from Hacker News

SpaceX is hiring a Farmer in Texas

by siralonso on 12/1/14, 7:04 AM with 50 comments

• by gpos on 12/1/14, 8:36 AM

  My best guess is that SpaceX had to buy a lot of land in the buffer region surrounding their testing facilities in McGregor, and they're just looking to put it to good use.

  In addition to the direct income from farming, farming the land would maintain its eligibility for an "open-space appraisal" under Texas law, which would reduce its property taxes by changing the valuation methodology for the land. Although there are two types of agricultural property tax exemptions in Texas, only the open-space appraisal eligibility requirements allow the owner's principal source of income to be something other than farming.

  Sources: http://recenter.tamu.edu/pdf/1361.pdf http://bigskyranchtexas.com/everything-you-want-to-know-abou...

• by raverbashing on 12/1/14, 9:29 AM

  So this is how a business writes a job position for a farmer. Interesting

  Now let's just hope HR and the interviewers don't require the applicant their Github profile or something.

• by snitch182 on 12/1/14, 8:53 AM

  " typically, SpaceX employees work a minimum 50 hour week" yehaa.. just sleep in the office!

• by hardwaresofton on 12/1/14, 8:36 AM

  I don't know whether I'm more excited about the fact that this could be an interstellar-themed joke, or that SpaceX is trying to do something interesting/ambitious in the farming industry.

  I know companies are mostly in it to profit, but it's hard not to like/want to think the best of SpaceX

• by leoc on 12/1/14, 8:29 AM

  Isn't this technically a farm-manager position, as the occupant will neither own nor rent the land?

• by fleitz on 12/1/14, 10:28 AM

  I misread the title, I thought they hired some farmer who builds a rocket in his barn, similar to the movie The Astronaut Farmer.

  Turns out it's a regular farmer... growing rocket fuel?

  Actually... if the new rocket is using methane could they be growing crops that decompose into lots of methane? Are they experimenting with alcohol/LOX? Are they growing biofuel to refine to RP-1?

• by ryanmcdonough on 12/1/14, 11:30 AM

  Requirements:

  *Understand the implications of the weather and make contingency plans

• by dba7dba on 12/1/14, 6:12 PM

  I first thought this was for testing farming in space/Mars. But yes, in reality it's for tax reason. And it doesn't make sense to let all that land go unused.

  Interestingly I know a family that 'farms' on Maui so they can live on a land that's zoned for farming. Supposedly the land is zoned for farming, so they bought the land, built nice houses and also farm to satisfy the requirement for zoning. But of course they are not farmers...

• by socialist_coder on 12/1/14, 2:36 PM

  If you have ever driven around Texas, you will see "farmland" like this all over the place. A random factory or warehouse with cows grazing around it is quite common, even in the greater Austin area.

  Like other's have said, it's for tax reasons. I figured they didn't even bother trying to make an actual profit from the farm, but maybe in this SpaceX case they will since the scale is so large.

• by thomasfoster96 on 12/1/14, 8:47 AM

  Dang, I have to be a US citizen. Surely SpaceX's agricultural activities aren't subject to space industry regulations?

• by tempodox on 12/1/14, 3:13 PM

  That page doesn't zoom well. Hit Cmd-Plus several times to magnify and see how it destroys the text. I would have expected better from what wants to be a professional presentation. No responsive web sites for astronaut farmers.

• by shmerl on 12/1/14, 8:59 AM

  So is it to train people to create farms on space colonies?

• by trhway on 12/1/14, 8:11 AM

  the position is subject to ITAR.

• by JoeAltmaier on 12/1/14, 5:02 PM

  Ha! They say to work at SpaceX you have to be extremely flexible, and work 50 hours a week. They're saying that to a farmer, with a straight face.

• by josephwegner on 12/1/14, 12:18 PM

  I can't help but think about the plot of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.

• by rurounijones on 12/1/14, 8:53 AM

  > SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by ... veteran status, disability status ...

  > Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities ...

  Seems a bit contradictory?

• by protester on 12/1/14, 9:25 AM

  > Must be able to climb ladders and work in tight spaces.

  This is the most interesting bit.

• by aligajani on 12/1/14, 8:33 AM

  Interstellar...it's happening

• by kapad on 12/1/14, 10:45 AM

  The resume's being sent in for this will be worth a read. I hope someone hacks SpaceX and leaks them. ;)