Quentin Park Alpacas Is Building Real Supported Work Experience Into Everyday Farm Life
At a time when plenty of disability services are stretched thin, a regional South Australian farm near Peterborough is doing things a little differently when it comes to supported work experience.
Quentin Park Alpacas & Studio Gallery isn’t just a visitor stop with fluffy photo ops. It’s a working farm, studio space and retail shop rolled into one. Visitors feed alpacas, wander the gardens, browse locally made alpaca fibre products and take part in hands-on experiences.
Behind the scenes, something bigger is happening.
Rethinking Supported Work Experience in Regional South Australia
Founder Amee Dennis has built supported work experience directly into the day-to-day running of the farm and its business operations.
“We saw how few opportunities exist for people with disability to be genuinely involved in real work,” she said.
“And we knew we could do better.”
Rather than running a separate program, participants are part of the real workflow, whether that’s helping in the café, working with fibre and creative projects in the studio, assisting with retail, or contributing to events.
“We believe people learn best by doing,” Dennis said.
“Real environments build real skills — and real confidence.”
From Farm Life to Meaningful Employment Pathways
Dennis, who has worked alongside people with disability for many years, says the variety across the farm allows for a level of flexibility that traditional models often struggle to offer.
“This approach allows us to create pathways that make sense for each person,” she said.
“Including, where people want it, pathways into microenterprise or paid employment.”
While Quentin Park Alpacas is new to South Australia, Dennis says the direction has always been clear.
“Our mission hasn’t changed. Our ten-year plan hasn’t changed,” she said.
“What’s changed is the scale of what’s possible when you stop separating ‘support’ from real life.”
Dennis believes the supported work experience model has lessons for other regional communities.
“This isn’t about one farm,” she said.
“It’s about setting a standard for what inclusive, meaningful engagement should look like.”
Find out more at quentinparkalpacas.com
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