Palmer reindeer are movie stars
By Jeff Fay, Cooperative Extension Service
Reindeer from the Williams' farm in Palmer, Alaska have been featured in films, ads and commercials. Photo courtesy Campbell-Ewald
company.
Milan Shipka, UAF Cooperative Extension Service livestock specialist
The market for reindeer products is more than just meat, skin and antlers. Palmer reindeer farmer Tom Williams and his family derive revenue from a fairly diverse slate of reindeer-related activities, including national television and print advertising.
Reindeer from the Williams farm have been made famous by TV and film production companies
and print advertising agencies. The Palmer reindeer have appeared in feature-length
movies, including the 1992 film "Leaving Normal" with Meg Tilly and Christine Lahti,
national magazines like Vogue, as well as local and national television advertising
spots, such as Chevrolet's "Like a Rock" campaign, first introduced in 1991.
Throughout June, July and August, the Williams' farm just outside Anchorage is host to about 100 tourists a day. Visitors pay a fee to hear a talk about the reindeer and have a chance to feed and pet them.
The Palmer farm also sells reindeer meat, hides and antlers. While there used to be a market for the blood-rich antler velvet for use as an aphrodisiac, sales of Viagra have all but decimated that market, according to Williams. Because harvesting velvet required sawing off the antlers while the velvet was still engorged with blood, the reindeer didn't like it, making it a less-than-pleasant job. Williams said they don't miss that particular market and are happy to focus on more positive aspects of running a reindeer farm, like providing reindeer and a sleigh for private parties and some public events throughout the Christmas season.