Elena, Greta and John raised sheep for fiber and meat on their farm in Barnesville from 1980 to 1992. They bought one llama as a pet and sheep guard in 1987. In 1992, Elena, Greta and John grew tired of the backbreaking work involved in raising sheep. With Greta's encouragement, Elena and John decided to try raising llamas and thus, Graceful Legend Llamas was born.

Elena owns a fiber business where she markets handspun and machinery spun sheep and llama wool, hand dyed yarns and knitting patterns which she designed. In 1995, she and another llama breeder organized a successful llama wool pool on the East Coast. She speaks and writes articles on llama fiber for several organizations and publications. Elena is a member of the International Llama Association Fiber Committee and PR Committee and served on the Llama Association of the Mid-Atlantic States Board of Directors. She authored the entire fiber section on Greta's Llamapaedia website. Elena was awarded a 1996 Pushmi-Pullu Award by the International Llama Association for her ground breaking work on the llama wool pool.

Greta grew up very involved in raising sheep and in her local 4-H Club. Greta's persistent coaxing of her parents brought the first llama to the farm in 1987 and the rest in 1992. Greta graduated from Cornell University in 1994 with a B.S. in Animal Science. She went on to vet school at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and will receive her D.V.M. in 1998. Greta will be working at the Poolesville Veterinary Clinic in Poolesville, Maryland. Greta does most of the llama showing and has spoken about llamas for a few organizations. She and a fellow vet student have recently undertaken a project to provide an objective source of llama information on the Internet called Llamapaedia. Information from Llamapaedia has been published in local and regional llama newsletters across the country. Greta plans to include llamas in her veterinary practice.

John is a professional engineer and part owner of a private engineering firm. He provides business advice, help around the farm, and a unique perspective on many of our llama ventures. John used to cart drive with our pony and has now begun driving with some of our llamas. He has also has written humerous articles about the llama world for our local organization's newsletter. John's antique car collecting hobby has been the inspiration for the names of all llamas born on our farm.