Chris Kerston

Personal Information

Full Name

Chris Kerston

Bio

My name is Chris Kerston and my wife and I own a ranch on Table Mountain in Oroville, but we are both originally from the Grass Valley area. We currently raise cattle, sheep, hogs, and rabbits. Our cattle are purebred Beefmasters and we raise them with goals of superior genetics in mind. Our cattle are bred to be survivors and they thrive in harsh environments. Any calf that does not fit our program for genetics is raised for meat as are all of our other animals. I think that selling meat locally is strongly tied to the future of sustainability. I also pride myself on finishing our animals on local waste products that otherwise would go in the landfill. Often this feed is better than the bagged feed or hay that we can buy. We currently use organic brewer grains for most of our animals as well as grocer spoilage (which by the way is usually far from spoiled). One thing that really appeals to me as a rancher over being a farmer is that ranching tries to fit with in a system whereas farming typically tries to recreate a system often with a monoculture. My wife and I believe in The Lasater Philosophy of Cattle Raising, that nature is smarter than all of us. I believe that livestock can be used as excellent land management tools, but ultimately they are the ones that are not indigenous to the region and therefore they are the ones that must adapt. If I try and adapt the land to the livestock, I will lose every time. Trying to tailor one’s environment to their business is not viable economically or environmentally. I have also become more and more involved with the growing interaction between ranchers and environmentalists. This is a very exciting time to be a part of. An age old war is slowly being put to rest and it’s great to see such collaboration taking place.

History

Member for

1 year 48 weeks