By improving the meat quality grade
Emphasis on improving taste
Anyone familiar with cattle would be surprised to hear that "Japanese Black beef is raised entirely on domestically produced feed." This is because domestic feed is expensive and in short supply, so most livestock producers feed their cattle with imported feed. However, Nagomi Nosan uses domestically produced ingredients, and whenever possible, sources them from neighboring regions. 
Toru Wachi, the owner and chef of the French restaurant Mardi Gras, known as a master of meat dishes, was also very interested in Nagomi Farm. "I tried the hamburger steak and it was delicious. I'm also interested in the fact that the cattle are raised for a long period of time," said Wachi, and we visited the farm in Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture.
Nagomi Nosan was founded by its predecessor as a consignment farm (taking in and raising calves), and the current president decided to continue using his own cattle. He started out using the standard method of raising cattle by lowering the price of feed, but faced difficulties after the Great East Japan Earthquake when feed became unavailable. He then "tried to feed them whatever he could," and the taste improved, which marked a turning point. 
"At the time, there was a 'rice surplus' (rice production exceeded consumption), and feed rice was cheap, so we decided to give it a try. The fat became lighter and more delicious. Generally, beef is judged to be tasty based on BMS (Beef Marbling Standard, which indicates the degree of marbling in beef), but we don't focus on marbling. We use BMS as a reference only, and the most important thing is the taste," says Managing Director Masaru Yano.
In Japan, the price of cattle is determined by grade, so many producers try to increase the amount of marbling in order to improve the quality of their meat by feeding their cattle not only grass-based roughage but also a lot of concentrated feed such as corn and soybeans, which allows them to accumulate fat.
This means that Japan currently relies on imports for feed, including feed corn, which is hardly produced in Japan. Despite concerns about genetic modification, domestically produced feed is considered unrealistic.
At Nagomi Nosan, taste is more important than raising the quality of the meat. They strive for a light taste, and while typical compound feed contains a high proportion of corn and barley, Nagomi Nosan uses rice as the main ingredient. However, it would be difficult to find a producer that raises their cattle using domestically produced feed without preservatives or additives, even if you search all over Japan.
"Of course, it costs a lot of money and is a luxury, but for the sake of safety and security, we want to visit the feed production site ourselves and use feed that we have carefully selected. Foods grown in the same climate and environment go well together, so we believe that feeding locally produced feed will result in the best flavor. We have spent several years trying different things to achieve this. 
"We mix 15 different ingredients every day and feed them 5.5 tons of feed every day. The cows are more likely to eat fresh food," says farm manager Naoyuki Hoshikawa.
We persuaded neighboring farmers to grow dent corn for animal feed, and we purchased buckwheat flour from producers we had connections with. We also received sake lees from a nearby sake brewery, and soybean oil residue from nearby Sanwa Oils and Fats."
One visitor laughed and said, "Domestic wheat? That's more expensive than the oatmeal I had this morning," but the current situation is tough, with rising prices for rice and other ingredients. Nevertheless, the fine texture of the meat, the delicious flavor of the red meat, and the sweet and balanced fat of the beef raised on domestic feed make it worth the effort.
Another important point is how to cook reliable ingredients. 
The used bedding collected from the floors of cow barns contains cow manure and sawdust, and is popular with nearby rice and fruit farmers.
"With the cooperation of Yamagata Prefecture and Keio University, we continue to research feed designs that increase the nutritional value of ingredients while placing less strain on the cow's stomach and increasing the rate of digestion and absorption. Even with the same ingredients, we use several different processes, such as hydrolyzed fermentation, heating, and compression, to change the speed at which the cows digest them.
It's quite difficult because if you crush it too much, it won't work, and if any rice husks remain, it puts a strain on the stomach. For example, SGS is made by mixing rice and sake lees and fermenting them with lactic acid, but if the fermentation fails, it puts a strain on the cow's stomach. If you fail here, two years of raising the cows will be wasted, so it's scary." 
"Different producers have different preferences for feed, such as using seaweed or beer dregs. What's amazing is that this producer is so particular about using locally produced ingredients. If they feed this, I'm sure the organs will be delicious too," says Kazuchi.
After much trial and error, they have finally been able to produce feed smoothly over the past two to three years. While many producers keep their feed blends secret, Nagomi Nosan makes everything public.
