Fifth Generation Texas Ranchers and Farmers
Meet the Coopers
Aaron and Meghan both grew up in production agriculture. Aaron was born in Post, TX, a small west Texas farming and ranching community. Aaron’s mother’s side of the family (the Norman family) has been cotton farmers in that area for over 100 years (since 1916).
Meghan grew up in Giddings, TX, where we reside today. Meghan’s family (The Schatte family) has been active in breeding and exhibiting Herefords, raising commercial cattle and farming hay since the 1950’s. And more recently were in the local livestock auction and commercial poultry laying businesses.
Meghan and Aaron first met and locked eyes in 2015 at a cattle sale. After years of dating they were married in 2021 and took up residence at their new ranch in Giddings, TX. They are blessed to have two teenagers, Cain and Kenedy, and newborn, Grace.
Our Wagyu and elite beef genetics journey began in 2014 when Dr. Cooper joined the Wagyu industry from academia. He joined staff with HeartBrand in 2014 where he worked with the foundation herd of Akaushi outside Japan.
The Professor
Prior to this, Aaron was an Assistant Professor in Animal Sciences at Texas A&M University-Commerce for two years. His Ph.D. is in Animal Breeding from Texas A&M University and dissertation was titled: “Evaluation of reproductive and maternal performance and udder characteristics in Bos indicus-Bos taurus cows.” The results from his research program led to the identification of QTL for maternal type traits in beef cattle. His Master’s degree came from the University of Nebraska in 2007. This was Aaron’s first research program and it was one of the first globally that investigated the utility of EBVs (or EPDs) for feed efficiency in cattle. The thesis title was “Prediction of breeding values (EBVs) for feed intake from individual gain and total feed intake of the pen.” Aaron’s major Professor on this project was Dr. Dale Van Vleck. This was a prime opportunity to learn the statistical science behind EPDs as Dr. Van Vleck was the top student and eventually fellow Professor with Professor C. R. Henderson at Cornell University who wrote/created the rigorous Mixed Model equations necessary for typical EBVs/EPDs calculations.
In 2016, Aaron stepped away from HB to begin a start-up Akaushi/Wagyu consulting company called 33 Ventures LLC in San Angelo, TX. The consulting firm is still going strong to this day. In the beginning, it was the international market that wanted breeding and genetic consulting services more so than Americans.
This would take Aaron overseas ~4-6 times per year where he would work with breeders, research foundations and restaurateurs/culinary experts in establishing or refining their Akaushi/Wagyu programs. Then COVID came along, restricted travel, and the American markets awakened seemingly overnight in March, 2020. Currently, Aaron still works with select Wagyu/Akaushi programs around the world.
The beginnings of
In 2015, the Myers-Cooper herd began with its first purchases of genetics. This was a partnership among Aaron and family friend, John Myers in San Angelo, TX. This herd eventually became an impressive, proven set of females that would have conventional embryo transfer calves born on continents all over the world. This herd was the foundation stud breeding stock that eventually became the Cooper Family Akaushi herd.
The timing was right in 2021 to secure all of the Myers-Cooper partnership’s assets and rebrand the operation as Cooper Family Akaushi. Since then we have leased the 2,000 acre Double Myers ranch in Eldorado, TX.
The core breeding herd has always been managed to be a NUCLEUS population within the Kumomoto Red lineages available from Japanese Brown cattle. What this has entailed is a rigid, multiple-trait selection strategy geared towards optimum levels and that has been in place for almost 10 years now. As a result, near ideal docility, higher maternal ability in younger females, and earlier marbling performance on the rail are among the distinguishing characteristics of the herd. Around here it’s Akaushi science, not fiction.
We are many generations removed from the imported/foundation animals for a reason. An intentional breeding strategy has advanced our genetics well beyond the genetics that came from Japan in the 1990’s (and 70’s).
Today, we are able to offer certain genetics and breeding pieces off the farm in Giddings. Starting in 2023, the majority of our males born (~95%) are castrated and sent to west Texas for further development and finishing. We hold back some of our non-breeder fullblood females at our home farm for finishing in a low-n-slow artesian feeding style (much like you would see in Southern Japan) for top-end beef clients around the Austin and Houston areas
We enjoy having visitors to our operation. Please reach out to us to set up a time to come see the cattle and awesome marbling results all on the same trip!
