THE WILD WAY
Dear Friends,
The second quarter of 2024 has been a whirlwind of calving and breeding cows, finishing up the kids' school year, and gearing up for a growth-packed summer. The real standout from Q2? Packing up our family of five for a 15,000-km journey to Australia for the WagyuEdge ‘24 Conference - an experience of a lifetime that will forever stay with us. The folks who make up the Wagyu industry in Australia are some of the best people we know, and we are blessed to call them our friends and fellow pioneers.
We were humbled by the opportunity to close out the WagyuEdge ‘24 Conference, sharing our WILD Way and vision for the future of Wagyu.
Each time we’ve made the trip to Australia, we return to Turkey, NC more motivated than ever to continue building our program the WILD Way. The opportunities for the US industry are limitless, and we are honored to be part of the journey.
Get ready for the next thrilling chapter in our adventure! At a time when branding and purposeful growth are set to shape our industry, we’re launching an exciting new initiative that will be our North Star as we blaze a WILD trail forward. Our mission stays the same, but this new rallying cry will guide us as we impact and develop our people and community: Introducing...
CULTIVATING CULTURE, CRAFTING WAGYU
CULTIVATING - It speaks to our work to intentionally develop our people and our resources. On a larger scale, it means forging a path forward for our industry.
CULTURE - We are motivated to build our brand and positively contribute to our industry in partnership with like-minded people - always prioritizing our “why” over our “what.” We want to create a cultural shift by educating and engaging the communities we serve in the Wagyu experience.
CRAFTING - To “craft” is to create intentionally, meticulously and diligently - and we view our work in Wagyu as a true craft from beginning to end. We are focused on carefully curating a private beef label, a healthy supply chain to support it, and a data-driven and transparent genetics program that our customers can count on.
WAGYU - We are a beef company first, and that means our goals are built around becoming the largest 100% Fullblood Wagyu Beef label nationwide. By building and sharing a genetics program that consistently produces the highest quality beef, we will create an experience that elevates the US Wagyu industry.
From this foundation of Cultivating Culture, Crafting Wagyu, we’ve created two brand new opportunities for you to build relationships with our team and our work. We invite you to check out our new Wilders Wagyu website at WildersWagyu.com to meet our team, get a behind-the-scenes look at our farm and our processes, and read more about our goals. We’re excited to throw open our doors and have you along for our WILD ride.
In addition, we’re launching StayWILDNow.com as a response to our customers’ desire to connect more directly with our team, our genetics and our WILD Way services. If you’ve been looking forward to the opportunity to build your herd through strong relationships and on-farm services, check out page 3 to learn more.
We are more energized than ever to support the growth of the Wagyu industry and to continue to involve our community every step of the way. In fact, we’ll be attending the AWA AGM & Conference in Williamsburg, VA this September, and would like to personally invite you to join us on the farm immediately afterward for the post-conference tour. Check out page 7 for more info. See y’all in September, and until then, #stayWILD.
FARM TO TABLE: WILDERS BEEF SUMMER UPDATES
Summer in the Carolinas brings warmer, longer days made for connecting over fresh food and ice-cold drinks. It’s a season to spend together, and our Wilders team is excited to share how we’re doing just that - growing our programs and fostering connections both with each other and with our customers.
Farmers Markets and Retail Growth Farmers markets remain a cornerstone of our strategy to connect directly with our communities and customers. Every weekend, you can find us at markets in Wilmington and Raleigh, such as the Wrightsville Beach Farmers Market and the North Hills Midtown Farmers Market. These venues provide an excellent opportunity for us to build relationships, showcase our premium Wagyu beef and educate the community about the farm-to-table journey. Additionally, our retail locations both on the farm and outside of Raleigh have seen significant growth, becoming popular destinations for locals and visitors alike.
New Cuts and Bundles We are excited to introduce new cuts of beef and specially curated bundles. This initiative provides education on the various parts of the cow and introduces new experiences for first-time and returning customers. By maximizing cuts when filling out a cut sheet, we can more efficiently use the whole beef carcass, ensuring nothing goes to waste and providing a diverse selection for our customers.
Culinary Expansion In a major step forward, we have decided to hire a Culinary Director to oversee the expansion of our beef company into the restaurant and prepared food sector. This new role will focus on developing a market and eatery space, restaurant operations, food truck offerings, catering services, and private events on the farm. This expansion will help us continue to share our products in innovative ways, bringing our Wagyu beef to even more customers.
Data-Driven Breeding Decisions We are continually collecting and analyzing data on our carcasses to maintain and improve our breeding decisions. By focusing on the consistency and quality of our beef, we ensure that we can deliver high-quality Wagyu that enhances the customer experience and builds trust in our brand.
Customer Experience and Engagement At the heart of our mission is cultivating an exceptional customer experience. We strive to educate our customers, foster a sense of connection, and create a comfortable environment where they feel confident in our products and brand. Our goal is to build lifelong relationships with our customers, ensuring they feel a part of the Wilders Wagyu family.
This summer, we invite you to visit us at your local farmers market, explore our retail locations, and experience the new offerings we have in store. Thank you for being a part of our journey as we continue to grow and innovate together.
