How do you build upon a successful Peruvian culinary business? By raising alpacas and deploying the furry, friendly South American mammals as an antidote to Zoom fatigue and the pandemic blues.

Seven years into running Peruvian Brothers with his brother Mario, Giuseppe Lanzone and his wife, Frances, wanted to pursue another outlet to promote Peruvian culture. They drew on their unique backgrounds (she worked in the Obama White House and has experience in event planning and international diplomacy; he is a two-time Olympic rower and former rowing coach at Georgetown) and spread out from a food truck to a sprawling 5-acre farm in Great Falls (rancholanzone.com). Their six alpacas (Pisco, Chaski, Rasta, Pica, Puno and Chévere) head out on field trips to kids, dubbed “alpacagrams.”

Click here to learn the details of this business, and to learn more about these gentle, curious, friendly animals.