ABOUT US

Our Farm

We begin this story in 2008 with 20 Wagyu calves and Spring-Rock farm. Our farm, in the hills of Vermont overlooking the Connecticut River, New Hampshire, and beyond, is a special place. We think of it as a member of our family, a unique part of our story.

Dr. Sheila Patinkin 
Owner

Sheila is a University of Chicago-trained pediatrician who returned to her native Vermont fifteen years ago. She is now one of the country’s top breeders of DNA parent-certified 100 percent fullblood Wagyu. 

The Team:

Our Practices

Vermont Wagyu produces some of the best beef in the world by pushing the boundary on taste through restorative agricultural management, low-stress handling practices, and data-focused breeding of Wagyu (Japanese Black Cattle).

We Are Caretakers of Happy and Healthy Cattle

Low stress, low stress, low stress-it is a well-researched fact that decreasing stress increases marbling in the Wagyu breed. Our cattle are born on our summer pastures and raised naturally without antibiotics and hormones, just an abundance of Vermont’s verdant grass; one to two acres of pasture per cow-calf pair. 

Healthy cows = happy cows = better marbling 

The Forefront of Wagyu Genetics

We are leaders in the mapping of historic Wagyu lineages in the U.S. and in Australia to better understand the pedigrees of our dams and sires and their genetic influence on marbling. 

What Separates Us from Other Wagyu Breeders

Agriculture Focus

Expert Breeding

Data-Driven

A land first focus is not just right for cattle, it’s right for the community.

We follow the Vermont “Best Agricultural Practice Guidelines” as mandated by the state, including maintaining adequate distancing of our cattle from brook beds, filing yearly Manure Management Plans, and Forest Management Plans along with soil testing.

This amazing breed of cattle has evolved over generations with the potential to produce exquisitely marbled beef with an abundance of tender, juicy flavors.

Vermont Wagyu’s success in harnessing this marbling potential can be measured in our national awards for taste and tenderness: American Royal Reserve Grand Champion, Triple Crown Steak Challenge-Winner of Taste and Tenderness, and the Taste of Vermont People’s Choice Award.

While many breeders only collect data after harvest, our program uses live ultrasound results, DNA information, and phenotypic growth data to make in-time decisions that prioritize the health of the mother and calf.

Our on-farm lab, created by our founder Dr. Sheila Patinkin, gathers statistics on, steer frame size, hip height, rump fat thickness, birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, average daily weight gain, basic marbling scores, all to ensure a best-of-the-best breeding program generation after generation.

Offering  100% Fullblood Wagyu DNA Parent Verification certified through the American Wagyu Association, so you know it’s the real deal.

Our Team

ROGER OSINCHUK 

TOM SNOW

JACKIE FOX

GREG (SKIPPY) DOLLOPH

Supervisor and Farm Manager

Head Mechanic

Office Manager 

Herdsman, Fisher Farm

OUR HISTORY

- In 1790, Spring-Rock Farm was built on historic Parker Hill, overlapping Springfield and Rockingham, Vermont by Father Parker and his son David Fletcher.
- Today, Parker Hill District is a National Historic Site consisting of 25 buildings built in the late 1700s and early 1800s that supported this farming community.
- The Fletcher family resided at Spring-Rock Farm for 96 years, when Frank Fletcher’s widow (son of David), sold the house to George Tanner in 1885.
- The Patinkin family has operated the farm since 2006 and has lovingly reconstructed the barns and fields to accommodate Vermont Wagyu's beef operation on Parker Hill.

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