Belgrade, Montana rancher sells special Wagyu beef directly, thanks to grant

Rick Woienski has a small problem. But it’s a problem many business owners would relish.

The rancher, whose cattle graze on property north of Belgrade, has had to turn down potential customers because he couldn’t meet the demand, he said recently, standing beside a pen of his unique black cows. His Montana Wagyu beef http://www.montanawagyu.com/ – the same breed as Japanese Kobe – is that popular.

The USDA’s Value-Added Producer grant is aimed at ranchers and farmers who want to market directly to customers. The money can be used to develop marketing strategies such as a website, according to the USDA.

He’s has already made a big splash on the QVC network, Woienski said. During his first appearance, he sold 16,000 Wagyu beef burgers in less than four minutes.

That’s about 5,000 pounds of beef, he added.

By JODI HAUSEN Bozeman Daily Chronicle missoulian.com |

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/business/local/article_f908b1b2-2123-11e0-ac2d-001cc4c002e0.html