Calypso Moon Alpacas: The Simple Life

Are you fed up with city life and want to trade in the hustle and bustle for a simpler lifestyle? (By the way, simpler doesn’t necessarily mean easier. It just means less complex and more tailored to your tastes and needs.) You might not have something specific in mind, but sometimes the world just drops things in your lap like our friends Peter and Joanne from Calypso Moon Alpacas. 

Peter, Joanne and their two children moved from Mississauga to Tamworth in 1992. While Peter grew up in the area and had family here, Joanne is from Trinidad and had lived in the city all of her life. They were tired of working around the clock just to pay the mortgage and were missing out on time with their children. They decided to trade in their condo townhouse in the city for 40 acres of land here in L&A. They now own an alpaca farm with about 40 alpacas and a llama. I chatted with Peter about his decision to relocate and become an entrepreneur in Lennox and Addington and here's what he had to say: 

Peter: It's surprising to think of myself as an entrepreneur. When I think of the word, I picture someone sitting in a high rise at an executive desk. That's not how it is for me. 

L&A Guy: How did you become an entrepreneur? 

Peter: I worked as a marriage and family therapist in Mississauga. The company I worked for is nationwide and had an office in Kingston, so when we first moved to L&A I was commuting to Kingston, which wasn't too far. However the company eventually set up online counselling, so I also do that from home now.  When we decided to give up the city life, we bought 40 acres of farm property out here in Tamworth and wondered what do we do with the land. We knew we didn't want to do cattle or anything too time consuming, as we were still maintaining other professions. Then one day I was chatting with a friend that had just gotten into raising alpacas. He talked me into it and before I knew it there was a truckload of alpacas in my driveway and that's when, out of necessity, I had to learn about them and how to build a business out of it. We started to figured everything out and looked at what other people were doing and just kind of learned it as we went along. 

There are a few different areas to our business. We raise the alpacas and shear them (which only a few people can do well). We have a friend who is a certified fleece sorter, so after he’s done, the fleece gets shipped to mills where the product is made. We then get back in the form of yarn, socks, duvets, hats etc. We also have local neighbours who are knitters to make local products such as mittens, hats and scarves, which we sell on-premises.  

L&A Guy: Why did you decide to make the change from urban to rural and why did you chose L&A?

Peter: Affordability. Living in GTA is expensive. My wife and I were both working full-time just to pay the mortgage and we were missing out on time with our young kids. We wanted to have family time and not just work. We were finished with city life and the lifestyle of the rural area was more appealing to us. We liked the idea of having more. Having the sense of space was very pleasing for us. Plus being close to Kingston made it easier to adjust for work. I remember when we first moved to Tamworth, we were here for Canada Day and the community was having a huge festival in the village. We realized our kids had taken off and we were not worried. We had a real sense of security and community. We would have worried in the city. We knew they were safe and that piece of mind is invaluable. 

L&A Guy: What is the best aspect of the lifestyle of an entrepreneur? 

Peter: The community and rural lifestyle. We get to be here when the kids get home from school. It's just a nice, comforting lifestyle. I get to please myself and reap the benefits of my hard work. It's not by any means a slower lifestyle. I am busier now than I ever was in the city, but it's more satisfying. I just get to enjoy my life now and spend time with my family. 

For more information on Calypso Moon Alpacas please visit their website:
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For more information regarding business opportunities and entrepreneurship in Lennox and Addington County contact Stephen Paul at 613-354-4883,ext. 234 or spaul@lennox-addington.on.ca,  or visit our site http://www.lennoxandaddington.com/default.aspx