Washoe Valley Wagyu
Watershed Ranch loves its cows — and a well-marbled steak.
Nick Colonna has worn a lot of different hats in his lifetime — psychology student, stockbroker, mountain guide, metal fabricator, and, now, rancher.
During the pandemic, as Colonna and his family watched grocery shelves empty in their small town of Loomis, Calif., the insecurity of our food system was laid bare.
“It wasn’t until adult life that my wife and I started thinking about raising cattle and farming in general,” Colonna recalls. “We’d done so many things to mitigate financial risk in our lives, but we hadn’t done anything to really kind of take care of ourselves and our family in the event that something like the pandemic happened. That level of discomfort kind of made what was such an uncomfortable leap for most of our adulthood seem like, ‘OK, now it looks more comfortable.’”
Colonna decided to return to his roots in Nevada, purchasing 58 acres in Washoe Valley, just five minutes from the house where he grew up. Watershed Ranch, named for the drainage basin in which it resides as well as the turning point it represented in the family’s life, is now entering its fourth year with 46 cows and more on the way.
Cow Comfort
Colonna, alongside his wife, Tiffany, and their two children, raises cows that are a genetic mix of Wagyu, a Japanese breed prized for its well-marbled beef, and Black Angus.
“Most of our cows are somewhere north of 75 percent Wagyu,” Colonna explains.
The cows graze on the grass on the ranch for a majority of their lives, and a few months before harvest, that is supplemented with grain.
“We’ve moved away from the malaise of the zero-fat diets of the ’80s and ’90s. We’ve started to understand some concepts about healthy fats and that our bodies need fat,” Colonna notes. “Wagyu beef tends to be really high in omega-3s and omega-6s. Their fat is different from regular domestic Angus fat. It has a lower melting point. On top of that, Wagyu cattle, especially when you get up past 75 percent [genetically], have a tenderer texture.”
Watershed Ranch currently sells its steaks, roasts, and ground beef at Anneke Schat’s Coffee & Pastry in Washoe City and is preparing to open online sales for local purchases (Watershedranch.net). You also can enjoy its beef at Tadaima Shabu Shabu in The Basement in Reno.
“The first couple of years have been the highest of highs and the lowest of lows,” Colonna says. “Our first winter, every calf that was born died of hypothermia.”
But the challenge has been its own reward, and the help of family members and mentors with decades of experience has been invaluable.
“The most surprising thing has been how much we enjoy the cows,” Colonna adds. “Maybe it’s a rough day or I’m in a bad mood, and I’ll go out and visit the cows. And when I go out to see them, they just bring such a smile to my face. They are excited to see me. They want me to pet and scratch them. We just love that.”
Ingredients
- 1 Wagyu rib eye steak
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring the steak to room temperature before cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat your grill or heavy stovetop pan over high heat. Sear the rib eye for 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until a caramelized crust develops. Rest the steak for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to retain juices.
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