So, who is #431?

#431 is a steer that my friend and I noticed one day while hiking the ridge. That's him to the left! He is very sweet and has tried to follow us on our hikes. He also wants to play with my dog, who is only interested in herding him. I was curious about #431 and his fellow steers (I was calling them cows for the longest time until someone corrected me!), so I contacted the East Bay Parks Dept to inquire. It turns out that the East Bay Parks Department has teamed up with some local ranchers, Wente Winery among them, and have started a “grass fed cattle” program. It’s symbiotic and genius. The ranchers are allowed to let their cattle graze the hills instead of being lot fed, and in return, the cattle keep the invasive plants to a minimum, reduce the fire hazard, etc. It made me realize that people are buying beef from Safeway that comes from god knows where, from animals that may or may not be treated humanely, are shot up with steroids and antibiotics…when the good stuff is literally right in our own backyard. This is something that should be made more public. Maybe I’ll do something about that……


#431 is special and has become a symbol and reminder for me to "be curious" about my food. He's sweet enough to make me consider vegetarianism, or at least stop eating beef. But alas, I do like my meat! I eat beef maybe once or twice a month. At least these steer are having a better youth than their feed lot counterparts!