|
You may have heard of Waygu cattle –
a Japanese breed known for their highly marbled, tender meat.
Maybe you’ve seen Waygu bulls at a bull stud, and wondered who
would be using those genetics – as the cattle aren’t the
typical, thick-muscled bovines sought in today’s beef industry.
But, chances are your knowledge and interest in the Waygu breed
ends there. Well, Bob and
Mary Lloyd Estrin of Lone Mountain Cattle Co. near Golden, NM,
hope to change that. They’ve made the switch from a traditional
mixed-breed commercial cow herd to full blood Waygu and have
plans to make Waygu cattle better known – and better accepted –
in the U.S. beef industry.
Of the Waygu breed, Bob Estrin
says he is likes the fact that Waygu offer “the whole package.”
He explains that the animals are
known for calving ease, their docile temperament, and the
ability to adapt to any climate – making them well-suited to
Lone Mountain’s rugged conditions above 6,800 feet and annual
precipitation of 10-14 inches in a normal year.
Estrin also emphasizes the extraordinary taste and healthy
characteristics of the Waygu meat – which research has shown to
be the low in cholesterol, high in Omega-3’s and having a higher
percentage of monounsaturated fat than any other breed of cattle
in the world. “Waygu beef is a healthy kind of meat,” Estrin
says, likening it to salmon for its healthy attributes.
Quality Quest
Estrin says his decision to dive into the Waygu breed is all
about quality. About five years ago, he and his wife had Waygu
beef at a restaurant in California. Initially, Estrin couldn’t
get over the price – $16/ounce, but when he tasted the steak, he
knew he’d found black gold.
The premium quality of the Waygu beef got the wheels turning in
Estrin’s head. He and his wife had taken on ownership of her
family’s New Mexico ranch in the mid-1990’s, and drought over
the years was taking a toll on the ranch’s profitability. “As a
commercial cow-calf operator it can be tough to make a profit on
the grid, but with a drought, profit becomes even more
challenging,” Estrin says.
In 2003, the drought prompted
them to begin downsizing their commercial cowherd, and Estrin
wasn’t quite sure what his next move was going to be.
Then he experienced Waygu beef
and had that “lightbulb” moment. “Sixteen dollars per ounce is a
lot of money,” Estrin says. Thus, he was convinced Waygu
presented an opportunity to move away from the commercial
mainstream and produce a premium beef product with higher value.
With more research, Estrin also
discovered that the consumer demand for Prime beef is about four
times greater than what the U.S. beef industry currently
supplies, resulting in many white-table cloth restaurants
turning to international markets to get their Prime beef supply.
For Estrin, the opportunity that
existed for Waygu seemed obvious, and he decided to make the
switch at the ranch.
Making The Switch
For many traditional ranchers, such a major change in herd
genetics would be unorthodox. But, Estrin is accustomed to
making bold decisions. Though he and his wife both have New
Mexico roots, they also built professional careers in California
– she as a photographer; he as a film editor in Hollywood best
known for his editing on the major motion picture A River Runs
Through It. Prior to his retirement from the film world over ten
years ago, he was also a Professor at the University of Southern
California’s film school.
From those experiences, Estrin
says he and Mary are accustomed to change and finding
opportunities. Today, the duo still split their time between
California and their New Mexico ranch, but they are very much
involved in the transition to Waygu.
Of the parallel between Hollywood
and the new venture at the ranch, Estrin says, “I certainly have
watched how films are marketed and have seen that small
independent films can have an impact. I think this [raising full
blood Waygu] is like a small independent film trying to break
through.”
In April 2005, Lone Mountain
Cattle Co. purchased it’s first two full-blood Waygu bulls to
breed to its commercial herd. In August of that year, nine
full-blood Waygu cows were purchased to begin the foundation of
the ranch’s full blood breeding program. With the extensive use
of A.I. and embryo transfer, Estrin’s goal is to create the best
possible genetics of full blood Waygu and be a leading Waygu
producer. In less than three years, the ranch now has nearly 250
Full Blood Waygu on the ranch.
As the herd is being developed,
the primary focus remains on quality genetics. Lone Mountain is
incorporating ultrasound and genetic evaluation (in the form of
DNA marker testing for marbling and tenderness) into the
development of their Waygu herd. Already two of their sires –
Bar R 12 P Takazakura (now deceased) and LMR Yojimbo (bred and
raised by Lone Mountain Cattle Co.) – have received the highest
possible GeneSTAR ranking for tenderness and marbling, posting
14-stars.
Every animal on the ranch is also
given an RFID tag to allow traceback on the cattle.
Originally, Estrin thought the ranch would raise Waygu-cross
calves for the market, but, upon realizing there are only 3,000
to 5,000 full blood Waygu in the U.S., he recognized an
opportunity to grow the U.S. Waygu herd size by becoming a
seedstock supplier of the breed.
