Zak The Yak says: "Happy Holidays!"

Faithful readers of our blog may recall one of our yaks, named Zak, heading north to Vermont's Hero Islands a few years back to live on a farm up there. We just got a nice holiday card from Zak and owner Joan:



Joan writes: Thought you might like to see a current picture of “Zak the Yak”. Our vet estimates his weight to be about 750 lbs. – not bad for the little guy we picked up a couple of years ago! He still has his wonderful sense of humor, which includes bugging the crap out of Mac the llama and being regularly spit at by Mac. Zak is now above all the goats in the pecking order, which he seems to enjoy, and he is also their guardian. Whether he is protecting the goats or his territory I’m not sure but it works out well for the goats either way. His favorite treat is goat grain, which he gladly comes running for, with his white poof of a tail tossed up over his back, grunting occasionally along the way. He likes to be petted and hanging out with us, and I am able to put a halter on him while he is out in the pasture, which always amazes me. We trim his hooves in the spring and fall, and he tolerates that quite well. I haven’t gotten any usable fiber from him yet but he has more than enough “wool” to keep himself cozy even in the coldest of weather, but he always seems to take refuge in the barn! Hope all is well with everyone and all your critters. Happy Holidays!

YAKS FOR SALE! $5,000 for a BEAUTIFUL BREEDING PAIR.

For more information on these magnificent animals, contact Rob @ 802-279.3364 (Yakberry mobile) or via e-mail @ rob@vermontyak.com.


JONAH: A 3 1/2-year-old yak bull. Born 2008. Grandson of the largest yak in North America.


KATE: A 5-year-old yak cow. Born 2006. A fabulous mama who produces healthy offspring.

Zach's Yak Attack (RECIPE): (Manly) Turkey Bacon Yak

Thanks to Zachary "Mountain Man" Faulkner for this delicious and manly yak recipe.

So, this is what a manly dinner looks like before I ingest it.

A pound of turkey bacon, cooking next to a pound of delicious yak.

I don't recommend eating all of it in one sitting, the yak lasted two meals and the bacon made appearances for four meals.



Now, my cooking style is on the fly and with little to no measuring of any kind - I like to see what happens with a pinch here, a dab that, a top coming off...well, that's just too much.

Anyways, in the yak I added (to taste, after some "testing"): Garlic Salt, Onion Powder, Cayenne Pepper (me likes a little heaaat), and two eggs.

After it was all mixed together, I patted own the outside of each burger (on both sides) with an even ratio mix of ground pepper and salt (again, to taste).

Cook to you own liking, apply carb exterior with bacon, and I enjoyed garnishing it with some Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce - pro tip: add in some honey for some custom honey bbq action.

That about sums up my cooking adventure.

As always, a nice cold one goes well with red meat, and a manly pose while eating is quasi optional, meaning you should at least strike a pose initially for the first bite, or raise an arm in triumphant delight on the last bite.

Bon Appétit!

Yak Rodeo for Fall 2011: Jonah Jumps The Gate

Nope.

We'd never seen a 1200 pound yak bull jump a fence gate either.

Until today.

We've entitled this photo "Jonah Jumps The Fence."

Other than this moment, yak rodeo proceeded as normal.

Which is to say, never a dull moment when you are yakking.

RECIPE: Yak and Delicata Curry

Thanks to our neighbor David Cohen @ Baked Beads for this yak'tastic recipe. And the photo.

Jarred curry paste, peeled delicatas, chopped onions, and ground yak.

Read more at his blog - David Doesn't Bake.

YAK TRACKS: TruthDig/"Yak = the Planet's Greenest Red Meat"

Thanks to indy journalist Chris Ketcham and TruthDig for publishing an in-depth article on grass-fed yakking as an alternative to typical beef production in giant corporate commercial grain-fed feedlots.

One correction - livestock grazing, when practiced properly, can work in tandem with other agri/permacultural strategies to create regenerative ecosystems. Here's hotshot Allan Savory's talk on this point.



Yak to the future, we go!

YAK TRACKS: Yak Rodeo - June 2011!

Our annual early summer yak rodeo - rounding up the herd for tagging, worming, preg checks and general fun - went off without a hitch yesterday.

Which is to say - no one died.

Here are some photos of the big afternoon. Find many more on our Facebook site at "Vermont Yak Company."

Yak to the future, we go!