Texas Farm Credit Customer Stephanie Martinez Selected for National AWARD Leadership Program

Texas Farm Credit customer Stephanie Martinez, co-owner of 2F Akaushi Beef in Santa Elena, joined 40 other women leaders from across the country for the Advancing Women in Agriculture through Resilience & Distinction program, known as AWARD. The national leadership development experience was held Aug. 31 through Sept. 3, 2026, on the historic grounds of Gettysburg in recognition of the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

A special session of the FCCS Women of Distinction Program, AWARD blends historical lessons in decision-making, legacy-building and resilience with modern leadership strategies. During the four-day experience, participants strengthened their leadership skills, learned from one another and reflected on the influence of women in American agriculture.

Each participant was nominated by her respective Farm Credit bank or association in recognition of her dedication to agriculture and demonstrated leadership. The cohort included Farm Credit customers, directors and employees representing institutions from across the country. Martinez was selected to represent Texas Farm Credit.

“These women are not only leaders in the fields they tend, but in the futures they cultivate,” said Christy Seyfert, president and CEO of the Farm Credit Council.

Martinez and her husband, Felo, own and operate 2F Akaushi Beef at Rancho Santa Fe in Santa Elena, south of San Isidro, Texas. Their multigenerational ranching operation has raised commercial cattle since 1984 on a family ranch whose history dates to 1927. Today, the Martinezes specialize in premium beef produced with Certified Akaushi Wagyu genetics.

Facing rising production costs, volatile cattle markets and shrinking margins, the family made the difficult decision to move beyond traditional commodity cattle production. They developed a vertically integrated, ranch-to-table business that gives them greater control over their product, pricing and relationship with consumers. The family oversees each stage of production, including breeding, weaning, DNA verification, feeding, processing and distribution, helping ensure quality and traceability from the ranch to the customer’s table. Their beef is sold to households, restaurants and grocers across Texas and nationwide.

That transition moved the family from being price takers in the traditional cattle market to price setters with a differentiated, value-added product. Their business, Felito’s Finest Meats LLC, operates as 2F Akaushi Beef. The name honors both Felo’s grandfather, Felix Flores, who purchased Rancho Santa Fe in 1927, and the couple’s late son, Felix “Felito” Martinez, whose memory remains an important part of the family’s operation and its continued legacy.

As longtime customers, the Martinezes credit Texas Farm Credit with supporting them as they launched the value-added business and worked to create a more stable, sustainable future for the ranch.

“Texas Farm Credit has just been a tremendous help for us over the years,” – Stephie Martinez

“Stephanie embodies the resilience, innovation and commitment to agriculture that the AWARD program was created to recognize,” said Mark Miller, chief executive officer of Texas Farm Credit. “She and Felo took a multigenerational cattle operation and built a value-added, ranch-to-table business that gives their family greater control over quality, markets and the future of the ranch. We are proud to serve as their financial partner and to nominate Stephanie for this well-deserved leadership opportunity.”

About Texas Farm Credit

Texas Farm Credit is a leading agricultural lending cooperative serving rural communities across 101 Texas counties. As part of the nationwide Farm Credit System, established in 1916, Texas Farm Credit provides competitive financing, mortgage, and insurance solutions to farmers, ranchers, rural residents, and agribusinesses.