I recently built a house in UpState New York (very cold winters). I heat my house almost exclusively with a wood stove (I have electric baseboards as backup).
Yes, @crowbar I have a Vermont Castings Defiant. I love that stove for many reasons. I can load it at night and it is still going when I wake up. Also, I can cook on it. Cooking on a wood stove is not as easy as it sounds, but with a little practice, you can make the basics.
Besides the wood stove, you have to look at your wood source. Do you have access to sufficient wood? Burning seasoned hardwood is best.