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Comment by T0Bi | Hacker News Reader

Planning a hobby alpaca farm (3-4 alpacas), very early stage.

Everything from farm related stuff (water, food, shelter, etc.) to self-sufficiency (solar, etc.) to real time monitoring (which cameras, affecting power supply).

Who knows if it'll ever happen, but just planning everything in detail is a lot of fun. Especially with weird regulatory constraints where I'm living, there's a lot to watch out for.

Example: Solar panels at >3m height need building permits. Snow in winter means panels should be set up at a specific angle. So my initial plan of putting the panels on my 2.5m high carport doesn't work. Either lower carport, lower angle, different place or getting a building permit.

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LOL

The "best" plan is probably to observe someone who already has alpacas and go there frequently at all times of the year, in all kinds of weather conditions to see if you still want to deal with it. Also, ask yourself if you ever want a vacation again.

I've lived next to horses for 19+ years now and I don't remember what kind of a plan there was. Suffice to say that it would have gone out the window by day 2.

> Snow in winter means panels should be set up at a specific angle

Not sure what this means, but I can assure you that Mother Nature will subvert whatever plan you have, probably by sending enough wind to pack the snow so hard to the panel, that it will stick there even if vertical.

Do you forsee the tariff situation improving demand for domestically produced wool? I have land and am speculating that the economics of livestock may actually improve.

This must be the dream for a lot of tech people living behind a screen. I can see myself wanting to do this (although maybe work on the farm not own it)

I think a lot of people in office jobs day dream about this sort of thing. My father-in-law is a third generation farmer producing ultra fine wool. I am a source of free labour at shearing time and I will tell you that when I treat myself to a sleep in on Monday morning and roll out of bed for standup at 9:30 I sit there with the biggest shit-eating grin on my face meanwhile my father in law is already 4 hours in to his 12+ hour day.

Also if I was to go into farming I'd have to do something with crops/fruits/vegetables. I am a bit of a softie but the realities of livestock husbandry when met with the economics of farming can be quite confronting.

I already live in a farm with a permanent remote job!

/brag over

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