Dream Come True: Fales chases lifelong cattle business dream through Wyoming Authentic Products
Wyoming Authentic Products Founder David Fales has always loved Wyoming and cattle. Fales was born in Cody in 1949 and grew up helping his father raise cattle on the family farm and ranch on Heart Mountain, allowing him to gain a great respect for Wyoming ranchers.
“My grandparents, great-grandparents and nine-month-old father came by train from Missouri in 1918 and homesteaded in Deaver, where they farmed and raised cattle in the rugged environment,” David states.
“I always dreamed of doing something in the cattle and ranching business. Although my food industry business career took me across the U.S., Canada and into Europe, my childhood desire to return home to Wyoming never left,” he adds.
After almost 30 years of working with value-added food products, from potatoes, yogurt and produce, David returned to Cody in 2009 to help his elderly father. Shortly after, his father passed away and David, at age 62, decided to stay in Cody.
Working together, he and his wife Kristine founded Wyoming Authentic Products, paying tribute to his heritage and Wyoming’s ranching and beef industry, which were near and dear to him.
David has always loved the Wyoming cattle industry and remembers the delicious beef he grew up eating. Today, he shares his passion with others by providing great-tasting, nutritious beef sticks and beef jerky products.
His dream has become a reality, as Wyoming Authentic beef is sold across the U.S. and Canada.
Wyoming Authentic Products, LLC is a specialty branded beef company featuring “Wyoming Authentic Beef – All Natural Grass-Fed Angus” exclusively from Wyoming ranches.
The vision
By October 2013, Wyoming Authentic Products opened its 6,000 square-foot value-added meat processing facility in Cody, the first U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-approved plant in Wyoming, and started production of high-quality, all-natural Wyoming Angus beef snack products.
“We will be celebrating our 10th anniversary next month in October,” David shares. “With the help of a grant from Wyoming through Forward Cody and our dedicated investor, we have the ability to utilize a state-of-the-art processing plant, which allows us to make and market our natural products. Our plant is also Safe Quality Food certified, which helps us ensure maximum quality.”
The USDA-certified facility allows the company to produce delicious Wyoming verified Angus beef snacks, hand cut and hand packaged in Cody, but shipped nationwide and into Canada.
Wyoming Authentic Products
David explains Wyoming Authentic Products exclusively sources cattle from generational ranches across Wyoming with precise specifications, which include cattle must be raised and grass-fed in Wyoming. All of the ranches they source from are valued and greatly respected.
While the company produces beef bites, beef sticks and jerky in its own Wyoming Authentic brand, it also co-packs and private labels these types of products for other companies across the U.S. as well.
The company’s natural beef products come in a range of flavors including cowboy hickory smoked Angus beef sticks, fired-up jalapeño Angus beef bites, sweet and spicy Angus beef jerky and honey barbecue Angus beef sticks.
To sample all of these zesty flavors, customers can purchase a variety pack.
Wyoming Authentic beef comes in various package types. Customers can purchase a campfire family pack or pick up the bulk stick variety pack, which includes flavors like wild ginger and original jalapeño as well.
David explains, “Our products can be purchased on our webpage, Amazon and in stores like Sprouts Farmersʼ Markets nationwide, Natural Grocers and even in most Wyoming Walmart’s, as well as other locations across the state. Our customers value our natural products, all sourced from local ranches.”
“We greatly value the relationships we have with our consumers and retailers,” David concludes. “The industry is very competitive, and we are grateful for all we have.”
For more information about Wyoming Authentic Products, visit wyominggourmetbeef.com.
Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
