Alpacas and Agriculture: A Unique Farming Experience | Sprout

Kierti left her marketing job in London last year to live out her dream of running an Alpaca Farm. After relocating to Warwickshire, her dream is now a reality as she runs her own South American Alpaca farm. However, Kierti has no previous farming experience and is lost on how to make a successful business out of it. Monty Don has over 40 years of farming experience under his belt and is here to help.
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[@pippasmith4813]

I found this episode so sad. Yes, Kierti made a very bad mistake with building preapproval but what frustrates me even more is the length of time it takes to get approval and once you get offside with local authorities they take revenge on residents forever more - they are a law unto themselves (worldwide!). The local community members that send anomalous, harassing or threatening notes should not be tolerated and the Warwickshire people should put a stop to it. And the comment from the lady 36:59 that green belt should be protected should identify: had animals never been farmed there; does no one live in the green belt; does she live in the green belt; in what way do would the alpacas impact the environment adversely? But I suppose there were nay-sayers to the advent of electricity and automobiles.

[@jacobcarter5923]

I mean it's her property, she shouldn't ask permission from anyone

[@louwhetman1542]

She’s still in business. Well done Keirti 🎉🦙

[@iamqueenb1]

Oh Good. I was wondering if she was still in business. How did you find out? Does she have a website or social media page?

[@karendavidson394]

This is a great combo of Monte's skills.

[@thenurse-mf3db]

I am quite the introvert myself. So wrong into thinking farming was the perfect run away for me🤗 good luck Kierti. Hang in there.

[@sharonadlam3195]

Kierti, in my opinion, is a hopeless romantic with absolutely no idea of what is involved in living on the land and no passion to even learn anything about it. To successfully thrive in a rural setting you need to be able to engage with your community and she is just not interested n doing that. I feel sorry for her parents who are throwing away the inheritance money, such a shame.

[@greeneileen]

Unlike some of the other newcomers, Monty didn't really explain what he thought she should be doing with the land. When she told him she just saw grass I think that he let the teachable moment pass. His 'born and bred' country advice to go meet people ignored what I think is the likely reason to prefer not to - some preexisitnghostility, sometimes racial, as in some comments already here. Perhaps it's not so surprising that she let her mother do the talking. Building without planning permission was a bad move, no doubt. There may be no coming back from it. Nonetheless, I'm not sure why she didn't get rotational grazing 101 and some more useful homework identifying important plants on her land. I love sheep, but how did that help her? Alpaca public relations is a far cry from learning to identify good breeding animals and manage grassland.

[@carolinesemple2298]

As someone who owns alpacas, she really doesn’t have a clue. You don’t keep entire males together for starters. When they get judged, they are looking at the fleece’s crimp, lustre, density and the fineness of the fibre. Alpaca fleece carry’s a micron just like sheep wool does. She will need to able to administer injections to them throughout the year as well. So much more involved than she has any idea about.

[@moniquebaby36]

She's loves them and learn, you can educate and help without being rude

[@I.am.Mumma.Bear.1]

There’s a right way and a wrong way to do something !! Sadly, she did it all very wrong from the beginning. I’m truly hoping in the end everything worked out for her though 😊👍🏽

[@moniquebaby36]

Great job Katie, never give up!!! 💗 Her neighbors are awful and so as Monty.. She clearly passionate about alpacas and loves them and doing a great job learning, and she already spending all her time and effort to learn the business, I don't know what was the point to Monty force her to get all those sheeps too, she's alone how she gonna have time to take care of all the sheeps alpacas and the land and learn everything on top of that? it's too much for 1 person!! She should start with 3 alpacas and expand as she earn money not getting all these extra animals when she's still learning and struggling with the paperwork and the council.. She wanna breed and sell alpacas and sell their fleece that's what she should focus on, yes it's a rewarding business.. Monty was wrong telling her she's not gonna be a farmer, it's not a rocket science and no she don't have to grow food or have sheep's , you can use your land for so many different ways .. Alpacas are very rewarding business and Katie is eager to learn and passionate about them, she will succeed!

[@topaz3468]

This episode highlights the necessity of thoroughly researching the neighboring landscape, i.e...the culture and politics surrounding the enterprise.🧐

[@tanarehbein7768]

The country life style is more than feeding your pets, but profiting from them is a whole other conversation. She can do the marketing and business side and pet the alpacas on the weekend. Someone else should run a chainsaw around there so she can save her manicure.

[@Gail-gf7km]

She is simply a ditz who is in love with the idea of farming without the guts to actually do the work.

[@sandwichqueen6875]

Anyone else getting a neurodivergent vibe from Kierti?

[@eiedwards5792]

a good demonstration of how shallow and ignorant the people are. and keep going after outsiders.

[@wildchook745]

Kitty is a dreamer like that other dude you visited last time. She chose the Alpaca thinking it's fast money but she doesn't want to do the work. That warning on her fence was right, pack her rich bu** and go home LOL

[@necrokittie2291]

what horrible neighbors

[@brocktoon8]

It must be horribly traumatic for animals to be sheered. Poor babies.

[@moniquebaby36]

They have to be sheered every year, it's just once a year and it doesn't hurt them and not cruel at all and they feel better after all the fur gone as summer is really hot for them they can get heat stroke. It's scary for them but doesn't hurt and necessary

[@katherinespencer2073]

Your neighbours would hate the stench of goats....also they eat bushes, not grass. And those fences will not keep them in if they see bushes in the distance. Now scrub bushes, they prefer berry bushes, rose bushes....anything they have seen someone plant or tend. What horrible people in your area! Jealous or what?

[@jamescunningham1973]

Indians are good at ignoring local council building restrictions,they just build away and hope no one ever notices,and that cabin she built,on green belt land is a blight.

[@sharonadlam3195]

Completely inappropriate comment. There was no need to bring race into this discussion at all. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

[@jamescunningham1973]

@@sharonadlam3195 oh dear snowflake,are your feelings hurt? Thing is,its true and you know it

[@thenurse-mf3db]

Very inappropriate.

[@jamescunningham1973]

@@thenurse-mf3db but true

[@sharonadlam3195]

@@jamescunningham1973 of a particular personality type not a race. Time to curb your racism online.