In the 1980's, Bob made a move that broke from the status quo of the industry. He decided to raise Japanese Wagyu cattle in the United States. This daring move was the genesis of Snake River Farms.

The gamble wasn't focused on a single factor. It wasn't importing rare Japanese Wagyu bulls. It wasn't his plan to crossbreed them with high quality cattle breeds. Rebholtz had a bigger vision: To be a part of every step of the beef process, from the genetics of its groundbreaking cattle to the conversation with customers who would enjoy the products of its commitment to excellence. 

The risk paid off. But it was tough going. Very few chefs had heard of Wagyu, let alone tasted it. In the 1990s, SRF executives had to personally introduce the brand to the county's top chefs - this was long before the era of easy access to the gourmet foods we take for granted today. The need that Snake River Farms was carefully raising was exotic, unusual and hard to find.