Our Story

It all began in 1998 when Neil and Jo Padgett, along with their 10-year-old daughter Bari, decided to embark on a new adventure — one that would transform their lives. For former city dwellers, transitioning to farm life was a significant leap, but it soon proved to be an incredibly rewarding journey.

Starting with a small farm in Mt. Airy, MD, they rolled up their sleeves, retrofitting an old horse barn, erecting fences, and quickly discovering the hard way that “there’s no such thing as a one-man auger!” By the summer of 1999, the family welcomed their first five alpacas, marking the beginning of A Paca Fun Farm.

Inspired by her love for alpacas, Bari soon launched her own breeding program, Paragon Alpacas. Over the next decade, both herds grew steadily, gaining national recognition for their quality and care. As the herd size swelled to nearly 80, the family recognized the need for more space. In 2007, they relocated to their current farm in Montgomery County, where they put the lessons learned from their first farm to work.

Drawing on their experience, they designed and built a custom barn and farm layout, ensuring comfort and protection for the alpacas and ease of care for the humans who tend to them. The new facilities provide a safe haven for the animals and a welcoming environment for visitors, no matter the weather.

Today, Paragon Alpacas and A Paca Fun Farm are household names within the alpaca industry, consistently earning top awards at shows and selling their prized alpacas to high-end breeding programs worldwide.