Deep Draw Yak Ranch in Tennessee Offers a Unique Agritourism Experience
In partnership with: Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Located just outside Crossville, a one-of-a-kind ranch is home to a herd of majestic animals rarely seen in Tennessee.
Ali Bryant, who owns Deep Draw Yak Ranch with her husband, Kevin, grew up on a farm in Kentucky but never thought she would return to farming as an adult. However, when the couple moved from Michigan to Tennessee, they felt drawn to agriculture once more. They struggled to find a low-maintenance animal to populate the ranch, but when someone at work suggested yaks, Bryant began to seriously consider this unexpected option.
While yaks are certainly in the minority among farm animals in the United States, Bryant quickly discovered why they were a perfect fit for their Tennessee ranch, and she since has made it her mission to educate others about these incredible animals.
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“People think about Highland cattle, buffalo or alpacas, but don’t realize yaks are an option,” she says.
Today, Deep Draw Yak Ranch invites visitors to interact with yaks up close and learn more about these fascinating animals that thrive on the Tennessee farm.
All About Yaks at Deep Draw Yak Ranch
Originally from the Himalayan region, yaks are a hearty breed of bovine built to withstand high altitudes and extreme weather. Their light, breathable wool is warmer than cashmere and just as soft, and it can be felted or made into high-quality yarn. Compared to cows, which require an acre of land per head to live comfortably in many instances, yaks can live three to an acre and require little maintenance.
“So you have this docile, wonderful animal that is beautiful, and then you get wool from them that looks like chocolate cotton candy,” Bryant says.
While yaks produce less milk than cows, their milk is high in nutrients and a staple of the Tibetan diet, where it is often churned into butter and added to tea. The milk from Deep Draw Yak Ranch is used to make all-natural dog chews, and a local mill crafts wool from the ranch into socks, gloves, hats and more.
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At her Yak Boutique, an on-site farm store, Bryant also stocks goods made by local artisans celebrating her unique bovine.
“I just love supporting the local artists who also love yaks,” she says.
Visiting the Ranch
For visitors, the ranch provides the chance to learn about a type of animal they might not otherwise encounter in Tennessee. Bryant hosts two tours a day, shuttling visitors all over the property to meet calves and adult yaks. Their male yaks represent the state with names like Tennessee, Nashville and Memphis, while the females have colorful cocktail names, including Mint Julep and Tequila Rose.
Ranch visitors have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the yaks, who are gentle and always eager to be petted and fed. Bryant shares plenty of yak facts during the tour as well, leaving visitors with a memorable and informative experience.
“They leave with this wonderful knowledge, and then they come a second time,” Bryant says.
With no other employees, Bryant runs the ranch mostly on her own with help from her husband. While the hours are nearly the same as her former corporate job – from 12 to 14 hours a day – she embraces this way of life. Seeing groups of nursing home residents with the wind on their faces or special-needs students from Cumberland County High School walking the miniature donkeys that also live on the ranch makes all the hard work meaningful.
“It makes the whole year,” Bryant says. “It is just worth it over and over and over again.”