Lone Mountain will host its first
production sale at the ranch on April 19, 2008 with more than 50
live lots consisting of full blood Waygu females and bulls,
along with embryos and several pregnancies – making it the
largest offering of premium Waygu genetics ever assembled for
public auction in the United States.
Estin says most Waygu cattle in
the past have been offered for sale private treaty. He says,
“There hasn’t ever really been a public auction in the U.S. with
the large numbers we are offering. But I realized that to reach
out to more cattle producer’s in the industry, I need to offer
females as well as bulls and have a huge marketing campaign,
which for me coming from the film world is a better fit than
selling private treaty.”
Lessons Learned
“There has been a learning curve,” Estrin says of their
aggressive journey into Waygu genetics. “Raising the cattle has
not been that different from our commercial herd. They are
wonderful, gentle cattle. What has been part of the steep
learning curve has been the reproductive aspect. We had never
AI’d on the ranch or had registered cattle. We’ve done a
tremendous amount of ET work and have even had cows go through
the in-vitro fertilization process,” he explains.
Lone Mountain’s scientific
approach has allowed them to build up the herd rapidly.
Additionally, the ranch is documenting all the data and
registering with both the U.S. and Australian Waygu associations
in order to amass data for EPDs on their cattle.
Estrin has also personally traveled to both Australia and Japan
to learn more about their success at producing Waygu cattle. In
Japan, where the breed originated over 100 years ago, Estrin
says the Waygu is regarded as a national treasure. “They eat it
in a very small portion – 4 oz. is more than enough,” he says.
From those travels, Estrin says
he has come to understand the cultural differences in raising
Waygu as well. “I like understanding the historical aspect; that
has been part of the learning process too. I’ve studied the
bloodlines of many of the great Japanese Waygu sires. The
challenge is to figure out how to breed a sire that will perform
better than those that have preceded him. We are using all these
methods to figure out where our herd is and where it can go.”
That said, Estrin is excited for
the future. “We anticipate we are going to be rewarded for our
efforts,” he says of the large investment he’s made into the
Waygu breed.
He adds, “There’s a crying need
by the consumer for more highly-marbled meat.” As a result,
restaurant owners from white tablecloth to hamburger chains are
looking for higher quality beef, and Estrin believes Waygu is
the answer.
By educating consumers and beef
producers, he hopes they’ll see the Prime quality that Waygu
offer as well. He says that 95% of half Angus, half Waygu cross
calves (F1s) will grade Prime if fed out correctly. “That can
make a huge value difference when looking at the Prime-Select
price spread and comparing it to the fact that only 1 to 2
percent of calves in a commercial herd grade Prime,” Estrin
says.
Estin says the real money to be
made is in producing full blood Waygu because their marbling is
even finer than the F1’s, making full blood Waygu meat more
valuable. But at this time there just aren’t enough full bloods
available in the U.S. for slaughtering.
He is hopeful that in the next 5
to 10 years as Waygu full blood numbers are built up in the U.S.
we’ll see more availability of Waygu beef on menus.
Estrin acknowledges that Waygu is
a niche product, but he’s adamant that there’s a market for it.
“It’s the same as Mercedes Benz; not everyone can afford one,
but there is a market for top-quality vehicles.”
He concludes, “This is the
beginning of the wave. It’s going to take time. We get our share
of skeptical looks. But we are prepared for a long haul. I’m
pushing this idea because there is a way to produce a quality
product. I believe Waygu is a winner.”
For more information visit:
www.LoneMountainCattle.com
What you need to know about
Waygu.
The Waygu breed originated in Japan, where they were used as
draft animals for cultivation. As a result, they were selected
for physical endurance. Thus, these animals tended to have more
intra-muscular fat cells or marbling, which provided a readily
available energy source. This has resulted in high marbling
carcasses unlike any other breed.
The Japanese government regulates
Waygu cattle, and, only Waygu produced in the Kobe region of
Japan can be marketed as ‘Kobe Beef.’ Though the quality of
Waygu cattle raised in the United States is equivalent, and
based on the same genetic pool, U.S.-raised product should be
marketed as Waygu – not Kobe Beef.
Waygu genetics were only exported
into the U.S. briefly in the 70’s and then again in the 90’s.
Most American Waygu are percentage Waygu. The categories are:
F1’s 50% Waygu; F2’s 75% Waygu; and F3’s 87% Waygu. Purebred
Waygu are 15/16ths (93.75% Waygu). Only 100% Waygu can be called
full blood Waygu – they must be DNA verified to have two bull
blood parents, both sire and dam.
Waygu cattle produce bright red
meat that is highly marbled and has unique flavor and
tenderness. The meat also has a higher percentage of
monounsaturated fat than any other breed of cattle in the world,
and it is extremely low in cholesterol.
Lone Mountain at Denver Stock Show
In 2007 and 2008, Lone Mountain Cattle Co. has exhibited a Waygu
bull at the National Western Stock Show in Denver to help raise
awareness for the breed. During the two week event, they also
have a trade show booth to help educate consumers and producers
about Waygu beef. |
