4 Rivers Akaushi

4 Rivers Akaushi is an excellent story of two families with tremendous skills and opportunities coming together to do even greater things.  Check out our interview with Jeremiah Harris and John Telge of 4 Rivers Akaushi!

John and Elaine started raising ostriches in 1993. They moved our family to the country in 1994, where we built ostrich pens and had our first sets of birds delivered while still working @ a distribution company selling power transmission products. We started selling ostrich meat in the Kansas City area in 1996 to local chefs & and restaurants.

In 2002, Elaine & and I formed “Arrowhead Game Meats LLC.” AKA Arrowhead Specialty Meats. Our goal was to create a meat company that sold natural-type meats, starting with all types of game meats such as ostrich, venison, bison, duck, quail, lamb, and other game. This also led to more mainstream meats such as beef, pork, and chicken, but not just any beef, pork, or chicken. Since we wanted to stay natural, we sourced meats such as Wagyu beef, Piedmontese Beef, Berkshire pork/Duroc Pork, Amish-raised chicken, and many others.

In 2008/2009, we introduced a new line of beef in the Kansas City area called “Akaushi Beef”

from Heartbrand Beef. This new line of meat took off quickly due to its tenderness, taste, and the compelling story behind it. In 2011, Elaine and I took on a new business partner, and together we ran Arrowhead Specialty.

Meats successfully. In 2021, while still selling our natural meats, we purchased our first four fullblood Akaushi heifers. In 2023, Elaine and I decided to sell our share of the business to our business partner and retire from Arrowhead, starting to raise our line of fullblood Akaushi Beef. In the same year, 2023, we began speaking with Rolling H Farms about raising Akaushi Cattle, and together we formed “4 Rivers Akaushi LLC.” We now offer fullblood seedstock, F-1; F2 feeders/fat cattle, and F-1 & F2 heifers/cows.

Jeremiah and Amy Harris in Edgar Springs, Missouri. Since 2017, we have been focused on Akaushi genetics. The Harris farm primarily consists of a cow-calf operation with a strong emphasis on raising replacement heifers. We background our calves and finish approximately 120 fats a year.  We follow best practices for effective and sustainable farming, including rotational grazing, intensive grazing, and freshwater access points

throughout the farm.

We are proud to raise all-natural, prime Akaushi beef with no added

hormones, steroids, or antibiotics. Our goal is to have F1 females produce

F2 feeders and fats for a prime market. 

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