Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, is embarking on a unique venture to revolutionize beef production. Taking to his Facebook and Instagram platforms, Zuckerberg announced his foray into cattle ranching on his estate located on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The tech mogul expressed his aspiration to produce some of the highest quality beef globally, utilizing a combination of wagyu and angus cattle. The distinctive aspect of his approach involves feeding the cattle macadamia meal and providing them with homegrown beer.
In his social media posts, Zuckerberg shared a picture of himself savoring a meal featuring the beef from his ranch. “The cattle are wagyu and angus, and they’ll grow up eating macadamia meal and drinking beer that we grow and produce here on the ranch,” he explained in the post. This unconventional practice draws inspiration from Japanese cattle farming, where beer is occasionally given to cows to stimulate their appetite during the summer, when factors like temperature and humidity can reduce their food intake.
Zuckerberg disclosed that the cattle on his ranch would consume between 5,000 and 10,000 pounds of macadamia nuts annually. To meet this demand, he emphasized the need for a substantial expanse of macadamia trees, indicating the scale of his agricultural endeavors. Involving his family in the project, Zuckerberg mentioned that his daughters contribute to planting and caring for the macadamia trees and other animals on the ranch.
Highlighting his commitment to a local and vertically integrated process, Zuckerberg aims to create a self-sufficient farming system. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines vertical integration in farming as an approach where farming activities take place indoors, and crops are grown in stacked layers using artificial growing systems.
The location for this ambitious cattle ranching project is Zuckerberg’s extensive estate in Kauai, which he acquired in 2014. Initially spanning 700 acres, the estate has grown to about 1,500 acres, encompassing the ranch and a public beach. However, Zuckerberg has faced scrutiny over the years for his land acquisitions on the island. In 2017, he publicly apologized in a Kauai newspaper op-ed and pledged to drop lawsuits that were seen as pressuring Native Hawaiians to sell their land.
Beyond his agricultural pursuits, Zuckerberg’s Hawaiian estate has been in the spotlight due to reports of an underground bunker being constructed on the property. According to Wired, everyone involved in the bunker project, including carpenters, painters, electricians, and security personnel, is bound by strict nondisclosure agreements, prohibiting them from revealing details about the construction.
While Zuckerberg’s cattle ranching venture may appear unconventional for a tech executive, it reflects a growing interest among high-profile individuals in sustainable and locally sourced food production. The integration of macadamia nuts and homegrown beer adds a distinctive touch to the endeavor, making it a noteworthy experiment in the agricultural domain. As Zuckerberg continues to explore diverse projects beyond the tech industry, his foray into beef production showcases a blend of innovation and sustainability in an unexpected setting.