then they are the perfect animals. However, they do require care and live very long. I believe in responsibility and mentor others in llama and alpaca care. I have helped rehome many animals who were facing neglect. e last girl we adopted, Hyacinth, is a one-eyed llama surrendered to MSPCA. She is 350 pounds of excitement and always wants to meet new people. ese animals are just special. ey give me peace. is interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by WBJ Correspondent Sloane M. Perron. 350 pounds of excitement How did your love for alpacas and llamas begin? e first llama I ever met, kissed me. I was at a llama bazaar in Vermont and when I turned around, I got kissed. Fast forward, there was an alpaca show at DCU Center, and I closed the place down both days. at spring, we bought our house in Hubbardston and one of my standard jokes at the Spencer Fair was to take my credit card away from me before I bought everything out of the alpaca tent. irty days aer the fair in October 2010, we bought our first alpacas. What was your original vision? I thought our business would be rais- ing and selling alpacas and maybe selling W Keith Tetreault Owner Plain View Farm Alpacas and Llamas, in Hubbardston Founded: 2010 Employees: Two owners, four part-time His age: 64 Hometown: Northborough

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