Skyvue Ranch is celebrating 10 years of raising and loving
alpacas and all the products derived
from their exquisite fiber. Established in 2005, visitors coming to Skyvue Ranch will find a family of 16 alpacas and 1 guard llama tucked into a lovely cove with a beautiful view of the Nantahala Forest mountains.
George and Carol Jean Fritz, owners of Skyvue Ranch, were residents of Pennsylvania. There they lived in a ranch type home on Skyvue Drive. After moving to Franklin, NC and living in a very small, one, bedroom log cabin, they were delighted one afternoon to come across land for sale in Franklin. Fulfilling a dream to raise alpacas on a ranch and realizing that once the new larger log home was constructed, there would be a wonderful view of the Nantahala Mountains from the deck….the name: Skyvue Ranch Alpacas seemed to fit perfectly. (This would be a memory of the ranch home on Skyvue Drive in Pennsylvania)!
We are ten miles from the Appalachian Trail and are ourselves, avid hikers and members of the Nantahala Hiking Club which maintains about 60 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Bly Gap GA, to Wesser, NC In fact we can see, from our deck, the old fire tower atop Albert Mountain where the Appalachian Trail runs through.
The site of Skyvue Alpaca Ranch is part of an 100 acre Hereford cattle farm in the 1940’s, which was in existence for 40 years.
The Log Cabin Star quilt block depicts colors which are significant to the site:
Blue: Sky
Green: Pasture
Yellow: Sun
Red: Heart
*** Raising alpacas in the green pastures, under a beautiful blue sky, on a sunny day in beautiful Western
North Carolina is really an “affair of the heart”.***
George has a marvelous background with working with animals and holds a PHD in Reproductive Physiology from the University of Illinois; MS Degree in Animal Breeding/Genetics and a BS Degree in Agriculture/Dairy Husbandry from Michigan State University
Carol holds a BS Degree in Elementary Education from Muskingum University; MS in Elementary Education from the University of Pittsburgh and a EdD in Child and Youth Studies and Leadership from Nova University. She loves to teach visitors, especially the children about alpacas!