REINTRODUCING WILDERSWAGYU.COM
At Wilders Wagyu, our goal is to become the premier provider of seedstock genetics in the US, and we recognize the pivotal role our website plays in that journey. Since the successful StayWILD’23 production sale, our team has been diligently working to rebuild and unveil our new website, focused on sharing comprehensive information and delivering a seamless experience.
Our new website isn’t just a tool – it’s an opportunity to embark on a WILD journey with us, staying updated via social media, newsletters, blogs, and more. We're thrilled to showcase our finest herd animals, allowing customers and stakeholders to witness the progress of our breeding efforts in line with our commitment to transparency.
Instead of just using our site to execute a sale, we created it to serve as a platform where we can connect with our customers beyond just a transaction, and solve real issues to expand opportunities.
LAUNCHING STAYWILDNOW.COM
At Wilders Wagyu, we believe in fostering intentional relationships. One aspect of establishing trust and cultivating this connection with our customers is that each purchase of our elite genetics unlocks access to our WILD Way services, such as embryo guarantees and our custom recipient cow program. We highly value the opportunity to roll up our sleeves and work side-by-side with each customer to grow their programs.
With that, we’re proud and excited to introduce StayWILDNow.COM.
The future of our industry hinges on establishing robust commercial supply chains and a community of producers dedicated to crafting top-tier genetics and beef. StayWILDNow.com was built on this foundation, and we look forward to forging the path ahead together through collaboration and direct interaction.
Check out the site to learn about our current events happening at Wilders Wagyu, such as our first-ever online sale happening this August. Until then, if you have any questions for our team, please reach out to Jake Newbold, our Director of Agriculture (jake@staywild.com).
WILD PROGENY TEST 2024-1 (PT1 RECAP)
Dear friends of the Wagyu industry,
We’re glad to provide an update on our PT1 progeny test results and next steps. In January, we artificially inseminated 132 fullblood Wagyu cows to kick off our PT1. These calves will be birthed November 2024. 84 days after insemination, our herd vet came to check on the cows via ultrasound, confirming 72 AI pregnancies - indicating a 55% conception rate, which is staggeringly low compared to our normal 70%.
While this conception rate still meets the industry average, we feel a sense of disappointment because of the high standards we set for ourselves at Wilders Wagyu. Fortunately, this allows our team to reflect on learnings and opportunities for growth, as we are only trying to get better.
An analysis of the pregnancy check results shows three key conclusions that will improve our next AI cycle. First, we worked these AI groups in large quantities on two separate days rather than spacing out breedings over a longer period of time. Moving forward, we’ll more closely consider our breeding schedule, or increase the number of AI techs to allow us to move more quickly.
Second, we were able to observe the impact of stress on conception rates. We worked our PT1 groups in a new facility with which they weren’t familiar - increasing their level of uncertainty. The dams also all had calves on their sides from previous conceptions, and separating the calves inside the new facility proved cumbersome.
Finally, we noted the potential implications of pre-breeding vaccine timing - a hypothesis we’ll continue to monitor and test in future rounds of AI. For these groups, vaccinations were administered very close to insemination, and we are curious about the role that played in conception rates. For our next round of AI, we plan to schedule these vaccinations earlier.
The good news: we have found Wagyu to be extremely fertile, and our clean-up bulls did their job producing an overall conception rate of 95%. While we will not have as many PT1 pregnancies as we had hoped for, we will still be on schedule for steer production for our private-label beef company.
At Wilders Wagyu, our core values drive everything we do. The “I” in WILD stands for Intentional Adaptability, and I am proud of our team for leaning into that when presented with unforeseen challenges and unexpected results.
We are making a difference in this industry by aiming for new heights, and we know the best way to improve is to try, learn, and try again with more knowledge than we had the first go-round. We appreciate this opportunity to be vulnerable with our colleagues in the industry, joining together for a successful future of Wagyu in the US!
Until next time, StayWILD,
Jake Newbold, Director of Agriculture
PT1 SIRES
PT1 PROJECT TIMELINE
WILD PROGENY TEST 2024-2 (PT 2)
We’re excited to share that our second WILD Progeny Test 2024 (PT2) is already underway, beginning in May 2024. Following the successful launch of PT1 in January 2024, PT2 will adhere to the same comprehensive metrics and guidelines. This progeny test will continue to focus on evaluating six unique sire lines through detailed carcass and growth data over a 28-month period. By collecting and analyzing this information, we aim to make data-driven decisions that enhance the Wagyu breed. We will continue to report our findings to the Wagyu industry to promote transparency and breed improvement.
PT2 PROJECT TIMELINE
PT2 PROGENY TESTING METRICS OUTLINE
PT2 SIRES
CHOICE LOT
WILD MS FUKU DOI 74L (ET) WFSF23U074
Presenting WILD MS FUKU DOI 74L (ET), a recessive-free heifer ranked in the top 10% for EMA and three of the four breed indexes. She is sired by the legendary HP Sanjinami Doi, a powerhouse sire known for combining maternal and carcass excellence, and grandson of the iconic Itoshigenami JNR. Her dam, Sumo Cattle Co Fuku P526, affectionately known as Ms. Worldwide, is a cornerstone of the Wilders Wagyu donor program and averages 19 embryos per flush. Descending from the esteemed Sumo Michifuku F154 line, with TF148 genetics, P526 is an international gem. Long-bodied and clean-fronted, 74L is the perfect blend of power and balance, promising outstanding performance and production. Upgrade your herd with this top-tier heifer.
