JESS AND LEE'S STORY
Lee and I made our first yurt in 1987, and here's why...
I had just given birth to our first born. It was January in Fairbanks, Alaska, and we lived in a cabin about a mile off the road. Lee pulled me and baby Zeke home to the cabin on a sled after long labor and birth at a birthing clinic in Fairbanks. Zeke was one day old.
Lee and I made our first yurt in 1987, and here's why...
I had just given birth to our first born. It was January in Fairbanks, Alaska, and we lived in a cabin about a mile off the road. Lee pulled me and baby Zeke home to the cabin on a sled after long labor and birth at a birthing clinic in Fairbanks. Zeke was one day old.
OUT OF THE ASHES
Later the same day, Lee tucked us into bed and lit the fire before going to town to get propane. Zeke and I awoke about an hour later to the sound of the fire that completely engulfed the second floor of the cabin. We lost everything except the clothes on our backs.
Lee was in flight school at the time and not working, so some friends threw us a benefit dance. We spent the money we received on canvas. Lee cut spruce poles and we lashed the joints in the traditional style. We moved into the yurt with the baby in a little over a month.
Later the same day, Lee tucked us into bed and lit the fire before going to town to get propane. Zeke and I awoke about an hour later to the sound of the fire that completely engulfed the second floor of the cabin. We lost everything except the clothes on our backs.
Lee was in flight school at the time and not working, so some friends threw us a benefit dance. We spent the money we received on canvas. Lee cut spruce poles and we lashed the joints in the traditional style. We moved into the yurt with the baby in a little over a month.
MODERN DAY NOMADS
That was our first yurt, and we traveled with it everywhere. We took it to Valdez for a year, then shipped it to the beaches of Nome to look for gold for a season, and to Homer for winter vacations. Moving in our yurt was a great way to explore an area and get to know it before sinking roots.
Wherever we went people were interested in our yurt.
That was our first yurt, and we traveled with it everywhere. We took it to Valdez for a year, then shipped it to the beaches of Nome to look for gold for a season, and to Homer for winter vacations. Moving in our yurt was a great way to explore an area and get to know it before sinking roots.
Wherever we went people were interested in our yurt.
BUSINESS BEGINNINGS
One winter, visiting family, we took out a free classified ad in the Homer Tribune to see if there was any local interest in buying yurts. We got lots of calls and the newspaper did a story on us.
We took out a loan for a sewing machine and materials for our first order and Nomad Shelter Yurt Company was born. We worked that season in Homer and then moved back to Nome in the hopes of making remote camps for western Alaskans, as the yurts are perfect for the pristine tundra found in that area.
One winter, visiting family, we took out a free classified ad in the Homer Tribune to see if there was any local interest in buying yurts. We got lots of calls and the newspaper did a story on us.
We took out a loan for a sewing machine and materials for our first order and Nomad Shelter Yurt Company was born. We worked that season in Homer and then moved back to Nome in the hopes of making remote camps for western Alaskans, as the yurts are perfect for the pristine tundra found in that area.
DESIGN TEST BED
In Nome we applied to the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation for grant assistance in developing a structurally engineered design and in making a production process that would work off-grid in rural Alaska. We worked with a team of professional engineers contracted by the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation.
All our design work was tested on a mountain behind Nome during the following three years. There we made yurt after yurt and worked out a lot of the design details you see today.
In Nome we applied to the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation for grant assistance in developing a structurally engineered design and in making a production process that would work off-grid in rural Alaska. We worked with a team of professional engineers contracted by the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation.
All our design work was tested on a mountain behind Nome during the following three years. There we made yurt after yurt and worked out a lot of the design details you see today.
A WAY OF LIFE
We found that the challenges of marketing our product from off the road system were too great so in 2000 we moved the family to Homer, Alaska.
Our customers find us mainly by word-of-mouth reference. About 90 percent of them are single, professional women looking for primary housing in Alaska!
That was not what we expected. We thought the outfitters--camps and expedition folks-- would embrace them. Perhaps the word hasn't reached them yet!
The primary residence market in Alaska speaks to the strength and warmth of the product.
Our Alaskan customers seem to really understand the need for simplified living and an elegant, low-impact, sustainable lifestyle. We meet some wonderful people in this business... yurt customers are a great reason to make yurts! They are "out-of-the-box" thinkers and, on the whole, fantastic folks. We are grateful for each one of them!
Jessica Tenhoff
We found that the challenges of marketing our product from off the road system were too great so in 2000 we moved the family to Homer, Alaska.
Our customers find us mainly by word-of-mouth reference. About 90 percent of them are single, professional women looking for primary housing in Alaska!
That was not what we expected. We thought the outfitters--camps and expedition folks-- would embrace them. Perhaps the word hasn't reached them yet!
The primary residence market in Alaska speaks to the strength and warmth of the product.
Our Alaskan customers seem to really understand the need for simplified living and an elegant, low-impact, sustainable lifestyle. We meet some wonderful people in this business... yurt customers are a great reason to make yurts! They are "out-of-the-box" thinkers and, on the whole, fantastic folks. We are grateful for each one of them!
Jessica Tenhoff
