It all started with a tractor!

We live on 16 acres of farmland in southeastern Pennsylvania, and in 2002, Brion bought his beloved John Deere tractor. We loved having all that land, but we wanted to do something useful with the property.

We saw our first Suri alpaca in 2005 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Over the next year we researched their care and the overall investment. We visited other alpaca farms and met some wonderful alpaca farmers.

In the spring of 2006, we decided to take the plunge! All we had was a 36' by 40' barn to house Brion's tractor—we didn't even own a lawn mower! We just started with our plan of what needed to happen first.

We planned out the barn stalls and a vet room. We installed electric, water, and heat (more for us than the alpacas). We cleared and seeded the pastures, put in fencing, and voila!

Our alpacas arrived on December 16, 2006 and we are loving it!

Kristie

Kristie Smoker - Owner/Operator

Before starting Sweet Valley Suris, Kristie held management and executive positions in private industry for more than 20 years. She spent 18 years with The Hershey Company before co-founding Turning Point Enterprises, a human resources consultancy. 

Kristie currently owns and manages more than 40 Suri alpacas. She is the former President of the Mid-Atlantic Alpaca Association, a seven state Affiliate to AOBA, the national alpaca association. In 2010, she coordinated the largest alpaca show in the eastern United States. Kristie received her A.S. from Pennsylvania State University and her B.S. from Albright College. 

Brion

Brion Smoker - CFO/CPA

In 1979, Brion founded the accounting firm Smoker, Smith & Associates which offered a full range of consulting services to more than 500 corporate clients. Brion also founded the Eastern Audit Alliance, created additional companies, and joined the boards of community organizations. For his creativity in business, Brion was nominated for an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

After leaving his firm, Brion bought a John Deere tractor in 2002 and started Sweet Valley Suris with Kristie four years later. Brion currently speaks on financial topics at professional conferences around the world. He is a graduate of Elizabethtown College and is a certified CPA in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

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