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How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

Old Jun 14th 2017, 9:03 pm
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

An eccentric idea ending with a flounce. Marks out of 10 - 8.5
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Old Jun 14th 2017, 10:40 pm
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

Where in Alaska? I have Alaskan experience, the state is extraordinarily different from end to end.

However, I agree with others that this is a waste of time without a viable visa strategy.
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Old Jun 15th 2017, 1:14 pm
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

I am curious as to how your husband concluded there is a shortage of poultry farms in Alaska.
As has been mentioned the large producers have the resources needed to start them.
With the smaller niche market in our area alone it is possible to buy a few acres of undeveloped land (cutover is the most popular) and start a small farm.
There are numerous people doing this producing a wide range of products. The competition is quite intense with replication being an issue, I would have thought that someone would have identified a market in Alaska and already tried it.
It was suggested you consider a less harsh climate, if you were to consider our area of rural Virginia, we are roughly equidistant from Charlottesville, Richmond and Lynchburg and your husband is a skilled mechanic he may well find himself in demand repairing the older tractors and equipment found on the small farms.
I have not mentioned the visa issues as this has been well covered in previous posts.
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Old Aug 26th 2017, 10:16 pm
  #34  
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

Originally Posted by morpeth
If you can solve visa issue, one avenue to consider would be to research the Indian development organizations or US department of agriculture.. They have a variety of funded programs, and positions that could be of interest.

I really doubt it will be cost effective to bring over any quantity of tools etc.

Your husband being a skilled mechanic, and with your interest in livestock, etc , I would think Alaska has some good potential.

But parts of Eastern Europe for such a lifestyle may be more feasible.
Eastern Europe may have been a viable possibility 3 years ago but Brexit might well make things a little awkward for setting up home in any EU country in the near future.
If it were me I'd be looking at some of the UK's Commonwealth 'partners', some years back a friend of mine emigrated to Australia attracted by some kind of agriculture initiative that gave him access to owning and running a farm.
Visas for the Commonwealth are generally much easier to obtain because they consider and need skilled tradesmen, unlike the US which doesn't consider you 'skilled' unless you have a batch of letters after your name or have multiple TV appearances under your belt.
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Old Aug 27th 2017, 2:32 am
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

In fairness, your actual question was "how to make my husband's dream come true..." and the only way it can possibly come true is with a visa.
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Old Aug 27th 2017, 2:47 am
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

Originally Posted by zzrmark
Eastern Europe may have been a viable possibility 3 years ago but Brexit might well make things a little awkward for setting up home in any EU country in the near future.
If it were me I'd be looking at some of the UK's Commonwealth 'partners', some years back a friend of mine emigrated to Australia attracted by some kind of agriculture initiative that gave him access to owning and running a farm.
Visas for the Commonwealth are generally much easier to obtain because they consider and need skilled tradesmen, unlike the US which doesn't consider you 'skilled' unless you have a batch of letters after your name or have multiple TV appearances under your belt.
Brexit does complicate things though I assume anyone who moves before May 2019 will have certain advantages in terms of residence issues. As far as "homesteading" , some areas of Eastern offer some small scale agricultural opportunities.

US tough for a visa. Finny, one of most difficult countries for visa, yet one of easiest to enter illegally or to stay illegally.
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Old Aug 27th 2017, 5:14 pm
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

Originally Posted by morpeth
Brexit does complicate things though I assume anyone who moves before May 2019 will have certain advantages in terms of residence issues. As far as "homesteading" , some areas of Eastern offer some small scale agricultural opportunities.

