Whether at a restaurant or around the family dining room table, Americans continue to look for a great eating experience that features beef. This sophisticated pallet offers young farmers a unique opportunity to enter the meat industry by growing their own produce and selling directly to customers.
One area that is gaining interest centers around Wagyu. This Japanese breed of cattle was originally used as draft animals in agriculture. The genetic results resulted in intramuscular fat cells, or marling, which continue to command high prices in today’s restaurant and consumer markets.
Two Missouri farming families took a chance on this emerging beef business and introduced Wagyu into their operations. However, the young farmers chose two different ways of production.
Pure race experience
In the year In 2016, Tim and Calise Lishwe opened the Hiroshi Ranch in Kaiser, Mo., where they specialize in raising full-blooded Wagyu cattle. The couple started with just 25 females and one bull. Six years later, the ranch has more than 200 head of spring- and fall-calving herds.
Cattle at Hiroshi Ranch have unlimited access to grass, grain and hay when needed. This, combined with genetics, gives Wagyu its unique marbling, says Kalisse. The formula is organic cocoa powder, linseed oil and pirella oil mixed with molasses. This mixture, she explains, adds flavor to the meat, giving it a chocolate flavor.
A pureed Wagyu calf takes a long time to finish. “The best marling happens after two years with this breed,” says Kalisse. That’s when we get that intense marling in our meat.
However, reaching that two-year mark can be difficult. Calisse says it’s difficult to keep calves alive, which is where some traditional cattle breeders struggle to turn to Wagyu.
“Moms are not very good milkers,” she said, “so you have to decide to bottle feed as much as possible to keep those calves alive.” The couple transplanted purebred Wagyu embryos into Angus cows based solely on their mothering skills.
Lischwes says the extra work is worth it. They are only killing the leader at the moment. Women are captured and returned to the herd. But those steers are producing high-value cuts of meat.
Market the meat
Hiroshi Ranch is flexible in marketing its products. They have an online store. “When Covid hit and people couldn’t go to the grocery store, we were overwhelmed with requests for meat from all over the United States,” said Calisse.
But with restaurants coming back, the couple has been able to sell 100% of their Wagyu products there again.
Calisse said it’s important for buyers to know that less than 47% of Wagyu genetics in the United States can be labeled as Wagyu. The American Wagyu Association is pushing for change to disclose percentages and have 100% wagyu on the label.
“I feel that this type of labeling should be disclosed so that consumers know what they are eating,” she said. “Not all Wagyu is the same.”
Austin and Ashley Bailey agree. The couple raises and markets Wagyu-influenced beef at Bailey Beef Company in Northeast Missouri.
“Our product is Wagyu-influenced beef,” says Ashley. “There are so many people selling online under so many different names that it’s a bit of a challenge for consumers to know what they’re really getting,” he said.
Amp business herd
In the year In 2017, the Baileys moved to Ralls County and started their own Angus-Charolais commercial herd. They didn’t have a large enough cow herd or pasture footprint to become a large commercial cattle producer, Ashley said, so they had to add value to their operation.
“We introduced Wagyu genetics in 2019 by purchasing two bulls,” she says.
“We’ve also bought some heifers,” added Austin.
The first Wagyu-influenced calves hit the ground that year. “They were quarter blood Wagyu babies that had been doing well for us,” says Austin. There was enough variation from our usual sires that we filled with Wagyu crosses that started breeding more cows.
The Baileys agree with the Lishwes that raising Wagyu calves will take a little longer to complete. So they are working to produce the right Wagyu genetic mix in cattle without compromising profitability.
Find balance
The pair will turn calves around 800-900 pounds on grass and finish on grain. After some experimentation on the farm, the Baileys discovered that an eighth-blood Wagyu takes about a month to finish than traditional steers. Therefore, it increases costs due to more time on food.
But when it comes to marketing Wagyu-influenced beef, Ashley knows it comes down to flavor. So does one-fourth or one-eighth make a difference?
“With that one-eighth blood, we feel you can still taste the difference,” she says. “Beef producers have tried it and given us credit. … That’s when you know you have a premium product.”
Still, the young farmers are working to achieve a one-quarter blood Wagyu-influenced final product.
“It’s a give and take,” says Austin. “Ultimately we want to bring a quality product at a price point that is acceptable to most families, and adding a little bit of wagyu gives them a nice flavor and tenderness.”
Building a customer base
Baileys sells primarily through Facebook and a few local farmers markets. They are also developing a farm website. Still, Ashley, most of their marketing is done through word of mouth.
“People have tried our product and loved it,” she said. And now customers are happy to be able to buy something local. They want to know where the beef comes from.
The Baileys have found that sometimes it’s that “little something extra” that drives customers to buy Wagyu-influenced beef. The pair introduced macaroni and cheese, a Wagyu-influenced grilled beef, in a waffle cone during the farmers market.
“It was sweet, salty and salty,” says Ashley. “It went really well. It’s about showing our customers how they can use our products for everyday food or for fun.
For both the Bailey and Lishwe families, adding Wagyu to their cattle operation has created a niche in the beef business – allowing them to stay on the farm for generations.
