Cattle
We started with Red Angus cattle. We literally bought and transported to Sonora, California prime stock from around the country from America’s premier Red Angus producers. While we spent a few years producing highly sought-after Red Angus cattle, we discovered something from a friend that changed our cattle business forever. We learned about Akaushi cattle- it took us time to pronounce it and spell it correctly too!
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Akaushi is one of four breeds known today as “Wagyu.” Wagyu simply means “Japanese cow.” Of the four breeds of Japanese cattle, Akaushi is the only one known as the “Emperor's Breed.” For centuries only the Emperor of Japan, his family, and the Emperor’s few chosen guests could enjoy Akaushi beef, a melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich buttery flavor. There is a quite accurate slogan; “All Akaushi are Wagyu but not all Wagyu are Akaushi.”Indeed, all offspring of Akaushi bulls are F1 Wagyu.
The signature trait of Akaushi genetics is faster marbling, i.e. the cattle place fat inside the muscle not on the outside. This is the beef that qualifies for the coveted “Kobe” and “Wagyu” labels, and the expectation of outstanding taste and premium price that those labels suggest. Akaushi beef, beyond its incomparable flavor, also has higher levels of oleic acid (the good fat in true premium olive oil), conjugated linoleic acid, and more monosaturated fat than saturated fat (the key element to reducing cholesterol). Indeed, the largest producer of Akaushi beef in America captures the health benefits of these red beauties by its very name, “HeartBrand.” We also like the fact that if you buy Akaushi registered cattle that is exactly what you get- because every animal is rigorously DNA tested by a third-party independent lab!
You may ask yourself- why have I never heard of this brand of cattle? The answer is simple- Akaushi was for centuries considered a “Japanese treasure” and export from Japan was strictly prohibited. Indeed, only in the mid-1990s were a handful of Akaushi breeding stock allowed to be exported to the United States (through a now long-since closed loophole in the US-Japan Trade Act of 1992). Today, this breed, a Japanese delicacy, remains rare (and highly coveted) in America.
We have the distinct privilege to currently raise both purebred, registered Akaushi and F1 Wagyu cattle (we use the remaining Red Angus females as great mothers). We raise all our cattle on pasture in a healthy, humane, and sustainable manner. Whether you are looking to raise your own herd of purebred Akaushi cattle or cross-breed, we are here to help.