The Vasquez family moved to Wurtsboro after the pandemic from Sunnyside, Queens, leaving behind the concrete jungle for the fluffy world of alpacas.

The Vasquezes run a family farm called Tú Vee Mór, spearheaded by mother-daughter team Monica and Morgan. They specialize in alpacas, moving quickly from their first, three years ago, to an all-female herd of 13 animals.

Monica, whose family is from Uruguay, used to spend time at her grandmother’s house in the country when she was young.

“My grandmother’s neighbor had alpacas and I used to see them all the time,” she explained. “I always liked them. I used to think they were small horses, [or] big giant walking teddy bears with big eyes, like Ewoks. I was drawn to their peaceful nature and their humming.”

Alpacas were always a goal for Monica. She met her husband when they were paramedics in New York City, and Monica recalls telling her then-boyfriend about how she fantasized about having alpacas one day. “I used to go on and on about them.”

Monica’s daughter Morgan first saw alpacas during a class trip to Peru when she was 16. She saw alpacas at the abandoned Inca city of Machu Picchu, which she recalls as being an “eye-opening” experience. Now, since moving upstate, Morgan got a job at Buck Brook Alpacas in Roscoe, where she helps raise around 30 babies every year.

The farm’s name, Tú Vee Mór, is “a made-up name,” Monica said. “My last name was Vandossler and [my husband’s] name was Vasquez. When we were partners [working EMS] we were called ‘V and V.’” Tu Vee is a play on this nickname, and ‘Mor’ is short for Morgan.” That spirit of family is a big part of Tú Vee Mór.

The family’s herd consists of two breeds of alpaca, Suri and Huacaya. The breeds can be distinguished by their fleece. Suris look more brushed out while Huacayas are prized for their fluffy, pillowy fleece. The fleece is also what determines an award-winning alpaca, of which Tú Vee Mór has an assortment.

There are two types of competitions for alpacas: halter show and walking fleece. Halter shows judge for both fleece and body structure – meaning head shape, teeth, and more. Walking fleece only judges the fiber of their coats, which is determined by color and the tightness of the crimps when the fleece is parted.

Their alpaca Willow has won a few first and a couple fourth place awards – not much of a surprise for an animal who, we are told, is a descendent of the ‘most expensive alpaca ever.’ That would be her great grandfather Matrix, who sold for over $600,000.

Alpaca fleece has several interesting properties that make it so prized. On the cold April morning the Journal visited the farm, we were stunned at how their fur was literally radiating heat even in finger-numbing weather. We were informed that the secret to the warmth of their fleece is hollow fibers. Their body heat warms the air inside the hollows.

Alpaca fleece also doesn’t have lanolin in it. Lanolin is an oil found in sheep wool that can cause skin irritation.

The family shears their alpacas once a year and donates their fiber to the New England Fiber Mill and to Oscar, a family friend who makes small toys out of it. The family sells those toys at local farmers markets and events.

One other draw for Monica is the ecofriendly nature of the species.

“They don’t rip the grass from the ground, they have pads not hooves,” she said. “Their poop is not like manure – it’s not acidic, so you can mix it with water and pour it on your plants. It’s very garden friendly.” It’s also a plus, Monica said, that they all only poop in one spot.

Their herd is mostly rescue animals, plus two alpacas that were born on the farm using outside breeding stock. The first was Zelda, who was born when the farm was getting started, and the second was Glory, born last summer.

The family has grown extremely attached to their herd. Morgan even has a tattoo on her leg of Honey, a young alpaca the farm took in and eventually lost to illness. It was their one and only loss. The family cremated her and Morgan created a shrine in her honor.

“Their life is so short,” Morgan said, “so I always try to keep in mind giving them the best quality of life possible. Honey was a year and three months old when she died. They’re just such different animals. I can read them better than humans.”

Like a lot of farms, the family opens theirs up to the community. Visitors can pay a $5 fee and make an appointment to tour the farm, learn from the family, and, of course, meet the alpacas.

“I wanted something that the family could work together on,” Monica said of the farm. “This is something we can have, and when [Morgan] gets married down the road, she can have this and she can teach her children about this.”

If you’d like to see more of Tu Vee Mor, check out their Instagram page @tu_vee_mor_alpacas_, or their Facebook page Tuveemor Alpaca. Their farm can be visited by appointment only, please call 929-435-7151 to schedule.