Musk Ox Farm looks to the future

The Palmer Musk Ox Farm has a fresh new outlook, thanks to a familiar Valley face.

Last month, Mark Austin took over as the executive director at the iconic Palmer farm, and he brings plenty of Valley experience — he and his wife, Kim Elliott, founded Vagabond Blues in Palmer and have returned to the Valley this June after six years away.

Austin is tasked with infusing new energy into the Musk Ox Farm following a stretch of seasons in which the farm’s opening was in jeopardy due to some financial hardships. He said he is eager to get the farm on a sound financial footing.

“We’ve got great people here, the animals are doing great, and we’re really looking good,” he said. “The staff here is amazing — they are energetic, knowledgeable and they work very hard. They clearly care about the success of the farm.”

Austin said he sees the future success of the Musk Ox Farm rooted right here in the Valley.

“We’ve really got to remind our local community about what great things we’ve got going on out here,” Austin said. “We hope our friends and neighbors think of us when entertaining visiting guests, and stop by to see us.”

Austin said later this summer, the 8th annual Running with the Bulls event should be the best ever at the farm. The 1K, 5K and 10K races take runners throughout the farm’s green pastures. There are great raffle prizes, live music and excellent local food from The Bistro Red Beet. The run is on Aug. 1 from 4-6 p.m. and registration is open at the farm’s Web site, www.muskoxfarm.org.

Austin’s long-term vision is not only good for the Musk Ox Farm, it’s great for others in the tourism industry in the Mat-Su Valley. The farm attracts thousands of visitors each year, and is one of the more popular stops for visitors coming through the Valley.

By fostering a positive experience for visitors, the Musk Ox Farm helps add to the Valley’s reputation as a great place to visit. Tourism businesses don’t just sell a particular tour — they sell experiences and memories, and if those experiences and memories are positive for visitors, it helps generate excitement about the entire destination.

Alaska is unique in that visitors tend to travel throughout the state on their visits, unlike Los Angeles, Seattle or other destinations where a single city holds visitors during their entire stay. The more positive experiences we can offer visitors during their time in the Valley the better — it extends the amount of time they stay here, which in turn extends their economic impact to the area.

Stop by the Musk Ox Farm on Archie Road off the Glenn Highway at Mile 50.5. Many people will find an old friend in Mark Austin, but everyone will find a unique and fun experience.

Casey Ressler (casey@alaskavisit.com) is the marketing and communications manager at the Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau.