Part One - 4C Consultancy's Collaborative Connection to the US of A!

It’s been a month since I took 18 flights and landed back in the world of flying kangaroos. A month of reflection, recovery, and reinforcing my passion for the world of Wagyu on the other side of the pond.

Let me tell you, America is a place that’ll make every Australian traveller stop and think, “What in the fresh hell is going on here?”. The toilet bowls have enough water to question whether they have ever heard of drought, the pillows are square (why?), and “biscuits & gravy” turn out to be scones covered in what can only be described as béchamel sauce gone rogue.

But once you get past the cultural curiosities and the life-threatening portion sizes, it’s a country full of energy, generosity, and Wagyu enthusiasts who are just as passionate, and just as competitive, as we are back home in Australia.

This trip wasn’t a holiday. It was a trade mission with a heartbeat, connecting the best of Australian and American Wagyu production, cementing relationships with new acquaintances, catching up with old mates, and comparing notes on how we all chase the same three elusive goals: flavour, functionality, and feed efficiency. And grow the wagyu industry on a global scale.

Over three whirlwind weeks, I clocked 43,577 kilometers (26,000 miles), crossing eight states, visited three ranches, and survived one major conference (where apparently it is inappropriate to order a flat white or a long black). The aim? To understand how two Wagyu powerhouses can collaborate, innovate, and drive the breed forward together. And let me tell you, it was a ROARING success.

So, grab a cuppa (or a beeee-rrr if it’s that time of day) and let’s dive into the first leg of the journey. An fully vertically operated business combining hard data with harder work as a globally renowned operation known as Booth Creek Wagyu, situated near the "little apple" of Manhattan in the great state of Kansas!

Booth Creek Wagyu — Precision in the Prairie

After flying from Brisbane to Vancouver, Houston, and finally Kansas City — all in one leg — I was greeted by the wonderful and formidable Rae Gilmore, Herd Manager at Booth Creek Wagyu, who picked me up at arrivals with a warm smile and a six-pack of beer for our two-hour drive back to the renowned ranch near Manhattan, Kansas.

That, my friends, is hospitality done right.

By the time we arrived home, I’d been awake for 27 hours. Rae told me to “sleep in” and be ready for pickup at 8 a.m. — a gentle reminder that the American version of a sleep-in still starts before sunrise.

Now, through years of travel across the U.S., I’ve learned one hard lesson: the coffee leaves a lot to be desired. So, in a stroke of foresight (or caffeine-based survival), I packed my own Moccona. The following morning, armed with my trusty jar of Aussie instant gold in my borrowed travelling mug, even the cattle were intrigued in my Aussie coffee snobbery before we kicked off the tour.

From there, Rae led me through the operation — the crew, the cattle, the infrastructure, and the impressive technology that underpins it all. She unpacked their management ideology with precision and pride, and it was nothing short of breathtaking.

We delved deep into genetics, soil type, and climatic conditions, exploring how Booth Creek continues to refine its system to optimise performance, flavour, and consistency. It was the kind of conversation that makes you sit back, smirk, and think, “Yep, these people get it.”

To top it off, I was taken to the Booth Creek Meat Market, where passion meets plate. The moment you walk through the door, you’re greeted with two choice cuts to sample while you browse the variety of products, price points, and premium presentation. It’s not just a butcher shop — it’s a full sensory experience. You can taste the pride in every bite and see it in every staff member’s grin.

What I loved, was the transparency in their products, their marketability variation for their consumers based on DMP% with QR codes back to the pedigree of the product for consumption. Forging ahead of what the Wagyu market dictates in USDA. True visionaries.

When I ate that piece of sirloin in the Booth Creek Meat Market, it was a

reminder of what Wagyu flavour used to be in Australia — unforced, natural, and pure. A beef malteaser. That bite brought me back to what Wagyu was always meant to be: balanced, flavourful, and honest. The kind of flavour that lingers long after the last mouthful, not because it’s rich, but because it’s real.

In summation, Booth Creek isn’t simply a brand; it’s a benchmark. A fully integrated, vertically operated business that combines hard data with harder work, proof that when discipline meets dedication, Wagyu magic happens.

Stay tuned for the next installment, the American Wagyu Associations' annual conference, this year being held in the beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.