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A fun family outing that’s both educational and supports a Native Alaskan tradition—that’s what the Musk Ox Farm is all about. Located 45 minutes from Anchorage, near Palmer, the Musk Ox farm project was conceived in the 1950s as an agrarian opportunity to villagers in Western Alaska.
The musk ox—one of the Arctic's oldest living species, and once a contemporary of the wooly mammoth—possesses a soft under-wool, called qiviut. Every spring, qiviut is combed from the musk ox and native knitters expertly turn it into hats, scarves, nachaqs (Eskimo smoke rings), and other clothing; the proceeds help supplement their subsistence lifetsyle. Not only does qiviut feel great—it’s an incredibly fine fiber—it’s also plenty warm. Qiviut is eight times warmer than sheep’s wool by weight.
You can take a 30- to 40-minute tour of the farm, where you’ll see about 60 musk ox, and perhaps even some babies. Since they’re friendly creatures, they may come right up to the fence to greet visitors. A guide will tell you all about these unique creatures—whose native name, Oomingmak, translates to “the hairy ones”—as well as the history of Palmer and how this great project continues to grow.
You can also stop by the gift shop, where you can buy gorgeous qiviut products created by the Oomingmak Co-op—a beautiful and lasting souvenir.
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