A visit to A Simpler Time Fiber Mill & Alpaca Farm

July 16^th, 2021

A Simpler Time Alpacas & Mill

Dave & Barbara Davies

ASimplerTimeStore.com

(619) 579-9114

1802 Alta Pl

El Cajon, CA 92021

 

With a quest for fiber mills in our Southern California Fibershed, I’ve been curious after hearing of a fiber mill and Alpaca Ranch near San Diego, CA.  Our past year and a half of being cloistered in our homes unable to explore nearby resources. 

 

When the restrictions were lifted, I decided to combine a trip to see my family in El Cajon and a trip to learn about a fiber mill near by them.  I dragged my cousins along on my venture hoping that they might also find it interesting. 

 

I talked to Barbara Davies at a Simpler Time who couldn’t have been more welcoming and informative.  Of course she’d love to give us a tour of her facility. I packed my bag along with my husband into my Subaru and headed south.  The weather has been very unforgiving and I worried that we would be out in the elements subjected to the extreme heat wave that we’ve been experiencing these past few weeks. What a relief it was travel along the Coast where temps were less than around where I live, but not by much.  Still it was nice to see the sea again and travel the open highways.

 

We did an early morning visit down a long and winding road to their place. Located on 4 acres just 30 miles East of San Diego.  The views were spectacular overlooking the hills and valleys of El Cajon with their surrounding communities.  Dave and Barbaras home was a lovely structure that they had lovingly rebuilt after the fires that took their original home but left the barn with the fiber mill untouched. Barbara’s cousin also joined filling us in on the personalities of herd.  Their 9 children learned invaluable lessons in taking part of the rebuild.  The Alpacas were sheltered in their respective pens which were lovely, airy, protected by the “greeter” dogs Max and Molly.  Along with the Alpacas both owned by the Davies’ and boarded by private owners, there were white Peacocks and goats for weed abatement. The “greeter” dogs were loving, friendly along with the very animated farm cat. 

 

We were given treats to go into the pens and hand feed some of the Alpacas. 

 

After visiting with the Alpaca tenants and adoptees, we were treated to a tour of the fiber mill.  Barbara patiently answered all our questions, along with explaining each process of preparing the fiber for cones, skeins, roving and pin roving.   

 

The end of the tour we were treated to a tour of their lovely store with all kinds of products made from Alpaca, including lovely skeins of multi colorful Alpaca. 

Prices for processing are included on their website.  There is a bit of a waiting period as is usual for mills with the many orders they receive