The farm is currently located in the Matanowska Valley near Palmer, Alaska, where project members and a group of volunteers continue the work that started in 1954. Our commitment to the gentle and sustainable localization of the musk bull, and the home textile fiber industry, is now as strong as it was when John Till started the project in 1954. MODC, a non-profit organization, dedicated to domesticating musk ox and promoting wool production as a pleasant and sustainable agricultural practice in the far north, focusing on public education and providing income opportunities for the people of Alaska.
What is Qiviut?
It is a soft layer under the wool produced by musk oxen, and is one of the essential supplies for the unique adaptation of musk ox that enables it to survive in the freezing polar winter. The outer layer of hair, known as sentinel hair, protects them from insects and keeps water away from their skin. At the bottom, the Qiviut grows between his toes, even his nose, and everywhere to keep it warm in the cold arctic chills. Qiviut is eight times warmer than sheep’s wool and is one of the finest natural fibers with a number of microns (diameter) that are thirty percent smoother than better cashmere and not itchy or scratched like wool.
You can come to the farm to see these ice age animals and photograph with them from a distance, as you will learn a lot of guides and educational exhibitions about their wonderful natural history, the domestication project, and how the beautiful interior fabrics, called Qiviut, are the basis of the local textile industry which Provides the economic supplement for subsistence communities throughout Alaska. The Musk ox farm is located in the pastoral Matanuska Valley just outside Palmer, Alaska, 50 minutes’ drive from Anchorage city center. The picturesque farm, where we continue with a unique domestication project that started sixty years ago, is home to a dynamic flock of more than eighty musk ox, from strong bulls to cheerful calves. There is a large parking space that will accommodate personal cars to the largest private commercial buses.
Opening hours for the musk ox farm
Summer hours (until September 30)
It is open every day from 10 am to 5 pm
Tours leave every 30 minutes
Ticket price:
Adult entrance: $ 11
Child entry: $ 5
Older Entry: $ 9
