Packa Sweets Milk & Meats
learning to tend holistically
Miniature Alpine Dairy Goats and other homesteading experiments in Palmer, Alaska
What can our land produce?
Our Mission
Share what we're learning about small farming - breeding and milking goats, raising and slaughtering pigs, layers and meat chickens, gardening and compost. We are trying to breed sweet-tempered Mini-Alpines with high production and easy-to-milk udders/teats, along with thick winter coats and good feet. I am also trying to produce sweet milk with high butterfat for those sensitive to the goatie aftertaste. We are trying to get away from Round Up and other chemicals in animal feed while buying local. This is challenging!
Goats for Sale
All goat kids are sold for this year. Goat pairings are still up for viewing. Contact us to reserve a doeling or buckling next spring.
Our Motivation
Four amazing little daughters that God has entrusted to us, Alaska food-security, and thirst for independence & true community.
3 hilly wooded acres in Palmer, Alaska
In 2020, we wanted to become a little more self-sufficient to feed our 4 little girls. We chose goats because of our land. We chose Mini-Alpines for their hardiness, great milk production, sweeter milk and ease of hand-milking. Kunekune pigs joined us this year, and we have layers, meat birds and Muscovy ducks. We grind grain for home-made bread and flake oat groats to make granola. I finally started making sourdough bread and love it! I am so thankful to all the hobby farms and new homesteaders who write blogs, update websites and post Youtube videos - I hope to provide some insight to people just starting up here in Alaska.
We homeschool and my husband is a mechanical engineer. We are humbled by all we don't know about sustainability, permaculture, and food preservation. We're so excited to learn and share. It's already so fun to have bread, eggs, milk, yogurt and cheese on this small farm.
We sell animals and herd shares. Our shareholders enjoy fresh raw milk weekly. We also love farm visitors and host "goat yoga” in the spring. It is so exciting to share this new lifestyle and all that we are learning. Call us to arrange a visit! Ali-K Packa (907) 232-1667
Farm Chores
Goat Setup, Care & Sources
Barn & fencing, stall setup, feeding at different life stages, vitamins, water setups, medical care, coat and hoof care, disease/fecal testing, etc. Goat supply stores & local farms I've found that produce with fewer chemicals & less plastic.
Breeding, Kidding, & Milk
Pairing does to bucks, kidding prep and kid care, udder health, milking procedure, storage, processing (yogurt, cheese, etc.), & milk testing. Vidoes on disbudding and tattooing!
Money & Small Farming
How much did it cost to get started? How much does it cost each month? Can I cover costs by kid sales and herd share sales? What about meat birds and layers? What do pigs cost? Can I grow fodder to offset feed costs?
Chickens, Ducks, Pigs, Compost & Gardening
Least expensive way to do meat birds here. Also, Muscovy duck is delicious. Our two kunekunes gave us 80 pounds of fat. I also built my own coop which is too big and gave everyone frostbite.
Ali-K (me)
I believe that the grace of Jesus Christ saves those who ask for it. I also believe that the wise store up oil and flour. I have a Master's Degree in Teaching from UAF and taught for 6 years in the public school system in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Mat-Su. We bought this property in 2012, and I became a stay-at-home mama in 2016. We're worried about the future of Alaska and the country. We're trying our best to get ready for the dark days ahead. I hope we can encourage others to do the same and build real community in the process.