James Budd is the Owner, Co-Founder and Yarn, Fabric and Product Developer for Alpacas of Montana. He has a Masters Degree in Medical Science from the University of Colorado -- yeah, he went from orthopedic surgeries to owning his own business! James is not only a design wizard, but also the biggest animal lover in the world. He treats all of his alpacas as though they’re his kids and loves animals so much that he will open the windows and guide the flies out rather than swatting them. He loves getting the opportunity to make products that outperform the big guys in the industry so his customers get the best possible experience. When he’s not at work, you can find James fishing or out hiking in the mountains with his llamas and dogs. He also loves traveling to South America as often as possible, both for work and for pleasure. If James could be any Disney character he would be Baloo from The Jungle Book.

Annie Buchwald is our "woman of all trades" as our all around caretaker. She attended the University of California, San Diego where she received a degree in Ecology/Genetics. She first started working with us in February 2021 and hasn’t looked back since! She helps train the alpacas during our spring "baby training" and continues her work with them year-round to maintain their training through adulthood. Because Annie knows the in's and out's of our business, and our herd, she runs our daily farm tours, where visitors can meet our animals and learn about all we do! When Annie isn't sharing her passion with visitors, she also helps out with breeding, cleaning up around the farm, and anything else James and Sarah need. Outside of working for Alpacas of Montana, Annie loves volunteering at the Injured Raptor Center where she helps transport injured raptors and aids in their rehabilitation process. You can find Annie out hiking throughout the entire year, kayaking in the summer and snow shoeing in the winter. She is living her best retired life and helping her 100 year old mom navigate life. If Annie was a disney character, she would be Boo from Monsters Inc. We asked Annie what her favorite thing about Alpacas of Montana is and she said, “I LOVE their compassion for animals! I love that any animal that ends up on their property is allowed to live the rest of their life there in comfort and safety.  I admire Sarah and James so much for the incredible amount of work they've invested in their company, their drive to produce the best products available while promoting social justice and caring for the earth.”

Grace Carlin is our Store and Tour Guide Manager. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin- River Falls in 2022 with a Bachelors of Science in Marketing and Communications. Originally from Minnesota, she moved out to Bozeman in Fall 2023. Grace has over a decade of experience working with llamas and alpacas. When she was just 10 years old she started showing her Llama, Hailley, back in Minnesota. Since then she has fallen in love with these animals. Something Grace loves most about working for Alpacas of Montana is that everyone puts the animals first, and they have a progressive approach to business. When Grace isn't at work you can find her working with and training her dog and other dogs, hiking, backpacking, or shredding the gnar at Bridger. If Grace was a Disney character she would be Lilo from Lilo and Stitch. She is spirited, resilient, determined and loyal.

Julie Webb is our bookkeeper at Alpacas of Montana. She has been with the team for nearly a decade and has thoroughly enjoyed being a part of all the exciting growth at Alpacas of Montana. Her favorite part of being at the farm is spending time with the big, lovable guard dogs, Chili, Hazel, and Finn.

Julie holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting from Southern Utah University. Throughout her career, she has worked in a number of diverse industries, including aviation, gold mining, and film. Working at Alpacas of Montana has provided Julie with a great opportunity to learn the nuances of e-commerce accounting.

When she isn't working, Julie enjoys spending time with her grumpy mini-horse named Miss Piggy. She also loves hiking in Bozeman's beautiful mountains, spending time with friends, and pursuing her newest hobby, screenwriting. Moana is the Disney character Julie feels represents her personality the best!

Jenna Patrick, our year-round tour guide, has dreamt about working with the alpacas on our farm for years. She met Lovie and Pete in downtown Bozeman in 2018 and has since added owning a hobby farm graced with camelids to her bucket list.

An aspiring entrepreneur, Jenna has honed a diverse range of creative skills since graduating from Montana State University in 2020 with a degree in graphic design. Most recently, she was a journalist and editor for a national landscape business magazine. 

Reptiles, amphibians, fish, and mammals (including two adorable rescue mutts) make Jenna's home somewhat of a zoo. Although she does not yet own a raccoon (that is a joke), Meeko is the Disney character Jenna feels represents her personality best. 

Jill is our resident warehouse boss lady. She is always the first to greet you (and you better greet her back), never misses a meeting and always makes sure Jenna’s life is as hairy as possible. She loves making sure everyone gets distracted during meetings, helping all of us type notes on our computers and functioning as the heating pad you never knew you needed or wanted. She prides herself on being the cutest one in the office and when she’s not working you can find her tormenting prairie dogs and chickens, napping and knocking whatever she can on the floor.

Hazel is a part of our Executive Security Team. Hazel holds her own as the only female guard dog and makes sure the two boys stay in their lane. She is the perfect low maintenance guard dog who always takes her job seriously, shows up on time and is equal parts expert guardian and expert James’ tamer -- she always manages to get a good pet from him whenever she desires. Hazel is less “in your face” than Finn, but always has a way of getting what she wants. The team would be incomplete without her.

Homeboy is our head Llama on the Executive Security Team. He works with the other llamas on the farm to ensure everyone is safe and where they should be. When the alpacas put out a warning call and the dogs give their signal of a potential intruder, Homeboy rounds up the other llamas and makes sure they’re between the dogs and the alpacas as the second line of defense. When he’s not at work, Homeboy loves to go out for hikes with Lucy, a fellow llama friend, James and Sarah. He loves packing and camping, but makes sure to take his daily duties very seriously.