Thanks to Peggy Knickerbocker, longtime dear friend to Lone Mountain, some of our Fullblood Wagyu steak tastings will be on offer at the Opening Ceremonies of Chez Panisse’s 40th Anniversary at the Berkeley Art Museum on August 26th. We’re thrilled to donate our beef to honor the culinary institution and to ‘support edible education everywhere’.
Chez Panisse 40th Anniversary Opening Cermeonies
Online style and culture hub, Mr Porter, recently published a fantastic little bit on cooking the perfect steak. We tend to agree with this… Click the image below to browse the full story.
Culinary Fight Night, Atlanta
Longtime Lone Mountain restaurant client Park Tavern in Atlanta is hosting the next Culinary Fight Night® (“Where Cooking and Competition Collide”). Chef Chapin Vilasineekul and his team will be facing off against another team of chefs, cooking head to head inside a boxing ring.
To win the competition – and secure all proceeds from the event to a charity of his choice – Chef Chapin called us up and asked us to sponsor the event with a donation of some of our beef. Let’s hope our tenderloin wins over the judges!
Best of luck, Chapin and team!
The Associated Press‘ Michael Hill recently called up Robert for an article he was writing about the emergence of Wagyu beef in America. An hour and a half long conversation ensued. One quote was published, and it’s kind of a zinger.
Check it out at the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, CNBC, Fox, or Cattle Trader Center.
Six U.S. Restaurants Serving Our Fullblood Wagyu Beef
Since Lone Mountain Cattle Company launched its beef business last summer, we have been hard at work developing relationships with discerning restaurateurs across the country, introducing them one by one to the mouth-watering goodness that is our Fullblood Wagyu Beef.
Many have tried it, some have served it, and these six restaurants have become trusted partners of Lone Mountain Ranch, serving our beef on their menu as often as we can get the beef to them.
Browse the fork-and-knife plot points on the map below for a sampling of six of the U.S. restaurants currently serving our Fullblood Wagyu beef. Special thanks to each of them for believing in and promoting our product.
What We’re Reading: Articles that Grabbed Our Attention
Japan’s Beef Woes Continue
Last year we were following the news about Japan’s devastating foot-and-mouth outbreak. Now, in the wake of the earthquake/tsunami earlier this year, there are Radiation Concerns for Japan’s Beef Supply.
As this threat unfolds, the Japanese government is making concerted efforts to remove beef tainted with cesium from the country’s supply. (Read more: Beef Tainted by Radiation to be Recalled in Japan as Contamination Widens)
Heard in Australia: Trending Towards More Stringent Wagyu Beef Labeling
Executive Officer at the Australian Wagyu Association speaks of increasing support in the Australian Wagyu industry for improved labeling of Wagyu beef to protect consumers and to clarify breed composition. (Read more: Future of Wagyu at Stake)
Busting Myths About Organic Agriculture
We are all for more sustainable, more efficient farming practices, and we are also all for truth-in-advertising. So this recent article in Scientific American highlighting four myths about organic farming grabbed our attention. (Read more: Mythbusting 101: Organic Farming > Conventional Agriculture)
We’re proud to announce that the July Issue of Sunset Magazine features a little blurb about our beef. In case you don’t subscribe or missed it, here’s the content of the review, copy and pasted here:
“HEAVENLY BEEF AT THE RIGHT PRICE – There is steak and then there is steak. That’s how we felt when we tasted Lone Mountain Cattle’s new beef: meltingly tender, super-flavorful, with a minerally tang that makes you weak in the knees. It comes from Fullblood Wagyu beef (often called Kobe) raised in New Mexico, and before you blink at the price, which ranges from $9.25 to $62 per pound depending on the cut, know that Wagyu can set you back $28 an ounce at a restaurant. Plus shipping is free. 866/567-9543.” Sunset Magazine, July 2011.
Lone Mountain Receives Sustainability Award
Last summer, Lone Mountain Ranch received a “Conservation Stewardship Program” (CSP) award from the US Department of Agriculture. These awards provide significant financial recognition to farmers and ranchers who are improving, maintaining and managing their resources in an exemplary, sustainable manner. The Program recognizes land stewards who are already employing state-of-the-art practices and gently encourages the implementation of additional enhancements.
In the case of Lone Mountain, we had been working for several years with USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve our pasture management, grass composition and watering facilities. In particular, Stanley Hartman, the ranch manager had established a good working rapport with the agency. This positive relationship lead to the NRCS’ staff suggesting that we apply for the CRP.
During this cycle of grants, 30 applications went in to the NRCS and Lone Mountain was one out of only 15 ranches that were successful. Lone Mountain was also the largest property recognized. Our future planned activities under this program focus on improving the management of wildlife resources at Lone Mountain.
We are very pleased to have received this recognition of our commitment to good management and the sustainability of the range resource.
Lone Mountain News Update
We have been quiet for awhile, as you may have noticed.
The short answer for that silence: we have been focused quite intently on breeding and feeding. We have begun our Fullblood Beef Sales to various restaurants around the country. Reviews and blog posts of responses and reactions will be posted on this blog.
For example, take a look at the blog post written by John Cox on July 26, 2010, the chef who cooked the delicious FB Burgers at our 2nd Annual Production Sale, go here: http://tinyurl.com/2f792bl
Another blog post by Michael McCarty, of Michael’s of Santa Monica and New York, can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/27g5xv6
Jeffrey Stout of Alexander’s Steakhouse (awarded a rarely bestowed Michelin Star last month), took some photos at his restaurant in Cupertino, California, that can be found at the bottom of this page.
Since we are so focused on getting our breeding herd up to our long-range goal of 300 FB Wagyu females of breeding age, it is with some regret that we must postpone the April 2011 sale. We will not have a Production Sale in 2011. We are hopeful that we can resurrect the Production Sale in 2012, but will reserve that decision until later. Present projections call for Lone Mountain to reach our goal of 300 FB females by November or December of 2011.
In addition, the Estrin/Foxley Family is expecting a new addition: Our granddaughter is scheduled to be born in April – a major conflict with our usual sale date. We are very excited!
Lone Mountain is currently in the testing phase of our new e-commerce website for online FB Wagyu Beef Sales. Stay tuned for updates on that front.
Also, much time has been spent working on AWA Board projects (including the establishment of a communications outlet for the Association – a blog which is outlined in a separate post below). Much of the news of interest to Wagyu breeders that we have been publishing on this blog will now show up in the Association blog. Lone Mountain-centric news will still be found on this blog. Please visit the new AWA blog by clicking here.
You can also link to the blog by clicking on the link listed under Our Favorite Sites on the right side of this page. To keep up to date, subscribe to the AWA blog in the upper right side of their home page.
If you are interested in following Lone Mountain news, please subscribe in the upper right box of this blog – it is quite easy to manage the alerts (once a week, once a month, etc) – and you will not miss out on exciting developments as they occur as we publish new posts.
We urge you to subscribe to both blogs – and keep yourselves informed and an active part of the Wagyu community!
As always, thanks for visiting the Lone Mountain Blog – and all of us at Lone Mountain hope that you are enjoying a wonderful Holiday Season!
Warmly,
Bob & Mary Estrin
New Blog – American Wagyu Association
The American Wagyu Blog recently went online with news stories of interest to the Wagyu breeder. Go to: http://americanwagyu.wordpress.com/
You are invited to subscribe to the new blog so you will receive an alert whenever a new post is published.
You can change your subscription preferences so that you will receive alerts daily or weekly quite easily.
Lone Mountain Wagyu Blog - Wagyu Cattle Ranch and Wagyu Beef Producer 