Wednesday, March 6, 1996 – Record – Herald
Wagyu, different breed of cow, now raised in area
Japanese cattle have an expensive Price tag; unique taste, tenderness
By Margaret Jones
R-H Lifestyles Editor
HILLSBORO – It sells for$100 a pound in New York
restaurants and $45 a pound inJapan. Connoisseurs say it has a
taste and tenderness like no other. For the beef-lover worried about
cholesterol, it may be the answer to a prayer.
Japanese cattle called Wagyu (pronounce it Wag-gyu) are finding
a niche in the U.S. beef industry.
Vic Luneborg of Washington Court.House, operates the largest privately
owned purebred Wagyu herd east of The Mississippi River. Along with his
partners, his wife Paulette, and mother Judith, a long-Time resident of Washington C.H.
as well as Shreveport, La, he operates the 200-acre Clear Creek Farms.
It is about four miles north of Hillsboroin HighlandCounty.
He now has 17 purebred Wagyu Eight half-breeds and a prize Wagyu
bull.
BREAKTHROUGH
The medium frame, black or red Cattle finish out on grain or grass in
the same manner and in the same amounts as domestic cattle but the
Wagyu trade has been big only out In Texas, Colorado and the state of
Washington. Luneborg said he found local cattle producers cautious, even
suspicious of the Wagyu, until two magic words –
Bob Evans – were spoken.
Since the vast restaurant and food Company took an interest in
Lunenburg’s operation, others are beginning to call and ask for tours
and information, including a group of farmers and agribusiness men
from Japan who made Clear Creek One of their key stops, in a 10-day
agricultural tour of the United States in February.
Luneborg has recently received Calls from Kentucky, New York and
Virginia as well as other parts of Ohio.
As far as the Bob Evans Company is concerned, Luneborg said don’t
look for Wagyu on the menu at Restaurants. The company bought
eight steers from Luneborg in December of 1994 and took them to
Rio Grande to study.
VISITORS ARRIVE
The Japanese visitors, led byTrip organizer and interpreter Heidi
Yamamoto, owner of Colorado Agricultural Services, toured on
Feb. 18th. Luneborg said his visitors were interested in everything from
feed to mineral blocks.
They particularly enjoyed a hayride during which they took a
look at the cattle as well as some-thing there is far less of in Japan -
land. On the Clear Creek Farms the land includes a waterfall,
among other attractions.
“In Japan they have no land available for herds of beef, growing
corn or soybeans or for hay and grazing. All their production is done
on a small scale and so they can buy cheaper here,” Luneborg said.
The Japanese, visitors were “very Impressed” with the bull and asked
about sale of semen. U.S. Wagyu Breeders are allowed to sell semen
to Canada, New Zealand, Australia And in the United States, but sales to
Japan is not allowed at this time. Most of the U.S. Wagyu beef is
shipped back to Japan as frozen Boxed beef. Recently, however,
there has been more interest in shipping chilled, not frozen beef, as
well, in the interests of a fresher, more desirable product. Beef that
remains in the United States is usually in demand in areas where there
is a sizable Japanese population. Luneborg pointed out that the
Japanese use beef differently than Westerners, by the sliver as
opposed to the steak.
GETTING STARTED
Luneborg had a 100-head cow/calf operation when he read
about the Wagyu in 1993 and got Interested. “I read about the premiums paid,
20-30 cents more per pound than normal.” He said. He
said he was tired of the standard marketing of farm products. “I
wanted a change from being offered something for my labor. I wanted
something that would give me more financial control.” Luneborg bought
six cows and one bull and began production. The business suffered a
major setback, however, when lightning killed six animals, three of
them Wagyu, including the first bull. “So, we virtually stared over. It set us back
about a year,” he said. Due to transportation costs, the financial
rewards won’t be what Luneborg wants until his operation
is larger or others in this area begin raising Wagyu so that there are
enough to ship 100 head at a time to the large packers in Kansas City
and Minnesota. But he’s feeling pretty optimistic. “It is the tenderness,
most taste-filled beef in the world,” he said.
_____
The above article reflects information in 1996. The prices and demand for Wagyu
(Kobe) beef has sky-rocketed. The demand for Wagyu (Kobe) beef far exceeds the
supply. The same demand has increased for quality breeding stock supplied by
Clear Creek Farms.
Vic Luneborg operates a promotional advertising and real estate business
as well as the HighlandCounty farm located near HillsboroOhio. Paulette (Pauly)
his wife of over 40 years, is the Health Care Director of AOPHA, an association of non-profit
nursing homes and housing for the aged, as well as a partner in the farm.
Their children are Penny McConkey and family, J.T Luneborg and family, and
Paige Engle and family
For more information about Wagyu Call 937-840-9825 or 937-393-9584 or email us
at