After five years of rebuilding their herd and corral, the Midnite Sun Reindeer Ranch is ready to take the next step — fundraising for two mobile slaughter units that would let them process and sell the meat from their business just outside of Nome.
“We need a USDA-certified processing and slaughter facility, and we’ve been seeing all these crowdfunding campaigns,” said Bonnie Davis. “We thought, ‘Well, we should give it a try. Why not?’”
Davis is part of the family reindeer herding business founded in 2010 by her parents, Bruce and Ann. The Davis Family has started their own fundraiser on Indiegogo, a crowdfunding website where anyone can contribute toward their goal of $200,000 — a sum that would pay for two slaughter units outfitted with extra winter insulation.
Without the equipment, Davis said the ranch is limited right now. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations restrict butchering to frozen ground only, which keeps them from processing for part of the year. And even then, USDA rules only allow sales to other processors and local people, meaning most commercial business is out of the question.
But with slaughter units certified by the USDA, Midnite Sun could process their meat more efficiently — without having to wait for the right weather or shipping meat to bigger facilities across the state. Lena Danner works for the Kawerak Reindeer Herders Association, and she said USDA approval would also open up their business to more buyers.
“If they had the mobile slaughter units, they’d be able to get the USDA stamp, and that broadens their market,” said Danner. “They’re able to sell to more people. More people would be accepting of it. So having the mobile slaughter unit and the USDA approval, that opens so many more doors for them.”
And Davis says the demand is there. The ranch has heard from local schools and the XYZ Senior Center — both looking to add reindeer meat to their lunch menus — as well as chefs from Anchorage and restaurants around the state.
“We get a lot of inquiries once people find out that we have reindeer,” Davis said. “They’re like, ‘Oh, do you have any meat to sell?’ or ‘Oh, do you have any skins or fur or antlers for projects and traditional and cultural applications?’”
Considering there aren’t any herders in the region processing at a USDA-approved facility, Danner said Midnite Sun meat could be in especially high demand if they do find funding.
“Everyone in the region loves reindeer meat. And it’s not just in the region,” Danner said. “If they could get that USDA stamp, not only does it open them to being able to sell here in Alaska — it opens doors for them to be able to sell in the Lower 48, where people are always wanting to eat organic or free-grazing meat.”
And while Midnite Sun is looking forward to boosting their own business, Davis said they’re also excited about what mobile slaughter units could mean for the region, where the majority of groceries are shipped in from afar.
“We would be able to offer really fresh meat — super local — without having to wait for it to come up on the plane or the barge,” she said.
The ranch has only received two donations so far, but there are two weeks left in the online fundraiser. Davis said her family is also looking into grants if they don’t raise enough.
For more information on the Midnite Sun Reindeer Ranch, visit their fundraising campaign page.
Laura Kraegel covers Unalaska and the Aleutian Islands for KUCB . Originally from Chicago, she first came to Alaska to work at KNOM, reporting on Nome and the Bering Strait Region. (laura@kucb.org / 907.581.6700)
