‘SOMETHING SPECIAL’
Jeff and Lona Jean Roberts raise yaks for the environment, nutrition and fun
By Nicole Ronchetti | The Bemidji Pioneer BEMIDJI – Just a few miles outside of Bemidji there’s a herd of animals more associated with the high altitudes and rocky cliffs of the Himalayas than the prairies and woods of the Midwest, but Jeff and Lona Jean Roberts are hoping to change that. They’ve been raising yaks at Cold Bore Ranch for five years now, and have grown their herd to around 60 members in that time. Smaller than traditional beef cattle, and even their wild counterparts in Asia, the animals have long, shaggy fur well-suited for cold climates and long, curved horns on either side of their head. While they may not be the typical animals found on a farm in Minnesota, Jeff explained they have significant advantages over cattle and they hope that their ranch is
Page 24 – West Central Tribune – November 2023
Maggi Fellerman / Bemidji Pioneer
Yaks graze in the pasture on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, at Cold Bore Ranch outside of Bemidji.
