YAK TRACKS: Yakking About Hay Bale Art...

I wish we could claim credit for some of these remarkable hay bale designs.

Alas, we are simply applauding...

YAK TRACKS: Smokin' Yak Maple Jerky Recipe!

Thanks to neighbors Jon and Krissa Hammond for this yak jerky recipe.



Mixing up the brine for 2-3 pounds of trimmed meat.

1 cup of maple syrup.

1 cup of water.

2/3 cup of non-iodized salt.

1/3 cup of worcestershire sauce.

1/3 cup of soy sauce.

1 tbsp. of black pepper.

1 tbsp. of cayenne pepper.

Place meat in brine overnight, stirring a few times.

Before smoking, drain meat, place on racks, and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

To smoke, warm smoker while meat is warming.

After adding meat, replace woodchips every hour for three hours.

After that replace every two hours.

Total smoking time will be 8-12 hours, depending on how lean the meat is.

YAK TRACKS: The "Daily Princetonian" Yaks About Our Yaks

Thanks to Kate and Rob's alma mater's Daily Princetonian for this nice story today about our Vermont Yak Company work at Steadfast Farm.

And one reader already posted a comment, wondering why we don't call ourselves a "ranch" rather than a "farm.

The answer? We are a small operation, built on land that was devoted to dairy farming for decades.

The term "ranch" smacks of bigness, and the West, and feedlots - none of which are to be found at our Vermont operation.

We prefer the term "farm."

Thanks for writing the article, Andrew!

YAK TRACKS: Zak the Yak, from Zero to Hero(es)!

Take a look at little Yak Zak.

He survived birth to us at Steadfast Farm in an early season snow storm last fall 2008.

We nursed him along, the little guy, and then sold him as a bottle-fed to a sweet woman in the Hero Islands last summer.

And now look at him! What a stud.

Way to go, Lucky Boy!

YAK TRACKS: Happy FIFTIETH birthday, Yak Man Dave!

Our Vermont Yak Company team member Dave Hartshorn turns FIFTY this week, so we threw him a surprise party at the BIG PICTURE Theater in Mad River Valley. Here are some photos of Vermont's studliest farmer.

Dave and his partner Amy (who rocks).



The cake with a yak on it:



I got to pin the "flashing 50" button on him.



His new TIGGER surfboard.

YAK TRACKS: High Cholesterol? Eat Yak Meat!

Always good to have the global press support our farm work.

And here's a still shot of the snow on Tuesday.



Yak on!

YAK TRACKS: October 13 - Snow In Mad River! (Yaktastic!)

Yakking With Jet Black, Son of the Largest Yak In North America

YAK TRACKS: Yak Mud-Wrastlin' 2009

I know what you're thinking.

Little Flo is such a small yak.

But she's quick as lightning. Trust me.

YAK TRACKS: Random Snap Shots of the Fall Farm

YAK TRACKS: Four more yak recipes!

Yak Sausage and Wild Rice Pilaf

3 cups cooked wild rice (1 c uncooked)
Saute the following...
1 medium, chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
3 yak maple sausages
pepper to taste if you like
Take out the cooked sausage and cut into 1/2" slices.
Add a little water to the saute pan to create some broth.
Add everything together to heat and serve.
Top with some sliced, toasted, almonds or pecans
Serve with wilted greens or corn on the cob

Yak Sausage with Scrambled Eggs

Saute 2 yak sausages... any kind you like
When nearly cooked add 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic if you like
Slice up the casing and scoop out the sausage and crumble into bite-sized bits
Scramble 3 eggs seasoned with s & p and add the following ingredients when nearly done.
Sausage crumbles and 1/4 c. grated cheddar cheese if you like

Yak Hash

Dice a couple medium potatoes into small cubes.
Slice up a small onion and a 1-2 garlic cloves diced
Saute potatoes until nearly done and add onion and garlic cooking 'til soft
Cut up leftover yak roast into small cubes and add when potatoes nearly done to heat up.
Serve with scrambled or fried eggs for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Serve with Salsa if you like.

Yak Sausage and Potatoes

Slice a couple large or 3 medium potatoes
Slice up a medium onion (I like to go with the grain) and 1-2 garlic cloves sliced
Cut a pepper (any color) into chunks and add to potatoes when they are almost done
Add onion and garlic a little later and cook til soft
Cook yak sausage separately and cut into 1/2" slices adding to potatoes and cook til heated