07/22/2026
I’ve stared at this post for days, unsure how to put years of memories into words.
Grazing Hills has been so much more than an alpaca farm. It was a place where families made memories, where children experienced farm life for the very first time, where strangers became friends, and where my little corner of Viola became something so much bigger than I ever imagined.
Because of you.
That’s what makes writing this so incredibly hard.
After much prayer and many difficult decisions, I’ve made the decision to sell the farm. And with that, Grazing Hills is officially closing its doors.
Many of you know I’ve announced my closing before, only to find myself breathing new life into the dream again. But this season is different, and this chapter has truly come to an end.
This story actually began long before me.
In 1992, my grandma had a dream of starting an alpaca farm. In 1993, that dream became a reality. Then in 2015, I had the incredible privilege of taking ownership and continuing what she started.
Over the years, that little dream grew into so much more than an alpaca farm. It became a farm store, a bed & breakfast, weddings, Fiber Festival, Christmas with Santa, school field trips, workshops, classes, community events, and a place where people gathered to celebrate life’s biggest moments. It even became a place where a family chose to celebrate the life of someone they loved.
Truthfully, I wasn’t done dreaming. My next vision was to transform the property into The Barn at Four Mile, a place where even more weddings, celebrations, and life’s biggest moments could be shared. I had so many plans, so many sketches, and so many ideas for what could come next. What can I say?? I’m a dreamer….
Sometimes God gently redirects the dreams we’ve written so He can write something different.
This little farm has witnessed so much. First visits, engagements, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, laughter, tears, and even goodbyes. It has been a backdrop for so many beautiful moments, and I will never stop feeling honored that so many of you chose to share those moments with me.
But life has changed. The alpaca industry has changed. And so have I.
Life looks very different than it did a few years ago. Between working a full-time corporate job, raising my girls, and trying to juggle everything that comes with this season of life, I’ve had to take an honest look at what I can realistically do well or even just manage at all.
I’ve always been someone who gives everything 100%. I don’t know how to do things halfway.
To do this farm the way I believe it deserves would mean running the alpaca business, stocking and operating the store that supported it, managing the B&B that made agritourism possible, hosting events, caring for the animals, and somehow still being fully present for my girls.
I’ve realized I simply can’t do all of those things well anymore.
And if I’m being honest, this decision hasn’t come without a lot of tears. Buckets, to be fully transparent.
There are days it’s hard not to feel like I’ve failed.
It’s hard not to wonder if I’m letting my grandma down… if I’m letting her dream die. She worked so hard to build this farm, and I’ve poured my heart into carrying it forward for the last ten years. Walking away from something that has meant so much to my family and to me isn’t easy.
But the more I’ve prayed about it, the more I’ve realized that maybe this isn’t the end of her dream at all.
Maybe her dream was never just about alpacas.
Maybe it was about creating a place where people felt welcome, where families connected, where children experienced something new, where neighbors became friends, and where faith, hard work, and hospitality were lived out every single day. This farm is truly an amazing place.
If that’s what her dream truly was, then I don’t think it ends here.
Losing my Papa Gray, her husband, last year changed something in me. Saying goodbye to him was one of the hardest things I’ve ever walked through, but somehow, in the middle of that grief, I found peace. Peace to let go of what I had been holding onto so tightly. Peace to realize that seasons end, and that’s okay. Peace to trust that God isn’t asking me to carry this forever.
Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do isn’t hold on.
Sometimes it’s to let go… and let God.
At the end of the day, my greatest calling isn’t being “the alpaca lady”. It’s being Mom. These years with my girls are ones I’ll never get back, and they deserve the very best of me, and right now… I’m not that.
If this isn’t our dream anymore, if it isn’t something all of us girls here at Estrogen Acres are excited to build together, then it’s no longer the right dream for this season. And that’s okay. Dreams aren’t failures because they change. Sometimes they simply become the foundation for the next one.
My online store is officially closed, my B&B has welcomed its last guests, and I’ve downsized my alpaca herd to just a handful of animals that will be sold with the farm in the next few months, hopefully.
Thank you to every family who spent an afternoon feeding alpacas, every child whose eyes lit up meeting them for the first time, every school group, every Fiber Festival vendor and attendee, every family who came for Christmas with Santa, every workshop, class, every farm event, every traveler who stayed here, every couple who chose this place to begin their marriage, every family who celebrated a milestone here, and even the family who entrusted me to host a celebration of life.
Thank you to those who shared your life stories with me, brought visiting family to experience the farm, and made Grazing Hills a small part of your own family’s memories.
One of my favorite parts of this journey was helping other families begin their own. I had the privilege of helping so many people start their own alpaca herds and chase their own dreams of farm life. More than once, I’d quietly help a wife pick out alpacas before her husband had any idea what was about to show up in the pasture. Sorry. Not sorry.
Those conversations and friendships will always make me smile…. Because we are all still friends!
Knowing that little pieces of Grazing Hills live on in farms across the country is something I’ll always be proud of.
This farm gave so many people memories. But without even realizing it, you gave me even more.
You gave this place purpose and helped me keep my childhood dream alive.
Over the years, I’ve met hundreds of people who started as customers and became friends. I still smile every time someone stops me and says, “Hey… you’re the alpaca lady!” I think a part of me will always be her.
One thing that isn’t changing is home.
I’m not leaving Viola. This is multi-generational land, and it’s where I’ve always imagined raising my girls, and now my granddaughter, too. While I’m selling the farm itself, I’m keeping a piece of the property so I can build our next home. It’ll just be on a different part of the land.
It may look a little different this time around. There won’t be alpacas roaming outside my windows… at least not for now. Maybe there will be a horse or two someday. But I can confidently say there will be no more cows or goats unless that have wandered from another neighbors pasture. They do that… believe me!
That doesn’t mean alpacas will never be part of my story again. They’re just not being written into this next chapter. And I’m learning to make peace with that.
God continues to lead my girls and me down paths I never expected. I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but I trust that He does. So I’m choosing to keep moving forward, one step at a time.
To everyone who supported a small local business, encouraged me, volunteered, attended events, shopped my store, stayed in my B&B, or simply cheered me on… thank you. Truly. None of this would have been possible without you.
Thank you for believing in a little alpaca farm in Viola and for allowing me to be a small part of your lives. You’ll always be a cherished part of mine.
This chapter is ending, but the story isn’t.
Here’s to new beginnings, trusting God’s plan, and embracing whatever comes next.
With a grateful heart,
Katie Kimmell & Girls ❤️
