Alaska

[Arctichicken]

So how many Alaskans are out there??? This is so awesome.

So I know life is very different for us up here on top of the world. Alaska isn't exactly known for it's self sufficiency so how do we do it here?

 

[FarmerChick]

Alaska...that is so cool to live there...I see many shows on alaska and the "wild" of it is amazing.

I also watch this show "Tougher in Alaska"---it is truly a learning experience! They show how everything is harder to do, the usual normal things and the equipment that must be motified to handle the conditions.

Just having a septic system in that cold and watching them fix it with steam to defrost the lines etc. was amazing.

Where are you in Alaska? Do you have the bears visiting your home? Just curious, cause everything alaska makes me wonder!

Karen (in NC) where we are HOT. LOL

 

[Arctichicken]

Hi Karen,

Where are you in NC? I was born in Greensboro and raised in the Tidewater area of VA so believe me I know HOT and HUMID!!!

We are in Wasilla, AK which is just North of Anchorage in South Central Alaska. I love it here. We've only been here about 7 weeks now but it's great. I have for the first time recently aquired ducks, chickens and a horse on our 20 acre farm. I desperately want highland cattle.

I have seen that show a few times but mainly watched the discovery channel and history channel with all of their Alaska shows.

We have had bears here a few times but no problems...so far. We had a mama and 2 cubs (grizzly) visit us once and the neighbors twice. And a few black bears. The gizzly's went for the trash bin but the dogs (Alaskan Malamutes) started barking so much we knew something was up. We were able to sneak outside to bring in the dogs and then we stayed on the front porch watching them in our driveway (kids watched through the LV room windows), it was truly an experience. We didn't shoot at them like other people would have cause they weren't aggressive. They kept looking up at us on the porch. Again totally cool.



Stephanie

 

[FarmerChick]

That is wild...Greensboro is about 2 hrs. give or take to the north. I live below Hickory NC

So many people from NC on this forum..LOL

only 7 weeks in Alaska. What made that big move? You have family there?

It seems sooo far away but it must truly be an adventure of a lifetime. Even though I am a homebody now, Tony would never leave the family farm. So I am NC for life, but plan on traveling as much as I can....sadly probably never get to Alaska but find it such a wild territory still it seems so attractive!!

WOW on the grizzleys.....now that is so cool to have them on the porch. and scary...LOL......when in Pennsylvania one time we were blackberry picking and left the bushes and walked home and got on our porch --which was high in the air.....right then a big black bear came out of the bushes we were just in picking berries...yikes...never had that happen again and never want too....way to close for my comfort zone..HA HA---but I am sure he wanted those berries more than us...HA HA

what kind of horse? I am a horse nut!
being you just got settled are you riding alot yet?

 

[Arctichicken]

Hey Karen,

We made the move because we have 6 kids and really just wanted to have them grow up some place better. We have lived in VA, NC, SC, MT & WA and traveled alot. We have no family out here. We have been very blessed for sure.

About the Grizzly's...we were on the porch (also high in the air about 12 stairs high) looking at the bears in the driveway. I would not had been on the porch with the bears... NO..lol. That would have freaked me out if I had seen a bear come from the bushes I was just in. You were lucky on that one.

Our horse has a Zebra Dun markings (tan body, blackish legs, tail and mane) with a little Appy in her too. She is 30 and just relaxing the rest of her days. I think she had a hard life before us. We are not riding her but would like to get a few riders in time.

Well I can understand not wanting to leave the farm you already have for sure. But definitly travel around. I still plan on seeing Scotland and Italy one of these days.

Well take care,
Stephanie

 

[FarmerChick]

that is sure nice you gave your horse a nice retirement. best that any horse can have is a good ending when older. I love that color horse you described! My QH was 32 when he passed. But definitely be sure to get some riding horses when you can...nothing like that freedom to ride! And I bet where you are is big country...something great to explore on horseback.

6 kids---well with a move to Alaska on your own and 6 kids you SURE are the adventerous type big time! And wanting to travel to Italy and such...WOW.

I will be happy if I just get around the US and see what it has to offer...LOL

Do you work or are your kids younger? When Nicole was born (3 now) I got to quit my "real job" and run the farm. Our farm pays good so that keeps me making money at least..LOL. Hard work but worth it.

 

[Arctichicken]

Our horse is named Ginger. I think she is enjoying her freedom and exploring her new home. I hope she is happy.
I love to ride, it's been a while and our oldest took riding lessons for a while, she loves it too.

Yes I have 6 beautiful (2 step, 4 mine and hubby's together) kids. They are 15, 12, 9, 6 (in Sep), 4 and 2. Couldn't imagine my life without them. I don't work outside of the home anymore. I haven't for some time. But I do homeschool (this is my first real year of it tho) and I'm trying to learn all I can about living more simply.

We've been around the US, make sure to see the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, UT and Mt. Rushmore. I also loved Montana and Wyoming. Just plan to go and goooo.

So what do you do on your farm?

 

[FarmerChick]

wow---(tongue hanging to the ground)--that is some line up of kids..HA HA...I have one 3 year old and she runs me ragged, I bet you are one GREAT organizer!

Our farm is about 100 hogs (we process and sell whole hog sausage), 400 chickens, (sell eggs), some cattle for us, 70 Boer Goats we sell produce for meat goats, make goat milk soap from the milk and we grow fields of crops for sale. We make great money on weekends at the farmers markets and my soaps are in stores now. I love it. Farming is great but I hate the dependency on weather..HA HA...like I have a choice. Harvest was not tops this year at all. We grow about 80 acres of hay for critters etc. Have 120 acres total. Just a good lifestyle. So I work the farm and take care of Nicole. Tony works a 4 day 12 hr. shift job and the farm. We do well and enjoy the life, cause if ya didn't, who in their right mind would do it..HA HA

You have alot of land also....do you garden alot, is your season long??

 

[Arctichicken]

Wow...I'm so jealous 120 acres. I wish! I only have 20 which nothing compared to yours. We are renting this farm (we got very lucky to be able to do that) cause we just moved up here from VA and had never been here before. I want to buy 100 acres or more in the next few years once we've been here a while and saved up some money. Even with renting my kids are loving the farm life.
I thought about getting goats but don't know much about them. I would love a jersey cow for milk and highlands for beef. I only have the 16 chickens for now but as a friend of mine and I have discovered they are truly addictive. I love my RIR's specially. All of my chicks are about 2 weeks old and my ducks are 4 weeks old, so I'm new to it all.

That sounds so neat to make your own soap, glad it sells well.

We got here a little late in the season to start the garden but my hubby is working on a greenhouse and we will do the garden up next spring. The daylight hours were absolutely amazing here. When we got here (beg of June) the sun went down behind the mountains but the lihjt never went away. At 3am it still looked like 6pm. It was so cool. That really gives everyone a good growing season here with practically 24 hours of daylight, we have still yet to see the moon. But the winter will be the opposite. Sun up around 10am and down by 3pm. It will be interesting. I love it here and am very glad we made the move.

 

[PotterWatch]

I'm not in Alaska now, but I grew up there and miss it terribly. We lived in Anchorage, but had a cabin on Big Beaver Lake and drove through Wasilla every time we went to the cabin. My parents still have a house in Soldotna that we try to get to every summer (didn't make it this year). I've heard the weather there hasn't been the best this summer so I hope you aren't in for too hard of a winter. But just think... by the time next winter rolls around you will be a sourdough instead of a cheechako!