CHOICE LOT
WILD MS FUKU DOI 85L (ET) WFSF23U085
Introducing WILD MS FUKU DOI 85L (ET), an impressive heifer from the Wilders Wagyu program. With a ranking in the top 10% for carcass qualities such as EMA, RBY, MS, and MF, 85L sets a high standard for meat production excellence. She is sired by the renowned HP Sanjinami Doi, celebrated for his ability to combine maternal and carcass traits, and is a grandson of the legendary Itoshigenami JNR. Her dam, Sumo Cattle Co Fuku P526, known as Ms. Worldwide, is a key donor cow in our program, consistently producing 19 embryos per flush. Coming from the acclaimed Sumo Michifuku F154 line, complemented by TF148 genetics, P526 is recognized internationally for her superior qualities. Featuring a feminine phenotype, 85L combines elegance with exceptional genetics, ensuring outstanding performance and production. Seize the opportunity to elevate your herd with this exceptional heifer.
SEMEN LOT - (2) UNITS
WILD FUKU DOI 112L (ET) WFSF23U112
Introducing WILD FUKU DOI 112L (ET), making his electrifying debut with two exclusive units of semen up for grabs. This is your chance to get in on the ground floor with a recessive-free bull destined to make waves in the Wagyu world. Ranked in the top 1% for both Marble Score and Marble Fineness, 112L is set to become the next marbling sensation. His exceptional Breeder Feeder Index score, also in the top 1%, underscores his unrivaled breeding potential. Featured as a key sire in our WILD Progeny Test 2024-2 study, 112L’s genetic excellence is second to none. With a commanding presence and superior frame, 112L stands out not just on paper but also in the pasture. Don’t miss out on this exclusive offering – secure your units now and join the ranks of those who recognize the future of Wagyu breeding.
EMBRYO LOT - (4) IVF EMBRYOS
HP WAGYU RELIABLE R0157H X TBR YASU 1 7 1 6003D
We are excited to offer four IVF embryos from the elite pairing of HP WAGYU RELIABLE R0157 and TBR YASU 1 7 1 6003D. HP Reliable, a double bred JNR bull, boasts superior genomics, exceptional growth, milk, and carcass traits, and is recessive-free. 6003D, a rotationally bred female, is also recessive-free, and extremely well-balanced and broody. This unique mating combines foundational TF148 and Itomichi genetics, promising offspring with exceptional marbling, growth, and maternal qualities. These embryos offer the potential to produce top-tier bulls or females capable of future excellence. Secure this unique genetic opportunity for your breeding program.
JOIN US AT THE AWA CONFERENCE
Wilders Wagyu is looking forward to attending the American Wagyu Association AGM & Conference and its Signature Series 5.0 Sale this September 11-14 in the historic city of Williamsburg, VA. This event is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow Wagyu enthusiasts on the East Coast. Wilders will have a trade show booth at the conference, where we’ll be inviting attendees to stop by to learn more about our herd, genetics, and meet our team. Additionally, our very own Jaclyn will be speaking on one of the conference panels, sharing her valuable insights about the future of the Wagyu industry. If you haven't registered yet, we encourage you to take advantage of the early registration discounts, which end on August 12th. Don't miss out on this chance to be a part of the vibrant Wagyu community. For more details and to register, visit the AWA Conference website. We look forward to seeing you there!
EXPERIENCE WILDERS WAGYU DURING THE AWA POST-CONFERENCE TOUR
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2024
Immediately following the conference, we are thrilled to invite you to join our farm on the AWA Post-Conference Tour! The tour will kick off at Wilders Wagyu, where you'll get a firsthand look at our operations and learn about our unique approach to Wagyu. The Wilders Farm experience includes exclusive behind-the-scenes connection opportunities like a personal tour of our farm and USDA-certified export lab, and a culinary demonstration at our general store featuring the best of our Wilders Wagyu beef program. You’ll hear from a Vytelle representative on The Power of Technology Behind the Genetic Program and wrap up an exciting afternoon with a WILD dinner in the horse stables, among other special activities.
This unique opportunity to explore some of the most innovative and beautiful Wagyu farms on the East Coast is something you don’t want to miss. Spots are limited, so sign up today!
Through Vytelle’s integrated technology platform, generations of genetic gains can be made in just a few years. This allows producers to sustainably deliver more protein with fewer inputs, helping to ensure meat and milk are viable, competitive food choices for future generations.
Check out upcoming opportunities for In Vitro Fertilization collection at Wilders Wagyu. To register or inquire about a date, please contact our Director of Agriculture, Jake Newbold.
Jake Newbold - Director of Agriculture
Phone: 919.316.0643
Email: jake@staywild.com
