Category: Industry News

Real Kansas Meats Becomes Licensed Authentic Wagyu Partner

Posted on by A.Miller-Cattle-Admin

Real Kansas Meats Becomes Licensed Authentic Wagyu Certified Beef Partner

May 13, 2026 – Real Kansas Meats will be a licensed Packer Partner for the Authentic Wagyu Certified Beef Program
Real Kansas Meats, a leader in traceable, ranch-raised premium beef from the heart of Kansas, is now a licensed Packing
Plant for the Authentic Wagyu Certified Beef Program which is a USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) G-162
Specification. This collaboration with the American Wagyu Association’s Authentic Wagyu program marks a significant
milestone for both entities. Real Kansas Meats is one of the first packing facilities to become a licensed Authentic Wagyu
partner.

What the USDA G-162 Wagyu Standard Requires

The G-162 Specification, effective January 2025, sets the highest bar for Wagyu certification. It requires compliance to
the American Wagyu Association’s live animal standards, U.S. Prime grading with a minimum marbling score of
Moderately Abundant or higher that exceeds most beef quality standards. This ensures exceptional and consistent
eating quality, tenderness, and flavor for discerning consumers and chefs.

“Real Kansas Meats is committed to showcasing the exceptional quality that Kansas ranchers can produce,” said Andy
Miller, Chief Executive Officer at Real Kansas Meats. “Becoming the first facility in the state licensed for the Authentic
Wagyu program is a gamechanger. It combines our commitment to transparency, traceability, and quality with the
rigorous standards of the American Wagyu Association’s Authentic Wagyu program, giving producers, buyers, and
consumers’ confidence in every cut.”

Tony Anderson, Livestock Procurement Director said, “Kansas ranchers raise some of the finest cattle in the nation, and
we built Real Kansas Meats to ensure they receive the best value and recognition for their efforts.” The program aligns
with the Real Kansas Meat’s mission to support Kansas producers by capturing premium value and provide consumers
with premium cuts that highlight the state’s renowned beef heritage. This will strengthen Kansas’s position in the
premium beef market and support local ranchers by keeping more value within the state.

Real Kansas Meats invites producers to learn more about program participation in Real Kansas Meats’ Authentic Wagyu
program. Visit realkansasmeats.com, or contact Tony Anderson, Livestock Procurement at
tonyaderson@realkansasmeats.com.

About Real Kansas Meats

Real Kansas Meats connects Kansas ranchers with premium markets through fully traceable,
USDA-inspected beef programs. Focused on quality, transparency, and sustainability, the company delivers high-end
beef products that reflect the best of the Kansas prairie.

About American Wagyu Association

American Wagyu Association is a premier breed organization dedicated to
advancing Wagyu cattle in the United States of America. As a member driven, not-for-profit association it upholds
rigorous standards for breed integrity, genetic authenticity and DNA traceability while promoting education, research
and marketing Authentic Wagyu beef.

Back to Home

CERES TAG and Think Digital Partner to Deliver Biosecurity

Posted on by A.Miller-Cattle-Admin

CERES TAG and Think Digital Partner to Deliver AI-Powered Biosecurity Detection and Response

Cattle producers are set to benefit from a powerful new capability in livestock biosecurity surveillance, detection and response with a collaboration between CERES TAG and Think Digital’s RemoteVet ai platform.

This partnership brings together CERES TAG’s direct-to-satellite livestock monitoring technology with Think Digital’s RemoteVet mobile application to provide producers with a comprehensive, end-to-end biosecurity solution. The combined platform enables early detection and monitoring of serious biosecurity threats, including New World Screwworm (NWS), Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), Lumpy skin disease (LSD), and Buffalo fly, with the flexibility to expand to additional risks.

CERES TAG’s plug-and-play, direct-to-satellite solution requires no on-ground infrastructure, delivering real-time GPS location and behavioural insights from livestock in even the most remote environments. The system continuously monitors each animal and provides daily reporting across key metrics, including eating time, rumination, walking, resting, drinking, and total grazing time, alongside high and no-activity alerts that can indicate distress, illness, or mortality.

How the RemoteVet App Works

By analyzing these behavioral patterns alongside location data, producers can identify significant deviations that may signal the onset of a biosecurity event, often well before it is detectable through conventional inspection methods. While traditional passive monitoring systems can take up to six days to detect an active incursion, CERES TAG enables detection within 24-48 hours, dramatically improving response time and reducing the risk of spread.

Once an alert is triggered, producers can use the RemoteVet mobile application to assess the animal in the field. Using the forward facing camera on a mobile, the user can capture a photo of their animal. The app’s AI engine then analyses the image, highlights areas of concern, and returns a confidence-based assessment of the likely condition. Producers can then choose to notify their veterinarian, biosecurity authorities, or both, ensuring rapid escalation, expert validation, and appropriate action.

This integrated approach reduces the burden on producers to make high-stakes decisions while enabling veterinarians and authorities to prioritise resources more effectively. It also introduces a “no-fault” pathway for escalation, supporting faster reporting and improved overall biosecurity outcomes.

Industry Leaders Highlight Benefits of RemoteVet

Kat Bidstrup, CEO of Think Digital, said that providing producers with useful tools to help detect and report biosecurity concerns is the key driver of the partnership.

