It’s a long way from living in London, England to Ramseur, North Carolina, but in the early 2000s, the Moss family returned to the USA and launched Windy Hill Farms with less than 100 acres and a handful of cows.
The family operation began as a commercial cattle herd but quickly transitioned to a registered Angus seedstock operation. In 2018, Will Moss stepped into the farm’s management role from his father Mike, and they expanded the operation to 524 acres and 135 registered Black Angus females. Growth plans are in place to move to 175 registered females in the near term.
In 2022, Windy Hill Farms diversified their operation and became a valued Powered by Vytelle™ satellite location, offering a complete range of hormone-free IVF services. Their rapid growth as a satellite operation led to them opening a second collection site in 2024 in Gretna, Virginia. A third collection site in Bland, Virginia is currently under consideration. The Moss’ are continuing to diversify their operations with an ag-tourism-based, on-farm event center where they showcase and share agricultural history and technology advancement with their community.
“My dad, a plant pathologist and agronomist passed on his passion for agriculture,” Will says. “I think this passion helps set us apart. Seeing agriculture in action and the technological advances first-hand, have demonstrated how our partnership with Vytelle has quickly increased the genetic potential and added value in our customers’ herds.”
Transforming into a Complete Reproductive Ecosystem
“We work closely with our clients by scheduling their OPUs, collecting their donors, making their embryos, and handling the logistics, paperwork, and billing,” Will says. While Windy Hill Farms currently offers on-farm collections and limited embryo implant events, they’re building momentum with future plans for donor housing and potentially a full-fledged recipient herd to create a comprehensive reproductive services company to support their customers.
The satellite center has successfully collected over 350 donors in the past 2 years, including on-farm collections. Together with Vytelle, they’re showcasing East Coast genetics in ways many producers hadn’t considered before.
“We make it personal, more face-to-face which I enjoy as I love talking about cattle,” Will says. “Our clients seem to like this as well, and they get a chance to show off their cows which everyone loves.”
Data-Driven Success
The satellite location leverages Vytelle’s comprehensive data tools and performance metrics to optimize results. Through Vytelle’s integrated platform, Will’s team can access each donor’s complete history, analyze past performance with different sire combinations, and use the mating advisor to help clients make informed breeding decisions. This data-driven approach allows Moss and his clients to focus on two key outcomes that matter most to producers: higher pregnancy success rates and genetic advancements in their herds. They provide comprehensive tracking of every step – from oocyte collection to embryo transfers and pregnancy rates to live calf numbers.
“We’re putting this data in their hands, showing what’s working and how we can deliver higher expectations and outcomes more easily,” he says.
Technology Simplifying Genetic Progress
The evolution of reproductive practices over the last three years has been transformative, Will explains. The industry has moved from conventional embryo work through early IVF versions with FSH protocols, to Vytelle’s hormone-free process requiring no donor preparation. Clients are amazed by the simplicity – they just schedule and bring their donors, eliminating the typical time-consuming, cattle management protocols of the past.
“It’s opened opportunities, especially for those folks working off-farm,” he says. “They spend 15 minutes with me and get back to their life. With high cattle prices, the benefits of the Vytelle IVF process helps accelerate their genetics faster and receive the premiums from higher quality cattle. We’re a collaborative partner to help with this.”
Will emphasizes that successful IVF programs start with solid nutrition for both donors and recipients. He advises clients to select proven fertile recipients with strong maternal records. Flexibility in sire selection is also crucial – producers utilizing Vytelle’s extensive sire embryo production database can help optimize embryo production rates.
“Be flexible with your original mating ideas, as they’ll be successful as long as they’re backed by data,” he says. “Beyond that, talk, sing, and pay attention to the cows. Those spending lots of time with their animals will do well.”
Vytelle: Advancing Genetic Progress for Operations of All Sizes
Will highlights how Vytelle’s position as a leading reproductive technology company strengthens their ability to serve operations of all sizes. Their OPU technicians demonstrate their expertise by sharing the collection process with clients, from chute-side to lab procedures. He values their prompt post-collection reporting and outcome-based pricing model, ensuring producers get measurable value. Expert support is always just a call away.
“Vytelle answers the phone and willingly discusses issues until they’re resolved,” Will says. “Access to live customer support is a huge advantage for every step including arranging and tracking embryo shipments. All the pieces fit nicely delivering the best reproductive service experience possible.”
