Crunchy homesteaders in AK??

[lunamay]

My DH really wants us to move to AK. I am more hesitant, in regard to the darker winter and distance away. I am inspired by the wilderness spirit and if it can meet what we are looking for, I am interested.

We are in WA state now, where I grew up. He grew up in Minnesota. He is a teacher and wants to teach there, and our dream is to homestead. We have been seeking this dream over the last few years, trying to find a rural, affordable place with strong community and some folks who make some of the same choices we do. This is not that easy to find. We are liberal, although with a possible libertarian bent, and we cosleep and do not own a tv. We would like to hunt/fish/gather food as well as grow food/animals. We strive to live in a more natural (in terms of food, toy options, family activities), simple way. We are frugal. We want to be as self-sufficient as we can. Many things we do not know how to do, but very much want to learn. We are committed to a different path.

We homeschool too, in a waldorfish way, and I would like a homeschooling community too. Friends for my very social young kids!

So - anywhere in AK good for us?

Um - living rurally in the winter - what do you do with your time?

Thanks very much -

Emily
Mama of three! 6, 3.5 and 6 mo

[katiesk]

Um - living rurally in the winter - what do you do with your time?

i play music and drink alot of wine.

and i do that in the summer, as well!

[roadfamily6now]

Fairbanks or Palmer/Wasilla if you want a town-like atmosphere.

Delta Junction has lots of land for sale (200 acres +) and is an okay little town for homesteading and a tight knit community with lots going on.

Not sure about the bush communities but there are other momma's on here that have knowledge.

[mtn.mama]

We're Alaskan homesteaders... enjoying living the way it sounds like you want to live. We live quite a ways out, so there aren't neighborhood kids unless we travel. But that might change, heh, I'm trying to import some to live in the cabin closest to us. Homeschooling is popular across the state, I'm sure wherever you go, you'll find other folks doing it, if you can get together. I find that is the hardest part. When you're living close to the land, you are busy, and without alot of spare time for purely social engagements.

[onyxravnos]

not to highjack the thread but exactly where in ak are you mtn.mama?

[mtn.mama]

Our main cabin is above Chickaloon, but we have a string of trapline bush cabins in the middle of the Talkeetna Mountains, and a camp that's halfway between Valdez and Cordova where we spend large amounts of time every year.

[akemt]

Southeast Alaska isn't bad for what you want. Milder climates very close to those of Seattle (more rain where I am!). Not many places (aside from Prince of Whales Island) offer acreage. But that said, we garden, homeschool, raise chickens, are getting rabbits as soon as we close on our house, hope to get bees soon after, and have friends that do goats (haven't ventured that far yet). We do food storage, we're libertarian (not liberal, though some homeschooling friends are), there's a great natural foods/organic CSA/grass-fed + medication free meat group here. None of it is local (YAY WASHINGTON) but it comes to us weekly or bi-monthly, depending on which and how often they order. The CSA boxes are weekly via 737. In the winter there is a ton of stuff going on in our community. Very arts oriented with music, dance, art, plays, etc. Summer is a buz of activity.

If I were to move elsewhere (I'd prefer to go smaller than our 15,000 and more self-sufficient with land if we did so) then I'd go to Prince of Whales or Haines, myself.

Alaska has some of the best homeschooling laws in the country so that's good regardless. Chances are you can find groups about anywhere there's an official town.

[hippiemommaof4]

I would love to move to ketchikan, but how is the job situation there?

[Hedgehog Mtn]

Subbing 'cause we are looking to move from our self-sufficient lifestyle here to AK also.

I'm wondering about COL though. Even as close to the land as we are here we still have property taxes etc, what (besides trapping) are the options for the income still needed? For bush life I know planes are sometimes the only way to get stuff in but how do people living primarily off the land afford that?

[roadfamily6now]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog Mtn

Subbing 'cause we are looking to move from our self-sufficient lifestyle here to AK also.

I'm wondering about COL though. Even as close to the land as we are here we still have property taxes etc, what (besides trapping) are the options for the income still needed? For bush life I know planes are sometimes the only way to get stuff in but how do people living primarily off the land afford that?

I have lived in Alaska for 13+ years and STILL dont know the answer to that question!