“Workers on the frontline need practical support to identify and triage unfamiliar conditions in their livestock. We know early detection and response is key to preventing widespread outbreaks that could devastate our livestock industry.

“We’re excited by the potential of this partnership with CERES TAG to improve biosecurity preparedness.”’

David Smith, CEO of CERES TAG, said the partnership represents a step-change in how the industry manages biosecurity risk.

“Compulsory culling of livestock in infected or adjacent zones, regardless of individual animal status, has historically resulted in significant and often unnecessary losses,” he said. “With this capability, we can move toward more accurate and time-sensitive assessments, potentially saving millions of animals during an outbreak.

“We now have the ability to remotely detect, monitor, and assess biosecurity risks in near real time, providing producers, veterinarians, and authorities with the confidence to act early. This can be the difference between losing entire herds and preserving valuable livestock.

“Too much has been lost in the past. By combining CERES TAG with RemoteVet.ai, we are creating a pathway for governments and industry to adopt digital detection systems that reduce risk, protect supply chains, and safeguard billions of dollars in economic value.”

RemoteVet.ai is now available alongside CERES TAG for integration into government and industry biosecurity frameworks, supporting proactive risk management and faster response capabilities across the livestock sector.

About CERES TAG

CERES TAG is a global leader in direct-to-satellite livestock monitoring, delivering real-time animal data and insights without the need for on-ground infrastructure.

About Think Digital

Think Digital is an innovative technology company focusing on developing technology-driven solutions that improve decision-making, efficiency, and outcomes across industries, including agriculture and biosecurity.

Back To Home

UnCommon Energy Helps Farmers Take Control of Energy Development

Posted on by A.Miller-Cattle-Admin

UnCommon Farms Launches UnCommon Energy to Help Farmers Take Control of Energy Development on Their Land

Brighton, IL — May 07, 2026 — UnCommon Farms announced the launch of UnCommon Energy, a new business unit built to help farmers reduce energy costs and take control of farmland energy development opportunities and capture more of the long-term value tied to their land. The move expands UnCommon Farms’ capabilities into one of the most important and rapidly evolving areas of farm business: energy.

UnCommon Energy is anchored in the same farmer-owned foundation as UnCommon Farms. Its owners are farm operators within the UnCommon Farms network, shaping how the business evaluates opportunities, structures projects, and prioritizes long-term outcomes. That structure allows the company to approach energy development differently than traditional developers, with a focus on ownership, transparency, and alignment with the farmer.

To build the business, UnCommon Farms assembled a team of experienced startup operators, led by Managing Director Jack Scatizzi. In other words, UnCommon Energy combines that entrepreneurial mindset of moving fast, staying nimble, and scaling with purpose with the credibility and trusted relationships of the UnCommon Farms network. The result is a business uniquely positioned at the intersection of agriculture and energy.

Farmers today face mounting pressure from low commodity prices and rising input costs, while electricity and fuel prices climb and access to reliable power becomes less certain. At the same time, demand for new energy infrastructure is accelerating, and rural land is increasingly at the center of that growth. Too often, developers seek long-term control of farmland through complex lease agreements that transfer most of the value away from the land and the people who steward it.

“Farms today are complex businesses, and energy is quickly becoming a critical layer of that business,” said Matt Ronken, CEO of UnCommon Farms. “UnCommon Energy is a natural extension of our mission, giving farmers the clarity and capability to make smart decisions in a space that is moving quickly.”

In practice, UnCommon Energy works directly with farmers to evaluate opportunities on their land, starting with the areas where energy costs are highest. The team designs and implements behind-the-meter solutions (on-site systems that reduce what you draw from the grid) that can immediately reduce on-farm energy expenses. From there, the team helps farmers assess larger-scale opportunities tied to their land, ensuring they understand their options, maintain control, and participate meaningfully in the value being created.

“Too often, energy developers approach farmers with agreements that transfer most of the value away from the land,” said Jack Scatizzi, Managing Director of UnCommon Energy. “We believe the people who steward the land should be the ones who benefit from it.”

UnCommon Energy is working with farmers to evaluate on-farm energy solutions and longer-term development opportunities, with early projects focused on reducing energy costs and establishing a foundation for broader energy strategies. The company is also building relationships with cooperatives, developers, and capital partners to support projects that align with farmer ownership and long-term value creation.

Farm families ready to understand what their land is worth in today’s energy market can schedule a consultation online at uncommon.energy or by calling 618-372-7427.

About UnCommon Farms

UnCommon Farms supports producers across North America by providing the expertise, resources, and community they need to build profitable, sustainable farming operations. As a result, through business coaching, peer networks, and strategic partnerships, UnCommon Farms helps members secure their legacy and position their operations for long-term, multi-generational success.

About UnCommon Energy

UnCommon Energy, a subsidiary of UnCommon Farms, is a farmer-backed energy company focusing on helping producers reduce energy costs and capture more value from their land. Led by a team of experienced startup operators, the company designs and implements on-farm energy solutions while evaluating and structuring larger, grid-scale opportunities built around a simple principle: farmers should own the development on their land, not lease it to outside developers.

Back to Home

Skip to content