Akaushi is a breed of Wagyu. The term "Wagyu" refers to any of the four primary bloodlines of cattle that originated in Japan and are well-known for their marbling and health benefits.

The Akaushi (Red) bloodline originates from the Kumamoto region of Japan. This bloodline is known for better gains on grass than their Black Wagyu counterparts. This is one of the many reasons that we chose Akaushi over the black wagyu bloodlines, as it aligned more with our regenerative farming practices.

Other reasons we have chosen Akaushi as our preferred breed is:

• heart-healthy ratio of mono-unsaturated fats to saturated fats
• exceptional marbling, flavor and tenderness
• excellent maternal traits and calving ease
• heat tolerance

Wagyu beef is well known for its incredible marbling, flavor and tenderness. In addition to that, the marbling found in Wagyu beef is known as Oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fatty acid, also found in olive oil. This fatty acid is more prevalent in Wagyu cattle than other breeds.

Oleic acid is heart healthy and anti-inflammatory for the body.

The USDA allows anything that is 46.9% Wagyu or more, to be labeled as Wagyu. The issue with this is that you may be paying a premium for beef that isn't even 50% wagyu! So when you see Wagyu on a label, especially at the grocery store, you can assume that it has a percentage of Wagyu, but it's not the real deal.

F1 Wagyu is 50% Wagyu, 50% another breed, typically Angus. F1 beef is very popular because the Wagyu adds the influence of marbling and tenderness, while Angus brings a beefy flavor and quicker growth rates. This makes F1 a desirable crossbreed for many producers as it produces a tasty product that is produced more efficiently.

American Wagyu generally refers to any crossbreed of Wagyu here in the US. Generally American Wagyu is created using a registered Wagyu Bull with female cows of another breed. The percentage of Wagyu can vary from 50/50 (F1) and higher.

Pureblood Wagyu is any animal that contains 93.75% or more Wagyu genetics. We have two different groups of Pureblood wagyu in our herd. The first group are cows from the original herd that we purchased that have been genetically tested and registered with the American Wagyu Association. The second group is a special project I (Kat) have been working on which is registered pureblood, polled Akaushi. These females have a small percentage of red angus in their genetic lines which makes them naturally hornless. This is a very desirable trait for us as we do not have to de-horn calves in the future.

Fullblood Wagyu is an animal that has 100% traceable genetics from Japan, and is also a registered animal. This is the purest form of Wagyu beef that can be produced in the US.

Our cattle live on pasture 365 days a year, and their nutrition program varies by season. In addition to the forage in our pastures, our cow/calf herd will be provided with grass hay as well as a cultured alfalfa hay, called chaff hay. Our steers, once in the finishing phase, will be provided with grass hay, chaff hay and a soy-free grain, which is given 2x/day.

The term "grass-fed" when certified by a third party (such as the American Grassfed Association) or the USDA (as indicated by the USDA processing label) means that the cattle were born, raised and finished on only a grass-based diet, without any supplemented nutrition, or grain.

There is a lot of greenwashing and misuse of the terms grass-fed, grass-finished, pasture-rasied and I try to stay away from using these terms, as I believe they are confusing to the customer, and can be misleading.

Instead, I intend to be as transparent as possible with our farming practices by showing what's going on at the farm through social media, and additionally have an open-door policy to anyone who wants to visit and learn about our animal husbandry practices. My goal is the healthiest and happiest cattle!

Since our beef is packaged frozen, its important that it ships in a large enough order so that the beef remains frozen until it reaches your door! Additionally, the cost of shipping materials and shipping rates prevent our ability to fulfill small orders, as they still need to be packed sufficiently to prevent thawing.

However, if you are placing an order for delivery and would like to add-on to your order from the Farm Store page, you can do so! Please just add a note at check out.

We technically do not have a "storefront" on the farm. Maybe one day! When you pick up your order at the farm, we will have it ready for you to pick up at the driveway.

If you'd like to stop in for a farm tour while you're here, please add a note to your order and we will try to coordinate!

Generally orders will go out on Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays to ensure that packages are delivered within 24-48 hours.

Once your order ships, you will receive a UPS tracking number.

If you place an order on a Wednesday through the weekend, it will ship the following week.

No, not at this time.

Prior to owning the farm, we always stocked our freezers with a quarter or half beef share, and sometimes split a share with friends. While it can be a little overwhelming at first, you'll soon realize the benefits of having delicious beef readily available at your fingertips.

For more information, head to our Beef Share page which includes a lot of details as well as estimated costs based on current share pricing. I am more than happy to hop on the phone and answer questions as well.

Beef share customers generally get priority prior to retail beef availability.