THE RANCH

	THE RANCH - BEFORE

Growing up in a city, I’d never have dreamed I would buy undeveloped land, design and create a ranch. This was definitely part of the adventure! I got a lot of advice from alpaca owners and contractors, but I also spent many, many hours walking about the property and visualizing what I wanted and how to lay it out for efficiency.

The 12.5 acres has a large hill at the front and a smaller hill mid-way back, but the rest is gentle to flat. I put the main house on the large hill and put a smaller house on the other hill for an on-premises caretaker. I added a 1500 sq ft garage structure that included a large, fully finished out room that became a combination ranch office / ranch store / classroom.

The property had many oak trees, and part of my challenge was laying out the cross fencing and access roads without taking any large trees out. As a result, the roads and fences gently wind through the property instead of being straight lines, an unintended effect that I really like.

THE RANCH - AFTER

The value of having a vision for the entire property was that I could build it gradually. I started with the front part, got the first fencing in and moved the girls to the ranch from where they were boarded. Then I started building back and brought home the boys. It was about 2 years before I completed all of the cross-fencing and shelters, during which time the herd was gradually growing.