State Agriculture Commissioner visits alpaca farm in Chester County

CHESTER COUNTY, Tenn. — The Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture visited a farm in Chester County to see the innovative work they do.

Mesa Trail Farm welcomed Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher. Commissioner Hatcher was visiting the Jackson Rotary Club, but wanted to visit a nearby farm. Mesa Trail shears their alpacas once a year and takes the wool from the animals and turns it into a piece of clothing, such as a scarf, sock, or hat. Once the clothing is made, they’re sold at their store or online.

“What’s so neat about it is they’re adding value to a product that they’re growing on this farm and so they’re taking the fiber from these animals adding value to that and adding and going to direct marketing. They either sell it online or they have an on farm store here,” says  Hatcher.

Commissioner Hatcher says farms like Mesa Trail help keep agriculture the number one industry in Tennessee.