The Farm
 Located on the outer
limits of the north east boundary of the commune of Tronget, Allier France,
Prends Y Garde is a large 200 year old stone built converted house and barn which was
historically used to house cows, sheep and pigs and to store hay and straw.
Until we purchased the farm in 2008, the fields were used for grazing sheep and
are surrounded on 2 sides by privately owned hunting woods.
When we purchased
the farm, the house had already been largely renovated by the previous French
owners, but was being used as a holiday home and to a large degree, the
exterior, inside and garden had been neglected, so we set about pulling down all
the ivy which had much of the end of the house and cutting back the very long grass which had taken over
and swamped the
garden.
Although the grass
and grounds were ideal for keeping and breeding llamas, the fencing was totally
inadequate, with much of the fencing being barbed wire and with rotting or
collapsed posts. So the first thing we set about doing was to plan the
layout and erect totally new fencing which would not only provide a safe
boundaries for the llamas but also aid in the day to day management of the herd.
As the farm has no
outbuildings which access the fields, we then drew up and submitted detailed
plans for a new llama stables and an indoor and outdoor training area, these
plans have now been
approved and permission granted by the local authorities and so building can
proceed as soon as the right contractor to do the work has been identified.
One of the
attractions of this farm was the fact that there are numerous tracks, some of
which have fantastic panoramic view and some of which meander through dense
woods, which can be used for both llama trekking and trekking training.
The concept of
establishing a llama farm in the commune was welcomed by the Marie and we have
received a lot of support from our neighbours. The farm is also on a local
tourist walking route and now that the llamas are here, we get a steady flow of
visitors coming to stand at the fence and watch them grazing and playing in the
fields.
We intend to develop
the farm further over the next 24 months with the purchase or rental of
additional land nearby which will allow us to expand our llama herd to approximately
30
llamas. This section of the site will keep people informed of development
and progress as the farm evolves.
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