Meet the Farm Staff
Mark Austin Executive Director
Mark Austin has been living and working in Alaska since the 1980s, when he first ventured north on leave from the University of Colorado. He returned to Alaska upon graduation and pursued a myriad of jobs - from gold mining in the bush and mushing beneath Denali to trolling the Gulf of Alaska on a commercial fishing vessel - before ultimately settling in Palmer and opening the Mat-Su Valley's successful Vagabond Blues cafe. During his tenure as owner of Vagabond Blues Mark became intimately familiar with the farm's operations as a volunteer, and jack-of-all-trades after befriending then-Executive Director Lansing Teal. In 1999 Mark demonstrated his commitment to his longtime partner and his love of the Musk Ox Farm when he was married to Kim Elliott in a ceremony held in the farm's pasture three. After selling Vagabond Blues, sailing the Pacific for five years and starting a family during his stint as the co-owner of a green building company in Silver City, New Mexico, Mark seized the opportunity to return to Palmer as Executive Director of the Musk Ox Farm after an impromptu visit in 2009. He is currently settling into the life at the Musk Ox Farm that he has long imagined for himself and is proud to be joined by his wife Kim and the newest member of their herd, eighteen month old Isela.
Gunnar Babcock Herd Manager
Musk ox herder extraordinaire, Gunnar Babcock was born and raised under the midnight sun. Now twenty-six, he manages the Palmer musk ox herd with his trademark, world renowned musk ox whispering skills. Legend has it that baby Gunnar was carried to Alaska from the vast tundra of Greenland on the back of the lead bull of the largest musk ox herd the world has ever seen. As a boy, he grew up fearlessly scaling the highest peaks in the Chugach mountains with his father and uncle, returning with tales of high adventure (though always modest, as Alaskan adventure stories generally are). Later in life, having conquered the great wild North, Gunnar went on to face all of the intellectual foes New York City had to offer, earning for his bravery and skill a degree in philosophy from Sarah Lawrence College. Upon his triumphant return to Alaska, he brought with him the love of his life, Samantha, with whom he now resides in the wilds of Wasilla when he is not among the Palmer herd.
Gunnar Babcock "pitches" hay.
Marisa Palmer Summer Intern, 2010
Originally from Dumont, New Jersey, Marisa is now a senior at NYU studying biology and will be applying to veterinary school next year. Her love of animals and an interest in learning about the care of these majestic creatures is what brought her to the Musk Ox Farm. She was also drawn by the opportunity to experience an environment completely different from the hubbub of New York. While still a city girl at heart, she has found it impossible not to fall in love with the peaceful beauty of the Alaskan landscape and wildlife. In her free time she enjoys listening to music, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and reading a good book.
Marisa snuggles a calf in the barn.
Gunnar Babcock, Krista Bergthold, and Spring 2010 interns pitch hay