"We want our customers to be able to enjoy our food with peace of mind, so we've made everything public from start to finish. But we're confident that it's not something that can be easily imitated. It requires local collaboration, the skills we've cultivated over the years, and a lot of hard work, so I think it would be difficult to do anywhere else."
Nagomi Nosan raises around 1,000 cows. This number is the limit given the amount of time and effort required to ensure nutritional efficiency and the health of the cows.
"I want to maintain the quality of domestically produced feed and raise the cattle with the utmost care. Rather than expanding on a large scale, I want to improve the quality and raise even more delicious cattle."
What is "delicious meat"?
Pursuing the concentrated flavor of Wagyu beef
It's not just the feed that's luxurious. While the fattening period is generally around 20 months, Nagomi Nosan's takes it over 980 days (32 months). By raising the cattle slowly over time, the meat lasts longer even after processing and is of high quality. 
"If the beef is too young, it has too much moisture and the flavor isn't concentrated. Conversely, if it's too old, it becomes tough. Beef loses its appetite after about 900 days. In the industry, this is called 'sutakire', but we are looking for a flavor a little after that. There are individual differences, but we have determined that about three years is the best time to finish it."
The tastiness of the beef is the basis for all judgement, including the feed and fattening period. When tasting, to avoid any preconceived notions, the beef is tasted blind, with the same cooking time, timing of turning, etc., and without adding any salt. The meat's good flavor has earned it a reputation, and in recent years, orders have been coming in constantly from luxury hotels, long-established department stores, and high-end restaurants. 
"Nowadays, most of our orders come directly from restaurants and department stores, but when we were still less well known, we sometimes sold our beef wholesale to markets. Our beef is smaller than other beef, so it was a bit embarrassing. However, recently, I feel that people are not looking for marbling as much. Some people say things like, 'I want the luxury of A5 rank, but the fat is too heavy and makes me feel heavy in my stomach' (laughs)."
Restaurants that Nagomi Farm supplies say that they receive many refills of their meat, and people who have tried it at restaurants or hotels sometimes come to visit, saying they were blown away by the taste.
"If the fat was too heavy, a strong-flavored sauce would be needed, but with our beef, just salt and pepper is enough. People often say that our fat is light, refreshing, easy to eat, and sweet, but that's because we've always valued flavor over grade. I like to eat it simply grilled."
To produce healthy, high-quality meat
Raising each and every animal with careful care
Calves, who are still developing their bones and muscles, are housed in medium-sized barns so they can exercise more, while adult cattle before shipping are housed in smaller barns so they can gain fat.
The cowshed we were allowed to visit was clean, spacious, and well-ventilated. They also take into consideration the compatibility between the cows housed in the same pen, making it a stress-free environment. The sawdust spread in the cowshed was obtained from a nearby lumber mill. Fresh sawdust is added every two to three days, so the manure hardly smells. The cows are healthy, and there are apparently very few illnesses or injuries. 
"I've visited many different producers both in Japan and overseas, but the cows here seem to have very laid-back, calm expressions and are very relaxed. I'm curious about the water. It affects the taste of the meat, so what kind of water do you give them? They may be indirectly consuming meltwater from Yamagata through the locally grown rice."
"Cows drink 20 to 50 liters of water a day, so this is a concern," says Kazuchi. 
"It's groundwater. The water around here is slimy, like a hot spring. There is a hot spring nearby, too. It's rich in minerals and has a diuretic effect, so the downside is that the cows end up urinating too much (laughs). It gets the cowshed dirty, so we dilute it with tap water as needed," says the farm manager.
In fact, it is said that cows that consume excessive amounts of concentrated feed are prone to urinary stones, but perhaps because this water causes them to urinate frequently, Nagomi Nosan's cows are less likely to develop the disease.
"Cows are sensitive animals that are easily stressed, and depending on their living environment or relationships with other cows, they may refuse to eat, or if they remain unwell for three days they may suddenly die. That's why we have a veterinarian on-site, and we feed them freshly blended food every day. It's important to keep an eye on each cow and create an environment where they can live in both physical and mental health." 
Nagomi Nosan's breeding methods are far removed from industrial livestock farming, which emphasizes efficiency. Only the best cattle are shipped as their own brand of beef, called "Nagomi no Kanade."
"All of our beef is exceptionally delicious, but the one we are most proud of is our Wa no Kanade. It accounts for only 10-20% of our beef, so it's extremely valuable. Rather than explaining our commitment to it in words, we want people to try it first. I'm sure they'll appreciate the depth of flavor and the sweetness of the fat." 
