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Moving on With Wagyu
couldn’t leave home unless I took my horse, too.” The couple married when Teddie was 20 and Robert was one month over 18. They raised three children who produced six grandchildren so far, ages 3 through 10. By Terry Ropp “Robert could not have possibly left us in better shape,” Teddie said. “Our entire Teddie Andrews and her family cattle system was already firmly estabmix Angus and Wagyu bloodlines lished, and because I did so many of the Many women in agriculture work 40-acre spread that included two chicken day-to-day tasks as part of our lives, I had side-by-side with their husbands, houses, two wells and a residence. Ex- the necessary practical experience.” Teddie and her son Russell run 110 fully immersed in the day to day cited, Robert told Teddie at church the work of running a farm. Such is the next Sunday that he bought her a farm. mostly purebred Angus cows bred to Teddie was astounded because Robert five fullblooded Wagyu bulls on 300 case with Teddie Andrews. When farming full-time would no was younger, shorter, and had already as- acres outside of Gentry, Ark. They purchase most of their bulls from Rowe longer support the family, her husband sumed they were getting married. She did not consider her best friend Wagyu, in Lincoln. The combination Robert got a general contractor’s license and worked off the farm. Teddie handled a boyfriend. In fact, Teddie was so produces F1 calves that are highly whatever needed to be done while he was shocked she didn’t speak to him for prized for meat quality. Calves are sold to the same gone. Then, Robert unexpectedly died in three months. “God knew what he was Gentry, Ark. buyer every year, with the May 2019 of a heart attack. buyer determining which Both Teddie and Robert were raised doing and gave me my best bulls the farm purchases. The on farms and had been best friends since friend for a husband and buyer also has criteria related to Teddie was in ninth grade and Robert in a beef and chicken farm,” health protocols, including the seventh. When Robert was 16 in 1975, Teddie said. “It was a good herd being antibiotic and hormone he went with his father to the bank and thing he already had acrefree. The farm breeds for spring bought his first farm for $55,000. It was a age because my mom said I
calves, which are weaned in September according to the phases of the moon. After weaning, calves are feed on the farm for 45 days with a 14-percent protein specialty feed from the Baxter Springs, Kan., Co-Op. The goal is to produce a uniform set of F1 calves, which mature at an appropriate size with a perfect ribeye and the best marbling in order to meet the high expectations of the buyer’s consumers. Another requirement from the buyer is to have IMI electronic tags so each animal’s efficiency and health can be tracked back to Teddie’s farm and the calf’s sire. For each calf crop, an auditor from IMI visits the farm to verify the calves. The process serves both Teddie and the buyer by ensuring that Teddie has followed all procedures and the buyer is certain the calves are what he wants. The buyer then sends a semi to pick up the calves, and they are fed to maturity with the buyer maintaining production data on each calf. The system produces a load of 85 to 95 calves headed for Texas, with the Andrews retaining enough calves — Continued on Next Page
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MAY 4, 2020
The Ozarks’ Most Read Farm Newspaper
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