Update to contacts with other homesteaders. The wilderness family idea is just so people understand what I am looking for. Does anyone have any ideas about homesteading in Alaska? That has been a thought for sometime. Just looking for ideas, comments, advice!! What do you think? Any certain areas of Alaska that are better than others. That would narrow down the search. What about contacts for looking for land.

-- Nancy (gndonley@hotmail.com), January 16, 2002

Answers

See "Seeking AK countrysiders" below. Ken, could you make a category for Alaska?

-- paul (primrose@centex.net), January 16, 2002.

Well, one of my favorite programs "Northern Exposure" is set in Cicely Alaska.....

-- Sandie in Maine (peqbear@maine.rr.com), January 16, 2002.

Love "The Wildness Family" video series! There is a book written by Cora Holmes called "Good-Bye Boise...Hello, Alaska" that you might like to get. It is all about an Alaskan Homesteader and how she does it. She lost a hand (I can't remember how, cancer maybe) and she is still homesteading, makes bread, tends livestock, etc., with her hook. They only get in food supplies (staples) by boat once or twice a year. They run their homestead by generator power. She lives in the Aleutian Island chain. Anyway, it is a true story of her life and her trials and triumphs. Very inspirational. She has a follow- up book she wrote called "Dear Cora" where she answers questions that people have written to her. I got my books from "Country Woman" magazine several years ago--I no longer subscribe to anything except "Countryside", so I do not know if they still carry it. I think you'd love it though. The address in the book for more books is: Country Books, P.O. Box 990, Greendale, WI 53129 and there was an 800 # as follows: 1-800/558-1013. If the address or Phone # are still viable or not I'm not sure. The book was published in 1994 by Reiman Publications (same publishers as "Country Woman"). You may want to check it out.

-- Sharon (spangenberg@hovac.com), January 16, 2002.

Sandie, Northern Exposure was a good show (one of my favorites too) but it was filmed in Washington State in a town called Roslyn, east of Seattle. Still had beautiful scenery though. Best wishes!

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), January 16, 2002.

Nancy, Alaska is a nice dream and I hate to shatter anybodys dream but think hard and long before you committ. I spent three years in Alaska, one in the military and two working in the civilian world. It takes a different mind set. Any place thats on or near the grid it is expensive to buy land if available. To go out and live off the grid is well, it's different. Everything is extremely expensive. In the summer the days can be 23 hours long. Sounds great until you experience it every day. In the winter the nights are 23 hours 45 minutes dark. Every day. Think long and hard, it sounds great and a lot of people spent a lot of hours thinking about it and there are a lot of people with horor stories. Good luck.

-- Herb (hwmil@aol.com), January 16, 2002.

Anywhere along the Glenn Hwy or in the Mat-Su valley. However, if you're looking for cheap land, forget it. Nothing in Alaska is cheap. The closer to the mountains, the city or the water increases the value of the land even more.

-- matt johnson (wyo_cowboy_us@yahoo.com), January 16, 2002.

I personally would not want to garden in Zone "I'm freezing my bummy off", but check your back issues of CS. They profiled a couple from Alaska last year.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 18, 2002.