Denise Membreno
Special to Laker Weekly
Robbin Martinelli and her family are working to bring back a tradition, the tradition of the locally owned neighborhood market where the community can purchase locally sourced food, clothing and specialty items as well as unique items produced at heritage farms in other states and countries.
The inspiration for the new market came from the farm her children own and operate in Connecticut, and how they helped their community when the pandemic made food at local grocery stores scarce.
Martinelli and her husband, Jay Pratley, own and operate Smith Mountain Lake Alpaca Farm in Hardy. There are more than 4,000 alpaca farms in the United States, but Martinelli said their farm is one of the only ones doing everything: breeding, fiber to fashion, farm tours and mentoring future alpaca farmers. US Alpaca is the commercial arm of their farm.