US tough for a visa. Finny, one of most difficult countries for visa, yet one of easiest to enter illegally or to stay illegally.
In the current climate I wouldn't be wanting to gamble any long term residential plans that hinge on the final result of any Brexit deals. I love Bulgaria and it's people and looked at buying some agricultural property out there some years ago but it just wasn't practical for me at the time and I certainly would have to think twice before investing in an EU country outside the UK until the govt. wallahs on all sides hammer out some deals.
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Old Aug 28th 2017, 5:26 am
  #38  
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

Originally Posted by Dollymixture1
Hi there ☺
Mrs.Graham here, my husband, our 7yo and myself currently live in the UK we work full time. My husband a skilled mechanic both in vehicles and agriculture machinery. I myself have experience in accounting but since our daughter, retail is more convenient. As well as full time jobs we run our own poultry business. Specialising in the very rare and pure poultry breeds. We have raised livestock to fill our freezers, both meat birds and sheep. We are familiar with guns as we like to be pro active with pest control on the farm we rent. This lifestyle suits us very well. However, when your rent is extotionate and all you seem to be doing is paying the bills the dream of living off the land here at home in the UK will see us well into our 50s before it's affordable. My husband has spent quite a lot of time recently researching emigrating to Alaska -apparently the only place left where you can homestead. He has found land, researched local schools, hospitals, property tax, even local cabin builders. He has even researched what we can do to not only be successful but to contribute to the community. According to him there is a shortage of poultry farms -which suits us. Livestock also. A lot of importing from the lower 48 and so he has even found a niche. He also knows that certain things like tools, chainsaws, machinery ect will be cheaper to bring over with us. As I say he really has done his homework. And I have told him, if he finds the money we will go.
The reason for my post is that I myself need to research the bare basics. Leaving home and family to be self sufficient, in an unfamiliar environment to quite literally start from the ground up. What am I to expect? Are new comers/ foreigners welcome, embraced even? What is community like for support? Will my daughter be accepted or out cast?
I myself don't see myself finding work as I would normally here in the UK, I believe that produce, accommodation/lodgings are just a couple of things that are popular, and I can see myself selling my wares or hosting for guests. Not for one second am I oblivious to the hardship, the time it will take to become established, the drastic change in climate, the more hands on approach to the most basic need to survive. It all sounds wonderful and exciting, but for me I need to start thinking of the realisations.
Oh and my husband has been more inclined of the anchorage area.
Any advice, negative and positive welcome. I want to hear it all, learn from your experiences...
Here, try this for a start: https://www.alaskajobfinder.com/jobs...ska-jobs-intl/

This too: http://www.city-data.com/forum/alaska/

Last edited by jeepster; Aug 28th 2017 at 5:35 am.
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Old Aug 28th 2017, 12:53 pm
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

A strong contender for the 2017 "Boiler's award for irrelevant or unhelpful links".
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Old Aug 28th 2017, 12:54 pm
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

A strong contender for the 2017 year end "Boiler's award for unhelpful or irrelevant links".

Last edited by Pulaski; Aug 28th 2017 at 12:58 pm.
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Old Aug 28th 2017, 12:56 pm
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

Originally Posted by Pulaski
A strong contender for the 2017 "Boiler's award for unhelpful or irrelevant links".
You called?
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Old Aug 28th 2017, 12:57 pm
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

Originally Posted by Boiler
You called?
That's not usually necessary.
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Old Aug 29th 2017, 3:59 am
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

Originally Posted by Pulaski
A strong contender for the 2017 year end "Boiler's award for unhelpful or irrelevant links".
A blow to the heart...I'm devastated.
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Old Aug 29th 2017, 5:52 am
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

Originally Posted by zzrmark
Eastern Europe may have been a viable possibility 3 years ago but Brexit might well make things a little awkward for setting up home in any EU country in the near future.
If it were me I'd be looking at some of the UK's Commonwealth 'partners', some years back a friend of mine emigrated to Australia attracted by some kind of agriculture initiative that gave him access to owning and running a farm.
Visas for the Commonwealth are generally much easier to obtain because they consider and need skilled tradesmen, unlike the US which doesn't consider you 'skilled' unless you have a batch of letters after your name or have multiple TV appearances under your belt.
Going by what the OP has written, they're unlikely to get visas for Aus but it depends on how skilled their skills are and whether Aus wants them. However if the dream is Alaska, Australia's climate is likely to be a nightmare.
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Old Aug 29th 2017, 5:55 am
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Default Re: How to make my husband's dream come true - homesteading in Alaska

Originally Posted by jeepster
A blow to the heart...I'm devastated.
Mr P is not going to take kindly somebody choosing Alaska over NC.

Last edited by scrubbedexpat099; Aug 29th 2017 at 6:00 am.
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