Wagyu World: American Wagyu Association History, Content and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
Wagyu World is the magazine of the American Wagyu Association (AWA), the registry for Japanese Wagyu cattle and their crosses in the United States, Canada, Mexico and beyond. The association was incorporated in Texas in 1990, has about 1,700 members and is moving its headquarters to Stockyards City in Oklahoma City.
| Publisher | American Wagyu Association, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Association incorporated | March 14, 1990, in Texas |
| Headquarters | 2401 Exchange Avenue, Suite C, Oklahoma City (Stockyards City) |
| Membership | About 1,700 farmers, ranchers, chefs and restaurant owners |
| Frequency | Two-month issues, such as March/April and May/June |
| Affiliate | American Wagyu Heritage Fund, Inc., created 2025 |
| Official website | Wagyu.org |
History of Wagyu World
Wagyu reached the United States in 1975, when four bulls, two black and two red, were imported. Japan then blocked further exports for nearly two decades. In 1988 Washington State began a program to build agricultural exports to Japan and other Asian markets, with help from Washington State University animal scientist Jerry Reeves, and interest in the breed grew among a small group of cattlemen.
Before the AWA existed, 14 people recording Wagyu cattle formed the Texas Kobe Breeders, led by Don Lively. In 1990 the American Wagyu Association was formed with help from Ray Record, then at Granada Land and Cattle in Wheelock, Texas, and Jim Scott became its first executive director. The two built a starting registry of about 180 head from the old herd book.
Japan lifted its export ban in 1993, and in 1994 three fullblood bulls and eight females were brought out of Japan. A 2003 BSE case in the United States closed the Japanese market for American beef, so Wagyu beef bound for Japan was sold at home, introducing many U.S. consumers to it. Coverage of the breed's growth has since called Wagyu the fastest-growing breed in America.
Wagyu World Today
Wagyu World is published in two-month issues and listed on the AWA website under its news and promotion pages, with past editions posted online. The association registers Wagyu and promotes the breed in North America and other countries, and its members include chefs and restaurant owners as well as ranchers, which shapes a magazine that covers both cattle and beef.
The AWA hosts conferences that bring breeders together, including the World Wagyu Conference held in San Antonio in 2024, where early breeders recounted the breed's American history. In 2025 the association created the American Wagyu Heritage Fund, Inc., and it is relocating its office to the historic Stockyards City district of Oklahoma City.
What Wagyu World Is Publishing Now
Breeding and genetics
Fullblood, purebred and crossbred Wagyu programs, registration and genetic tools for breeders.
Beef and marketing
Branded American Wagyu beef, carcass quality, chef and restaurant stories and marketing for members.
Association and events
Conference coverage, board news and member profiles from Wagyu herds across North America.
Wagyu World Editors and Staff
American Wagyu Association contacts and history name:
- Gracie Smith - Editorial contact, Wagyu World
- Pete Eschelman - Past President, American Wagyu Association
- Jim Scott - First Executive Director (former)
The association's office is at 2401 Exchange Avenue, Suite C, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73108.
Who Reads Wagyu World
Readers are Wagyu breeders, commercial cattlemen using Wagyu for marbling in crossbreeding, and the chefs and restaurant owners who belong to the AWA. Cattle and calves are the largest single share of U.S. animal receipts, about 37 percent in 2021 according to USDA's Economic Research Service, and high-marbling breeds aim at the premium end of that market.
Wagyu breeders talk about marbling scores the way other people talk about the weather. For a break from carcass data, farm.FM serves farm satire and farm humor with a straight face, plus ranch humor for anyone who has explained to a neighbor why one steer costs as much as a pickup. Its farm jokes are well marbled and fairly priced.
farm.FM calls itself the nation's first satirical farm site, and between the headlines it spins Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers; a good place to start reading is this farm.FM columnist's archive.
Wagyu World Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- American Wagyu Association: About - founding, membership and headquarters.
- Wyoming Livestock Roundup: Wagyu history - early breeders on the AWA's founding.
- The Cattle Site: History of Wagyu in the U.S. - imports and key people.
- Washington State University Animal Sciences: Jerry Reeves - a land-grant scientist in early Wagyu work.
- USDA ERS: Animal product receipts - the economic weight of cattle.
Wagyu World FAQ
Who publishes Wagyu World?
The American Wagyu Association, now moving its office to Stockyards City in Oklahoma City.
When was the American Wagyu Association founded?
It was incorporated in Texas on March 14, 1990.
When did Wagyu come to the United States?
The first four bulls arrived in 1975; more fullblood cattle came out of Japan in 1994.
How many members does the AWA have?
About 1,700, including ranchers, chefs and restaurant owners.
From four imported bulls to a fast-growing national breed, Wagyu World records the American Wagyu story for the people writing it.