Nothing beats a hot cup of coffee in the morning to start the day. Unless of course you can add to the experience by enjoying that hot cup of coffee while also petting and feeding a gorgeous alpaca or two at the same time.
That’s something you can do when you visit Rosie Mae’s Alpaca Farm and Boutique in nearby Wildwood, Ga. And the only thing more adorable than the alpacas prancing around their feeding area is the Lewis family who own and operate this special retreat for the public.
The farm is named after their eldest daughter Rosie Mae who is now eight years old. The family has grown with Rosie’s 2-year-old sister, Sparrow joining the team.
There is absolutely no admission to see and pet the alpacas. Inside the store you can buy alpaca feed for $2 to feed the fluffy fur babies. The farm is great for all ages. It provides plenty of outdoor activities for children like cornhole, tic-tac-toe, and a new playhouse to replace a fairy garden that was destroyed when they had to remove a rotted tree.
Maegan said she plans to also add an outdoor library.
Rosie was only three years old when she first asked her mother for an alpaca for Christmas. Maegan suffers from many allergies, so adding a family pet wasn’t their first thought. But the family decided to tour some local alpaca farms and learned the animals are hypoallergenic.
“And she absolutely fell in love with them,” Maegan said. “And the rest is history.”
The family brought the alpacas to their farm in April of 2020. Rosie’s dad, Max, spent his weekends building the boutique which houses their gift and coffee shop which opened in November of 2022.
“I was able to build all this myself,” Max said adding he also built the barn which houses the alpacas as well as all the fencing. Rosie helped him build the boutique.
“Rosie was out here with me,” Max said. “I mean she's done every part of it from the framing to the plumbing to the metal work.”
Inside the boutique customers can purchase specialty drinks, bottled drinks, and pastries.
“We're a full coffee shop and we get our beans from Mean Mug Coffee Roasters,” Maegan said. “And we have home decor and alpaca products. We try to have a little bit for everyone. So, there is a little kid's section, home decor section, alpaca product section.”
Mean Mug Coffee Roasters also created a special blend called Rosie Mae’s coffee specifically for the boutique.
Recently they added specially made charcuterie board snacks.
“It's just a cute little thing,” Maegan said. “It's got grapes, strawberries, all the different meats, cheeses, crackers, olives.”
“It's an adult lunchable,” Max said with a laugh.
The family even sells Frio’s Gourmet Popsicles, Rosie’s favorite. Maegan said they found out the local retailer closed so they reached out directly to the company so they could offer it at their store.
If you’re big on social media the farm has a cute, decorated archway to take a selfie under. They also have outdoor benches and seating where you can enjoy your coffee and pastries.
They currently have nine alpacas which are sheared each spring to remove their fleece and prep them for the hot season.
“They'll turn it into yarn, or like dryer balls,” Maegan said. “Then we sell the yarn here in the store.”
The farm is now open seven days a week. “It's amazing,” Maegan said about the reception their farm has received. “I mean we've seen people from every state.”
Rosie Mae’s Alpaca Farm
- 550 Old Birmingham Hwy
- Wildwood, GA 30757
- Mon. - Thur. 8am-Noon
- Friday & Sat. 10am-6pm
- Sunday Noon-5pm
- rosiemaesalpacafarm.com