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In 2001, the couple moved to the United States, settling in Sturgis, Michigan, to start their own dairy farm. It might have stayed that way had Marjolein been able to get a specific Christmas present back in 2016. “She wanted to get this big tomahawk wagyu steak for me, but the company was out of stock until the spring,” Mario vanderHulst said. “I thought that maybe we could try to make it ourselves.
Mario was adamant from the beginning about treating the cows well. “This is not a big feedlot style of production,” Mario said. “We give them a sophisticated wagyu diet to shoot up tenderness and marbling. We know a couple of wagyu gurus that help us to create the right rations.”While the vanderHulsts were impressed by the beef from their cows, they were still focused on the dairy. Mario credits James Gray for helping them take the full wagyu plunge.