93,000 hectares in the storm zone: XXL ranch in Alaska for sale
0,000 cattle, deer, bison, and a slaughterhouse in the middle of nowhere. One of the largest slaughterhouses in Alaska is located on the storm-battered Umnak Island.
10,000 cattle, deer, bison, and a slaughterhouse in the middle of nowhere. On the rugged Umnak Island in Alaska, one of the most extraordinary cattle farms in North America is up for sale for $11.7 million.
While XXL cattle farms are usually found in the dusty plains of Texas or along the Rocky Mountains, this ranch is different: Bering Pacific Ranches, one of the most remote and western ranches in the USA, is located on Umnak Island, about 1,100 kilometers southwest of the mainland of Alaska - closer to Russia than to the Lower 48.
The approximately 93,077 hectare ranch consists of four separate grazing leasing areas and can accommodate up to 10,000 cattle without any supplemental feeding. This makes it one of the largest extensive livestock operations in North America.
Umnak Island is part of the Aleutian Islands, an island chain that stretches like a green ribbon between the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The region is known as the "Cradle of Storms." This designation is no surprise, as where the cold Bering Sea meets the warmer Pacific currents, some of the continent's most severe storms arise. The island itself covers about 1,776 square kilometers, with snow-covered volcanoes like Okmok, and is largely uninhabited. The nearest neighbors reside in the village of Nikolski over 60 kilometers away. The ranch includes the main house, cowboy accommodations, a slaughterhouse, and stables. They are located on the site of the former Fort Glenn, a decommissioned air force base from World War II.
The challenge of the topography can only be overcome with technology: Instead of horses, the ranch uses an R22 Beta helicopter to drive cattle from up to 80 kilometers away to the enclosures. The ranch only keeps eleven riding horses, as even they are not suitable as a means of transportation for rugged terrain. In the summer, the animals roam freely on the island. In the fall, they are rounded up and processed over several weeks: 40 to 60 animals are slaughtered daily, totaling 500 to 1,000 per season. In addition to around 10,000 cattle, there are also about 10,000 reindeer, a small herd of bison, and some wild horses on the island.
A highlight of the property is a certified organic slaughterhouse. It was built on the foundation of an old military building. In addition to the main building, the ranch includes three log cabins, a hangar with a workshop, various vehicles, machinery, and all the equipment needed for ongoing ranch operations. The land is leased from Native Corporations and the Alaska Department of Transportation. The operation is fully approved and organic certified.
The ranch is currently for sale through the Icon Global Group. The official purchase price is not disclosed - but one thing is clear: Anyone looking to invest here needs more than just capital. They are looking for a buyer who is not afraid of extreme isolation - and who has a real passion for adventure, wind, and vastness.