Is grass-fed Wagyu less marbled?

Generally yes, and by design. Most premium Wagyu is grain-finished, which is what drives marbling to the highest bands. Grass-finished cattle marble less and eat leaner, which is a different product rather than a lower-quality one, so comparing the two on marbling alone misses the point of both.

How does Marble Score compare to A5?

They are not equivalent. Marble Score rates marbling only, while A5 is an outcome of the Japanese grading system and applies to cattle graded in Japan. A producer outside Japan cannot hold a Japanese A grade, so a marbling score is the honest way to describe non-Japanese beef.

● Sourcing Transparent

First Light Farms (US)

Online store · ships nationwide

Tier 2 · Provenance-Transparent What the tiers mean

Some links to sellers are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

Shop

Why it's listed

First Light Farms runs a US direct-to-consumer store for its distinctive 100% grass-fed & grass-finished Wagyu of New Zealand genetics, a differentiated angle versus grain-finished sellers. It grades by Marble Score (MBS 2-3 up to 9+) rather than misusing Japanese 'A5', carries Certified Humane and non-GMO credentials, and its steaks have won six gold medals at the World Steak Challenge. Orders ship frozen to all 50 states.

Grass-fed Wagyu is a different product, not a lesser one

First Light sells Wagyu of New Zealand genetics that is, in its own words, 100% grass-fed and finished, alongside certified humane and non-GMO credentials and no antibiotics or hormones. The finishing is the part that matters most to how it eats. Almost all Wagyu sold at the top of this market is grain-finished, which is what drives marbling to the extremes the category is famous for.

Grass-finished cattle marble less. That is not a defect in the beef, it is a consequence of the diet, and it produces a leaner and more mineral-tasting result that a good many people prefer. It does mean that comparing this against a Japanese A5 on marbling alone is comparing two things that were never trying to be the same, and a reader arriving from an A5 page should know that before they are surprised.

It publishes the whole range, including the low end

The catalogue is filterable by Marble Score, and the bands run from MBS 2-3 through MBS 4-5 and MBS 6+ to MBS 9+. Individual products carry their band in the product name, and the price follows the band.

Selling the bottom of your own scale, in public, with the number attached, is rare. The ordinary practice in this category is to advertise the highest score the seller can reach and let it stand for everything on the shelf. Publishing the range instead tells a shopper what they are actually buying and lets them pay less on purpose, which is a more useful kind of honesty than a superlative.

Marble Score is not a Japanese grade

MBS is a marbling scale, and the company uses it rather than reaching for the Japanese A grades. That distinction is easy to lose because both produce a number next to the word Wagyu, but an A grade is an outcome of the Japanese grading system applied to cattle graded in Japan, and it does not travel to New Zealand or anywhere else.

A seller working outside Japan that quotes a marbling score and calls it a marbling score is describing its beef accurately. One that quotes A5 is describing its marketing. This is the former.

Brands carried

First Light

Listed in

Gift boxes

Served at

Wagyu types

New Zealand grass-fed Wagyu (grass-fed & grass-finished, NZ genetics)

Products

100% grass-fed & grass-finished Wagyu graded by Marble Score (MBS 2-3, 4-5, 6+, 9+): ground beef, ribeye and other steaks, burgers, brisket and variety boxes. Certified Humane, non-GMO. Shipped frozen to all 50 states.

Last verified

July 17, 2026

Something wrong with this retailer? Tell us

Common questions

Is grass-fed Wagyu less marbled?: Generally yes, and by design. Most premium Wagyu is grain-finished, which is what drives marbling to the highest bands. Grass-finished cattle marble less and eat leaner, which is a different product rather than a lower-quality one, so comparing the two on marbling alone misses the point of both.
How does Marble Score compare to A5?: They are not equivalent. Marble Score rates marbling only, while A5 is an outcome of the Japanese grading system and applies to cattle graded in Japan. A producer outside Japan cannot hold a Japanese A grade, so a marbling score is the honest way to describe non-Japanese beef.