x
Breaking News
More () »

A lot to 'yak' about in the tiny town of Calpine

In 2015, Jenna and Greg Gatto decided to diversify their cattle herd and ended up with yaks.

If you are viewing on the ABC10 app, tap here for multimedia.

It started as a joke and ended as a yak ranch. Think of them as sociable cows that you can get wool from, like a gigantic sheep.

In 2015, Jenna and Greg Gatto decided to diversify their cattle herd and ended up with yaks.

"As a joke, I called up Jenna and asked her what she thought about yaks," said Greg Gatto. "Jenna went on Wikipedia found out what a Yak was, and two weeks later she called me up and said, 'We are going to Idaho to buy a Yak.'"

Today, more than 30 yaks roam the Gatto's ranch in Calpine; a small mountain community in Sierra County.

The yak is native to the Himalayas and often found at high altitudes. It turns out Calpine, California is pretty similar.

"We do meat and fiber... eventually we would like to do dairy," said Jenna.

Not many places in California that serve Yak burgers yet, so Greg and Jenna are primarily focused on the fiber.

"Yak fiber is warmer than sheep wool and hypoallergenic," said Jenna.

You can take pictures of the yaks from the side of State Highway 89 in Calpine. Just look for the sign that says "Sierra Valley Yaks."

Continue the conversation with John on Facebook.

Before You Leave, Check This Out