Twin Oaks Angus/Wagyu Farm
local beef farmer that specializes in raising Wagyu beef and have a 'Farm to Table' product line
information about WAGYU and what it is all about
Wagyu basically means ‘Japanese Cow’ and can be any of the four Japanese breeds of beef cattle with the most desirable one being the ‘Japanese Black’. Originally raised as work cattle, the Japanese Black beef is prized for its intensive marbling. Over 90% of all Wagyu stem from Japanese Black strains, so when someone says ‘Wagyu’, they are usually referring to this line which also happens to be the one we breed here at Twin Oaks as well. ‘Kobe’ beef would be a more common name that is recognized as being associated with the Wagyu breed of cattle. It is simply the Wagyu cattle that are raised with-in the Kobe region of Japan.
The Japanese pride themselves on their genetics, finishing and overall cattle practices that each region (or prefecture) in Japan has a beef all of their own. Since we live here in Virginia our cattle do not get to carry the elite title of "Kobe"…so we simply refer to them as Wagyu, or American Wagyu if they have the Angus influence in there too.
As a result of various genetic lines breeding wise, combined with longer periods for fattening, the Wagyu cattle have an unparalleled level of marbling in the meat. Not only does the meat look different with the fine flecks of marbling that you will often see, but Wagyu marbling (or fat) is also better tasting. Have you ever heard the phrase..."melt in your mouth?" Well, it might not actually happen when you eat Wagyu beef, but it will be pretty close! The fat melts at a lower temperature than any other cattle so you will often get that melt in your mouth feeling and Wagyu beef has a quality to it that results in a rich, buttery flavor unseen in other strains of beef cattle. If that isn’t exciting enough, the fat is also unsaturated and high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids; meaning not only is Wagyu marbling more delicious, it’s also healthier. Win Win!!
Here at Twin Oaks, our process for producing a high quality beef product at our farm honestly begins at the very beginning with the breeding and genetics behind each animal. Every decision we make will hopefully ensure that quality comes first and I often say that we are involved from conception to plate (and every step along the way)! We make sure the Wagyu bulls we are breeding to have the genetics that are known for producing high quality carcasses and carry more traits for marbling in their offspring, while not giving up too much size. Also, we are currently members of the American Wagyu Association and the Australian Wagyu Association and all of our Fullblood Wagyu animals are parent-verified, with-in the association, to ensure the genetics behind all of our beef products trace back, by DNA, to the original genetics imported here from Japan. For the American Wagyu animals, which are the Wagyu/Angus cross, they are DNA verified for their Wagyu genetic percentages as well. This will help us to ensure that the quality of the product you receive will be something you are happy with and hopefully will want more of!
information about TWIN OAKS and who we are
Twin Oaks is owned and operated by our small family, even though many other family members have a helping role in our operation. We are Jason, Jessica and Madalyn Winall and we would like to thank you for being interested in our journey.
In October 2012, Twin Oaks Angus Farm began when we decided to make the trip to Blacksburg, VA to attend the Hokie Harvest that is put on every year by Virginia Tech. Not knowing what we were really getting ourselves into, we loaded up the truck and trailer and headed west to see what we could learn. This is where we got our 'Shadoe' along with the spring heifer calf she had that year. She, to this day, is one of our leading foundation females. After going to a few more local sales, we ended the year with five cows.
Shortly after having our first calf born, and with no bull in the pasture, we made the decision to artificially breed. The idea was that we could get the best genetics possible to align with each female in the hopes that our choices would produce future generations of cattle that are stronger than the generation before. Yet another thing that we knew absolutely nothing about, but were ready to learn what we could. Jason started researching bulls and trying to figure out who would be best. We also began working with one of our local semen reps and we even attended a two day long AI training course one summer.
Over the next few years we continued to learn and grow as much as we could in this new world. Getting involved with our local Extension office(s) to attend various seminars, joining our local Cattlemen's Association and even working with our local Soil & Water District to install the automatic cattle watering system and cross fencing. In this time, we also gained a small group of registered balancer's and some commercial Angus girls just to add in the pastures. More pastures, more animals and more knowledge was gained by all.
In August 2016, Twin Oaks Wagyu Farm officially began under the umbrella of our existing farm. After processing our first half blood (F1) steer earlier that year, Jason ‘died and went to steak heaven’ as I often say. We started researching this new breed and wanted to learn what we could about the breed. This time, we headed west again and made a 16 hour trip to Wakashaw, WI for the Primetime International Sale. Here we gained our 'Makena' but unless she was going to make the trip home in the back of our Explorer, she was going to have to stay for a little while longer. With that, we made the decision to leave her in WI for a month so she could be shown at the 2016 World Beef Expo. Jessica and Mady made the trip back out, with a truck and trailer this time, to see her show and also finally bring her home to Virginia. She became our first donor cow in the spring of 2017.
Currently, the farm sits at 225 acres and has about 100 +/- animals (including calves) grazing in all the fields. We still focus on the AI with our breeding, but have also expanded our knowledge regarding the frozen genetics by creating and implanting embryos. With this, we are involved in the entire process from setting up the donors and recipients along with breeding and the vet comes out for the flushing and implanting. A world I never thought we would be involved with if you asked me just a year ago. We are truly blessed to have grown into what we are so far and are excited to see what our future holds.
We appreciate you taking the time to read our story. If you would like to know more about us or the farming operation at Twin Oaks feel free to contact us anytime.