The Story Behind the Herd.
A Working Ranch • A Real Breeder • A Life With Alpacas
76 Acres. One Working Herd. A Whole Lot of Love.
Alpaca Adventures at Honey Lake is a working alpaca ranch in Janesville, California — home to a growing herd of registered Huacaya and Suri alpacas, plus angora goats, llamas, sheep, ducks, and chickens. Owner Stacey Payne breeds, shows, and shears alpacas, hosts hands-on experiences for guests of all ages, and welcomes travelers for glamping and RV stays under some of the darkest skies in Northern California.
Read Stacey's StoryA Bucket List Item, Then a Calling.
Stacey Payne grew up in Long Beach, California — a long way from where she'd eventually find her purpose. For most of her career, she worked as a substance abuse and mental health counselor, sitting across from people in their hardest moments and helping them find a way through.
In 2017, alpacas entered the picture. What started as a bucket list item quickly turned into something more. She began buying foundation animals, learning the trade, building bloodlines. By 2023, what had been a private passion became a public business — and Olde Lyfe Alpacas opened its gates to the world.
In 2026, Stacey and the herd moved to the place they were meant to be: a 76-acre property in Janesville, California overlooking Honey Lake. The land. The light. The quiet. It was the right place to build the next chapter.
"They have this peaceful, quiet, child-like innocence — they just don't even think there is danger in this world. I couldn't imagine a different life. I couldn't imagine life without them." — Stacey Payne, Owner
Meet Stacey.
The hands that feed the herd at 4:15 AM, sort the fleece, run the shearing, and answer every buyer call personally.
Before the alpacas, Stacey spent her career as a substance abuse and mental health counselor. That work shaped how she runs the ranch today — quietly, intentionally, and with the belief that being around gentle animals can change something in a person that nothing else can reach.
She does the work herself. Mornings start at 3:15 AM with coffee and bottle-feeding Ellie, the herd's youngest. Days are spent feeding, breeding, training, shearing, and traveling to other ranches across California, Arizona, and New Mexico to shear their herds too. She knows each of her alpacas by name — Gracie, Dani, Miss Betty, Chantillie, Moka, Raven. She'll tell you their personalities, their bloodlines, and their favorite treats.
In 2023, two of her alpacas brought home championship ribbons from the AOA National Fleece Show in Kentucky — a huge win for a small ranch competing against operations many times its size. "I have two go and both of them got championships," she laughs. "Like, I was just jumping up and down in my bedroom that morning. I know I'm a grown woman, but that was really exciting."
When she's not on the ranch, she's on the road — shearing other people's herds, helping new owners get started, and trying her best to convince every passing van traveler that yes, you really should pull over and meet an alpaca.
The Ranch at a Glance.
How We Run the Ranch.
Three quiet rules that shape every decision — from breeding to booking to who we'd hand the herd to next.
Working Ranch, Not Resort.
Every animal here earns its place. We breed, shear, train, and show — and our guests get to see a real working ranch, not a theme park version of one. The dust is real. So is the welcome.
Education Over Sales.
We'd rather you learn what you actually need than buy what you don't. Every buyer gets lifetime mentoring. Every guest gets honest answers. We measure success by who leaves smarter than they arrived.
Family-First Hospitality.
Kids, grandparents, first-timers, seasoned breeders — all welcome. We host you the way we'd host family: warm, unhurried, and with someone always ready to answer your next question.
Meet a Few of the Family.
A small selection of the personalities you'll meet on a visit. Each one with a name, a story, and very strong opinions about who deserves their attention.
Chantillie
Mother of a ChampionA serene white Huacaya whose son Sierra Thunder took two championship ribbons at the AOA National Fleece Show.
Bronzed Moka
Herd SireA bronze beauty with Lasting Fineness and Divine Love in his bloodline. Quiet, regal, and very aware of his own good looks.
Ellie
Bottle BabyThe reason Stacey is out the door at 4:15 AM. Floppy ears, big eyes, total heart-melter. She knows it.
Raven
Foundation FemaleTrue black, no white hairs anywhere — a rare find. Took months to track down. Worth every mile.
A Day on the Ranch.
It starts before the coffee finishes brewing and ends when the last alpaca decides it's bedtime. Here's what a typical day looks like.
The Quiet Mission Behind the Herd.
Stacey's career in mental health didn't end when she started raising alpacas. It just changed shape. The ranch has become, in her words, "another way to help people in the community" — and a way to help herself.
"To provide safe haven for kids aging out of foster care, or kids with autism. Therapeutic care for anyone, via the gentle nature of the almighty alpaca."
That's the long-term vision: a foundation built around the healing potential of being with these animals. The work has started. The space is being built. The herd is ready.
Every guest visit, every glamping stay, every alpaca sale moves the ranch closer to that goal.
What People Are Saying.
Real reviews from guests, buyers, and friends of the ranch.
The Story Continues at Honey Lake.
Book an experience, request a stay, or just send Stacey a note. The ranch is real. The herd is real. The welcome's been waiting.
