By Marilyn Tinnin, Magnolia Tribune
Black Jack Ranch is a great place for a day trip, no matter where you’re coming from. Bring a cooler or two, because you won’t leave empty-handed.
For steak connoisseurs, this Mississippi treasure is worth knowing.
Just thirty minutes south of Hattiesburg, near Highway 49 in Wiggins, Mississippi, Black Jack Ranch is changing what people expect from a farm-to-market store. The ranch has around 600 cattle, a careful breeding program, and some of the top Wagyu genetics from the United States and Australia.
Wagyu simply means Japanese cow. It might not sound fancy at first, but these cattle are famous for their top-quality beef, which is evenly marbled with rich, buttery fat. The result is juicy, tender meat every time. You really can taste the difference!
Robert St. John, Mississippi’s favorite son, restaurateur, author, and food expert, recently visited the ranch for his live podcast and later wrote about Black Jack Ranch in his weekly column. His glowing review led to such high demand for their Wagyu hamburger meat that the farm store sold out and had to start a waiting list!
Kim Howard, the Ranch Manager, has a fascinating background and a deep knowledge of cattle breeding. She moved to Mississippi after living in California and Texas. Kim grew up as a ‘farm kid,’ and from a young age, she learned the value of hard work, developed a love for farm life, and found satisfaction in caring for livestock and seeing the results of her efforts.
Following various careers as a policeman in Los Angeles, a ranch owner in Texas, a United States Department of Agriculture Meat Inspector, a manager of a beef processing plant, and an entrepreneur who sold her successful specialty prepared food business, Kim accepted the invitation of Rick Carter, an old acquaintance from Mississippi, to come to Mississippi and help him sort out a few things at his growing cattle ranch.
Kim is a rare expert who has worked in every part of the cattle industry, from raising animals to preparing meat for the table. She can break down a side of beef in any way needed. When talking about her career, she often says, “It was a great opportunity to learn.” For decades, Kim has made it a habit to keep learning new skills.
Kim originally planned to work with Rick Carter at Black Jack Ranch for only a short time. But soon, she became the manager of the ranch. She also runs the Black Jack Farm Store, where you can find home-baked breads, side dishes, and every cut of meat from their top cattle. The store even has a section with soap and natural beauty products made from beef tallow.
Black Jack grows three species of cattle. Besides the elite Waygu, there are Black Angus and F1, a mix that is 50% Angus and 50% Waygu. It offers the rich flavor of the Waygu at a lower price point. The flavor and texture of each breed are unique, and in mating them, the genetic tracking is meticulous. If it is important to you to know the source of your meat, Black Jack Ranch can tell you down to the actual mama and daddy who produced the steak you buy in the Farm Store! Kim says that if there is ever a complaint about a particular piece of meat lacking in flavor or tenderness, she will know not to mate that female with that male again.
Black Jack Ranch is home to LMR Samurai 1749J, one of the top fullblood Wagyu herd sires in the country.
He even has his own YouTube video. The Texas Wagyu Association reports that he sold for $160,000 in 2022. The ranch also has two of the highest-ranked Wagyu females in the world. Boni 413M is ranked number one in the world for marbling. The other female, S Yuriko 412M, is in the top one percent worldwide for muscle, yield, and marbling. These qualities are important to anyone who knows about beef genetics.
By using selective in vitro fertilization and embryo transfers to surrogate cows, Black Jack Ranch keeps a steady supply of prime beef all year.
The cattle at Black Jack Ranch are raised on grass and finished on grain. There is a reason for this approach. Black Jack follows a ‘never-ever program,’ as Kim explains, meaning they never use hormones or antibiotics.
Black Jack Ranch is a great place for a day trip, no matter where you’re coming from. Bring a cooler or two, because you won’t leave empty-handed.
The market store is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. On Saturdays, you can visit the farmer’s market from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., where they sell Wagyu and Black Angus meat, baked goods, sides, local produce, and soap.
Every other Saturday, the food truck is there, serving Black Jack’s soon-to-be-famous Smashburger, the Big Daddy Double, and French fries cooked in beef tallow. Be sure to visit their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram. This might be my favorite discovery of 2026!