For fifth-generation rancher, Jaclyn Wilson, raising cattle is nothing new, and her family’s traditions and dedication to the industry run deep. However, what started over 130 years ago as a family homestead in northwestern Nebraska has quite literally stretched far beyond what may have been imagined back in 1888.
While many of the daily ranching tasks for Jaclyn and her father, Blaine, are similar to those of past generations, the family’s operation, Wilson Flying Diamond Ranch near Lakeside, Neb., has continued to keep up with the cattle industry’s best practices, innovation and technology.
A predominantly Red Angus and Red Angus/Simmental composite operation, the Wilsons can be found tending to their spring and fall calving cow-calf herds, their long yearlings and the Flying Diamond Beef program.
Direct-to-Consumer Beef Business
Like many beef producers who initiated a direct-to-consumer component to their cattle operations in recent years, the Wilsons capitalized on the opportunity to share their beef with consumers in 2019.
Over the last few years, the business has grown to ship all across the U.S. using ground and air transportation. However, simply marketing their family’s beef as a ranch-raised product was not where they stopped.
Seeing the push towards environmental stewardship, the Wilsons took their beef business one step further.
“We all know that ranchers are the original conservationists, right?” says Jaclyn. “I think every rancher knows that. Surprisingly, a lot of consumers don’t understand that concept because they’re getting drowned out by the media saying cattle are harming the environment, etc.”
In late April, the Wilsons launched their special Envirosmart Beef Label, which is currently in the trademark process.
“What we’re really trying to do here is we’re trying to use a combination of genomics and technology in order to really focus on some of that environmental impact that we’re having. Because I love our Sandhills operation, and I know it’s better now than it was 135 years ago,” Jaclyn adds.
What is Envirosmart Beef?
The program focuses on three main concepts including:
Human wellbeing – This includes bettering the beef and non-beef community, including educating consumers, working to help with mental health, and utilizing interns and teaching future generations.
Animal wellbeing – This refers to doing the best for the animals by implementing animal health and wellbeing management practices.
Environmental wellbeing – This focuses on taking care of the land, including the use of grazing rotation systems, identifying plant species and plant diversity, as well as looking at wildlife populations.
Jaclyn notes that since the ranch already utilizes these practices, it was time to give it a name.
Along with following the three concepts, cattle gaining the family’s official Envirosmart Beef Label must be tested through the Neogen’s Feeder Identity Program. Using a genomic sample of the animal, along with initial weights from when the animal enters the feeding facility and ration information, an “optimal days on feed” determination is made for each individual animal.
“So, the goal is that we’re able to pinpoint better when those cattle will reach their peak performance,” Jaclyn explains. “Which, surprisingly, for us, we found out that it was significantly fewer days than what we were feeding cattle.”
Jaclyn says before implementing this practice, 1550 lbs. was considered her “ideal out weight.” However, following the feeder identity program, the optimal finishing weights of their cattle were found in the 1400 lbs. range.
“In theory, the thought process is, and they’re working on this research to prove it, but in theory, for every so many days you feed above the [optimal weight], you’re adding to your carbon footprint,” Jaclyn explains. “So, it hopes that if we can make feeding more efficient and utilize genomic [testing] to reach that optimal peak performance for that animal, that animal can go to harvest faster, be more efficient, and at the same time maybe we can reduce some of that carbon footprint.”
Value-Added Beef
As Jaclyn explains, all the cattle on their operation would qualify to be part of their program. However, it’s the genomic testing that sets their two product lines—Classic and Envirosmart—apart.
Since launching the brand on Earth Day, Jaclyn says the Envirosmart option has predominately traveled to the east and west coasts.
The Wilsons have been able to capitalize on the specific consumer preference and add a premium to their “green label” boxes—that more than pays for the animal’s genomic test to be part of the program.
Jaclyn says that the niche program has been a way to expose more consumers to how beef is raised.
“I think it’s a win-win for the industry in general, because it’s able to get a story across that ranchers out there are doing the right thing in terms of land and livestock management. It gives us more exposure to some of those people that might not have a clue as they’ve never bought beef outside of a grocery store,” Jaclyn explains.
More information about the Wilson family’s Flying Diamond Beef Envirosmart Beef Label and their family’s ranch can be found on their website—www.flyingdiamondbeef.com. Jaclyn can also be found @FDGenetics on Twitter.
