Two-site operating model
Hub: Planning framework
Canonical ops reference (distance-tax, batching, tables): Two-site operations model — 5 ac home base, 120 ac production
Generic pattern (no ET names): Dual-site operations model — non-agritourism farm business
First-class filters (same brief as the 35-minute split): Trip batching and site visit policy, Two-site structure disqualifiers.
Connectivity doctrine (2026-04 binding): The 35-minute model assumes batchable visits—not WAN-dependent welfare proof. SITE_FARM is planned WAN-optional for core telemetry paths (Local-first / WAN-optional — Demory, Connectivity strategy — Claxton & Demory); Starlink/LTE are backhaul, not a substitute for local gateway + power truth. Integration ledger: Business plan integration revision audit (2026-04).
Site roles
| Site |
Acres (planning) |
Role |
Production? |
A Homestead (SITE_HOME) |
~5 |
Residence; future smart house, workshop/basement lab, 3D print, telemetry broker / NOC, spares, dev |
No—not primary commercial production |
B Farm (SITE_FARM) |
~120 |
Primary land-based revenue; livestock, forage, leased acres if any |
Yes |
Why the 5-acre site is the control center
| Reason |
Implication |
| Uptime |
Grid power, climate-stable indoor gear, fast internet for VPN, backups, firmware work |
| Security |
Credentials and VPN termination live where physical access is daily |
| Economics |
One homelab / broker stack amortized across whole operation—not duplicated at 120 |
| Work pattern |
Design / CAD / print for jigs and repairs happens at home; field execution at 120 |
| Risk |
120 has theft / storm / critter exposure—avoid sole copy of critical data there |
Should not live only at 120: secrets, only copy of records, only MQTT broker if farm must run safe when home link is down—design degraded autonomy (see Field telemetry reference architecture).
The 35-minute split (structural, not a small detail)
COMMUTE_ONE_WAY ≈ 35 min means ~70 min round-trip in the cab before τ_ctx and before any productive work at SITE_FARM. That is a distance tax on every round trip: vehicle OPEX, loaded labor, attention, and—when trips are junk—morale.
Non-negotiables for this package
- Routine unnecessary trips destroy margin and morale; treat them as operating failures, not quirks.
- Batching and low daily physical touch are design requirements, not optimizations after the fact.
- Remote observability is mandatory for P1 loads (water/power/gate class) before sensor sprawl elsewhere—see
Instrumentation priority matrix and trip policy.
Authoritative rules + formulas: Distance-tax rules on the 5 ac / 120 ac page (DT-0–DT-6, R_SPLIT linkage).
Travel-time-aware labor design
| Principle |
Implementation |
| Telemetry first where it stops trips |
Water level, pump fault, gate position, power at pump |
| Weekly rhythm |
Fixed dow for 120 (see Labor model and weekly rhythm) |
| Surge weeks |
Pre-blocked on calendar (calving, hay, shipping)—reduce other commitments |
| No “daily crop” default |
Incompatible with 35 min unless hired labor or resident—not baseline |
| Enterprise filter |
Enterprise options analysis Split tax column + disqualifiers |
Infrastructure split (typical)
| Asset class |
Preferred location |
| Broker, dashboards, backups, dev |
Homestead |
| Field gateways, tank sensors, pump controls |
120 (edge) |
| Heavy tools, livestock handling |
120 |
| Spare LoRa/gateway, laptop for field |
Both—spares policy |
Phased two-site behavior
| Phase |
Two-site focus |
| 0 |
Comms pattern: phone, maps, boundaries documented; no myth that “we’ll pop out daily” |
| 1 |
Pilot one remote signal (e.g. tank or gate) home-visible; trip justification discipline starts |
| 2 |
Production visits batched; records authoritative in chosen system of record; R_SPLIT visible |
| 3 |
Scale telemetry only with OPEX cap and triage SOP (H_TRIAGE ceiling) |
| 4 |
Salary model: fewer off-farm days → more batch flex at 120—not more junk trips |
Known facts
| ID |
Fact |
| K1 |
5 ac not primary production |
| K2 |
~35 min separation (planning)—measure |
Assumptions
| ID |
Assumption |
| A1 |
Home internet suitable for VPN or cell fallback acceptable for non-life-critical alerts |
| A2 |
120 has legal physical access road maintainable year-round |
Open questions
| ID |
Question |
| Q1 |
Second operator path when primary is sick (same household vs local hire)? |
| Q2 |
Overnight stay acceptable at 120 (trailer, camper) for hay or calving? |
| Q3 |
Cell coverage map at tanks and gates? |
Operational artifact
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