Crescendo Acres Farm in Surry isn’t your traditional shopping experience.

Customers can browse the clothing, food items, ornaments and other goods inside the gift shop — and then walk over and pet the alpacas the farm raises.

“It’s the alpacas, that’s what makes us different,” said owner Russ Fiorey. “So people can come see them, we let them feed them, they can pet them.”

Fiorey and his wife, Diana Fiorey, both retired a few years ago and “decided to turn our hobbies into a small business,” he said. For him, that was Christmas trees and maple syrup; for her, knitting.

“We got the alpacas to actually keep the hills and the fields clear, because they do a great job,” he said, as well as producing fiber to turn into yarn.

Alpaca fiber tends to be shorter and finer than wool, Fiorey said, and most of the fiber they shear from the alpacas, they send out for processing. They sell yarn, and Diana Fiorey also uses it to knit items for the store.

Crescendo Acres sells alpaca clothing, toys, maple products, honey, ornaments and more.

“We’re always having a bunch of new things,” Fiorey said.

Here are some fun gift ideas from the farm’s offerings.

Fiorey said alpaca socks are one of the most popular sellers. He described alpaca fiber as softer and better insulating than other materials.

Diana Fiorey knits socks on a hand-operated machine from 1903. Those go for $35 per pair.

The farm also belongs to a fiber pool, allowing it to sell fiber and buy finished alpaca products, including socks. Those are also available in the store, and start at $15, according to Fiorey.

Another popular alpaca clothing item, these $29 pompom hats are also hand-knit at the farm.

Crescendo Acres stocks other clothing items made from alpaca fiber as well, including scarves made by Diana Fiorey and mass-produced jackets, mittens and gloves.

The store carries maple syrup, maple cream, maple coated nuts, maple sugar and maple candy, Fiorey said.

It also produces maple bourbon syrup — maple syrup aged in an old bourbon barrel to pick up some of its flavor. It’s $15 for an 8-ounce jar.

Honey and Other Locally Sourced Foods

Honey is popular with customers, Fiorey said. “Everybody needs honey for their baking and eating.”

Usually, Crescendo Acres buys all its honey from the Monadnock Beekeepers Association, Fiorey said, but because it was a very wet summer, many beekeepers are saving it to get their bees through the winter. He said the farm is sourcing honey from other local producers.

Other local products include jams and mustards.

If you’re buying a teddy bear for a loved one, why not a “super soft” alpaca teddy? Crescendo Acres sells these and other stuffed toys made from alpaca fibers (including a fluffy baby alpaca, listed at $69 on the store website).

These small balls of alpaca fiber can replace dryer sheets (and the chemicals they use), reducing static. A four-pack is listed for $25.

Fiorey said his wife makes felted items, including gnomes, Santas and other Christmas decorations that go for $5 to $15 apiece.

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