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WIER WORLD FARM INFO AND PICTURES
History
Ben Wier(Wiers special needs son) helps to take care of one of the babies |
The storied history of Wier World Llama and Alpaca Farm launched in 1983 in Fairview Heights, Illinois by Julie and Jack Wier and their 6 children. Julie Wier fought a difficult battle with Hodgkin's Disease(cancer) and WON and during the time was "loaned" two llamas(Jasper and Jethro) as calming creatures to care for during her healing time. Once Julie fully recovered, she realized a love affair with these beautiful animals that has lasted 40 years. article about her fight https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/a-statue-returns-to-life/article_de2f63e7-96c2-5bf6-8df9-582185610e30.html Julie's first Llama was a large classic North American llama named "Gus". Gus ruled the small herd in Illinois for many years and was the original stud of the heard. When the Wiers purchased an additional 60 acres and expanded the farm, Gus was the leader. The farm grew from the love of the animals and Julie and Jack bred and cared for over 145 animals at the peak of the farm and over half of those were rescue animals. As their children were married off and moved away the farm became very difficult to manage. The farm never was a "cash cow" or "cash Llama" if you will but it did provide thousands of people a year with a happy place to visit the animals. Julie would run free school tours and do crafting with students all about llama history. She hosted sheering days for others with animals and opened her farm up to have families come in and be involved with the annual haircuts that the animals get. Julie also became involved in Southeast Llama rescue (click here to donate to SELR now) and she would travel all over the midwest picking up abused and neglected animals and nursing them back to health on her farm(she currently has 3 rescue animals on her farm today-Barney-Alpaca, Dozer and Autumn-Llamas). Julie also began walking the animals for free in parades and teaching spinning classes to use the fiber to make hats and sweaters out of the wool fiber(she still makes and sells the, if interested email us) and sold them at craft fairs all over the midwest including the botanical gardens. In early 2007, tragedy struck the farm as Jack had a bad accident while digging a pond out with a Bobcat. He had a tree impale him and was airlifted to SLU Hospital. Here is an article about the accident. https://www.emsworld.com/news/10409194/dozen-miracles-save-missouri-man-impaled-tree After his long recovery, the farm and all of the land became too much for two people in their 60s to handle and the Wier World Farm "downsized". Julie had no intention of leaving her animals behind so she sold some, gave away some and thinned out her herd to 12 animals and moved to Wildwood, Missouri. As luck would have it, an old farm house in west STL county opened up for sale. The house was 100 years old and inside of a state conservation area called Rockwoods Reservation. The Wiers relocated and brought 12 animals for a smaller 5 acre farm that still exists today. The Wier's had to battle to keep the animals. Even though Julie had called the city in advance of moving to check on the ordinance, and they were in a state conservation area the city objected. At the end of the fight, and with the help from numerous Llama and Alpaca owners, park goers, and neighbors, the Wier World Farm was born again. The farm has been caring for the animals for the past 6 years in Wildwood MO. Last year in August, tragedy struck the farm as a flash flood attacked the landscape and buildings of the farm. Julie and Jack were out-of-town when it happened or they may have been harmed. Several buildings were heavily damaged on the farm and almost all of the fencing was washed away in the disaster. Inches of mud and silt were everywhere on the property. Several of the Llamas and Alpacas perished due to the flood waters. When Joe, the Wiers son, went to the Farm after the water had rescinded, it was a disaster area with only one animal still on the property. As he found some food for the poor lonely Llama and opened the bag of grain, 8 more animals came from the top of the hill in the woods in the state conservation area. Most of them survived the tragedy but could not stay at the farm as the fencing was all removed from the 5 acres. Unfortunately for the Wiers, insurance(including FEMA) does not cover fencing nor exterior buildings. The fences took a solid month to build when they moved in. Distraught and with no other options, the Wiers had to ship the animals away to stay with some friends in Illinois while the farm was rebuilt. The very next weekend the Wiers were greeted with some local heroes, Family members, friends, and four local wrestling team groups helped to rebuild the majority of the fencing in a single day!!! Cory Roth Home Construction from Eureka,MO (3144061676) even donated and drove his Bobcat all day (and left it for several days) to remove brush and install fence posts. The power of numbers was incredible!! Here is an article about the flood. https://fox2now.com/news/wildwood-llama-and-alpaca-farm-devastated-by-flash-flooding/ So today, the last bit of pastures are open, the family and farm are enjoying the spring Missouri weather. On any given day, there are runners, bikers, and families in cars that stop by to connect with the animals. Some stay for a few minutes, some stay for a few hours. There are groups that bring baby carrots and feed the animals right out of their hands. Llamas and Alpacas are peaceful animals and this small farm provides free stress relief to hundreds of people each and every day of the year. |
Julie Wier with longtime Llama owner friend Denise
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NOPROBLLAMA MEETING INFORMATION
NoPROBLLAMA Meetings were developed recently due to our need for fun at a social distance. Bring our llamas and alpacas to any Zoom or other meeting. You set the rules on sound or if you prefer just one animal as a stand-in or a look at several. These meetings will both help support the farm as well as a portion of every meeting cost will be donated to SouthEAST Llama Rescue (click here to donate to SELR now) so that they continue to save abused and neglected Llamas and Alpacas. All Meetings will be prepaid upfront and have a 24hr cancellation policy.
****Teachers-Please email us as we have a few special non-profit school time slots and pricing during the week for schools and teachers!!!! We love our Teachers!
****Teachers-Please email us as we have a few special non-profit school time slots and pricing during the week for schools and teachers!!!! We love our Teachers!
WIER WORLD LLAMAS AND ALPACAS
3015 Glencoe Rd
Wildwood MO 63038
phone 6189109707
email [email protected]
3015 Glencoe Rd
Wildwood MO 63038
phone 6189109707
email [email protected]