A central Illinois rancher says diversifying his first-generation operation to meet consumer demand is growing his business.

Sawyer Cottrell started Legacy Ranch in Eureka, Illinois in 2021, and says he found a market in Wagyu beef…

“I wasn’t really making any money selling commercial cattle to the sale barn, and one thing that I’ve learned is that the money is made where the relationship is at.”  He says, “So if I have a meat store, people are coming to me because they trust me, and they trust that we have a good product.

…