Heidelberr Farms is proud to call rural Martinton, deep in the heart of north-eastern-central Illinois, home.  We’re located on a fairly secluded country road, close to the Iroquois river.  Though we are off the beaten path, we’re still close enough to civilization should we desire to make the venture in.  Kankakee is only a 20 – 30 minute drive away, depending on which way you travel.  Chicago…about an hour.  Disney World?  I can be on a plane before you finish reading this page.

Established in 2007 after a long road of mishaps, setbacks, lay-offs, and frustrations, Heidelberr Farms is still a work in progress.

The main focus of our operation is our alpacas.  We breed huacaya alpacas for their luxurious fiber.

Along with the alpacas, you might also find the occasional Newfoundland or Scotch Collie dog, chicken, or duck located here and there.  But most important and essential to our success is our farm kitty.  Little-Black-Kitty oversees all projects at Heidelberr Farms and our work must pass his inspection before it can be called complete.  If we can keep him out of our business long enough to get any work done.

We are holistically minded here at Heidelberr Farms.  While we are not certified organic, we strive to do everything as naturally and minimally invasive as possible.  This is done not only to protect the well-being of our animals, but for our own health as well.

Why the name Heidelberr Farms?  

As with all things, it’s a rather long and convoluted story.

Needless to say, it involved a very long and turbulent plane ride destined for Berlin, Germany.  It was there that I had the most delicious ice cream in my life.  When I inquired about the flavor, I was told it was heidelbeer, or blueberry.  Did I mention the really long plane ride and resulting jetlag?  Well, yes.  As it so happens, after 48 hours without sleep, heidelbeer is a really fun word to say.

Say it…

(See?  It’s addictive.)

That is when I realized that it would be a shame to waste such a fun word and made the decision to use the variation of Heidelberr as the kennel name assigned to my Bernese Mountain Dogs (also of Swiss-German descent) after much agonizing and inability to decide on any other name.

(You’re still saying heidelbeer, aren’t you?)

Sadly, the Bernese Mountain Dogs were never bred and we lost both of our beloved girls in 2011.  We have pretty high standards here at Heidelberr Farms.  Only animals which are free of potential physical or temperamental issues–whether canine or camelid–are bred.  We feel strongly that the health of the herd in the future depends on the breeding decisions made today.

Well, anyway, rather than spending any more time agonizing over a separate farm name, the name Heidelberr stuck and the rest is history.  And that’s how a family of Scots-Irish descent came to own Swiss and then Canadian and Scottish dogs while raising South American camelids under the banner of a German name.

Which is all pretty much normal around here.

Leslie McHugh

Heidelberr Farms