Ep 025 Sunny Hill Farm and the Great Yak Butter Tea Incident

08/26/19 • 40 min

Yak Butter Tea -- Three words you never thought would go in a sentence together. And they do, albeit briefly, in this episode of the podcast.
We visit the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado to meet up with Steve and Anita Hill, who hail from Sunny Hill Ranch, a self-sufficient farm specializing in raising yaks 100 wild miles outside of Anchorage, Alaska. At the show, we got to see these very hairy and very different animals in an up-close-and-personal way. Steve, Anita and the IYAK (everyone knows that stands for International Yak Association, of course) conference bunch were there with their animals, and they were so unruly and rambunctious, Elara almost leaned on one thinking it was a rug on the fence (All pertaining to the yaks, not the members). There were yak classes, yak judging, the selling of yak fibers, the tasting of yak jerky, and other yak-ish things like that.
We spoke with the Hills about the joys and pains of farming and ranching in the wilds of Alaska, having to deal with predators bigger than a breadbox (or even bigger than a SmartCar), and why they think the yak is a breed that has all the makings of being a perfect animal for low resource consumption and high food production in Alaska. All with the sights and smells and sounds of the Denver stockyards around us. Elara was in yak heaven (which is similar to regular heaven, except with more fur).

Support the show

Support the show

Previous Episode

Ep 024 The Shockey's, Probiotic Invaders, and the Case of the Strangely Dead Pickle

Our food is alive - or can be. And it's often better for us if it is alive, as the popular rise of probiotics has shown. Science is now discovering that the human microbiome is an amazing place, and that each human being is a world unto itself for the creatures that inhabit it. Even if the little critters do tell us how to think sometimes (yes, that's a real thing).
Christopher and Kristen Shockey, fermentistas extraordinaire, sat down with us on a hot summer afternoon in southern Oregon. We had a delightful conversation about why they chose to settle where they did, why they choose to do what they do, and how fermented foods can bring never-ending diversity to our palates and our lives. Listening to their adventures in fermentation was like a trip around the world, without ever leaving the picnic table in the back yard. Judging from the vinegar and cider experiments in their workroom, their farm itself is a flavor bonanza as well.
They also discuss ways to expand the microbiotic universe within us, how it can be a very tasty endeavor, and why eating millions of creatures alive is a good thing (Well, they didn't say exactly that, but we're making broad sweeps here, as the "Dead Pickle" title should tell you). Ingesting millions of bacteria sounds weird, but if you have ever had a pickle, a glass of beer, a piece of bread, a slice of cheese, or a piece of chocolate, you probably can relate, whether or not you knew it. So drink more wine and beer. It's good for you, and expands your cultural horizons. Or so we choose to believe.

Support the show

Next Episode

Ep 026 Temple Grandin. Not Just Outside the Box - She Redesigned the Damn Thing (for cattle, anyway)

Temple Grandin is one of the most well-known and professionally-respected names in livestock production today, and has become a pop-culture icon. And for good reason.
You might know many things about her. She brought awareness to the general public of the issues relating to autism. She has such a great story that they made a movie out of her story (Claire Danes in the role). She is an author with numerous books to her credit. She is in great demand as a speaker, and travels around the world to speak on things dear to her heart. She teaches classes on livestock handling and behavior at CSU. She is a consultant to the livestock industry, and has revolutionized and redesigned livestock processing facilities ("slaughterhouses," to be blunt) in a way that has not only become a more humane thing for the animals, but has eased the handling process and become cost-effective for the commercial side as well. A win-win, when trying to bring about positive change, as demonstrated by the fact that half of the beef processing plants in North America are said to use facilities designed in part by Dr. Grandin. All of those things have become a part of her commonly-known story.
But what we found really interesting (among many, many things with this fascinating and highly intelligent woman) was that the thing that many people look at as a disability - being diagnosed with autism -- has become such an incredible strength for Dr. Grandin. She has the ability to observe life in detail, and get inside the head of the animals she is studying. By understanding things from the animal's perspective, she has discovered ways to figure out the "why" part of behavior in an innovative and insightful way.
Bringing animal products to our table is something we have done for thousands of years - but Temple Grandin has brought more "humanity" to it in our lifetimes and for the future. We don't know if she could have done it without her unique perspective.
Disability? Ha. We think not, and are thankful for it.

Support the show