Where Food Comes From (NASDAQ:WFCF) reported year-over-year revenue growth and a return to profitability in its fiscal 2026 first quarter, as management highlighted demand for verification and certification services despite ongoing pressure in the cattle industry.
On the company’s earnings call, CEO John Saunders said verification and certification revenue rose 6% in the quarter to $4.4 million from $4.2 million a year earlier. Product sales increased slightly to $713,000 from $702,000. Total revenue rose nearly 2% year over year to $5.4 million.
RaiseWell Launch Adds Beef Certification Revenue
A key focus of the call was the company’s RaiseWell program, which Saunders said launched in the first quarter of 2026. The program is designed for brands, high-end retailers and food service operators seeking to market premium protein products verified back to the source of origin as responsibly raised.
According to Saunders, RaiseWell verifies that animals have not been given antibiotics or added hormones and that they have complied with animal care requirements throughout their lives. He said the launch “has gone very well thus far,” with Whole Foods Market becoming the first major retailer to adopt the program for its beef supply.
Saunders said the program is already generating “meaningful revenue.” He also noted that RaiseWell is available for other protein categories, including pork, bison, lamb, poultry, eggs and dairy.
Product Sales Hold Up Despite Lower Cattle Volumes
Management said product sales were affected by lower volumes, reflecting fewer head of cattle moving through the system as well as temporary tag subsidies offered to ranchers. Even so, Saunders said product revenue was slightly higher from a year earlier.
He attributed the increase to greater demand for premium tags that provide additional features sought by ranchers. The company had previously discussed disruption in the cattle industry, and Saunders again characterized the current environment as unusual due to a combination of factors.
Animal Traceability Seen as Potential Opportunity
The call also addressed the New World screwworm outbreak affecting the Mexican cattle industry. After a temporary technical interruption caused by Saunders’ international travel, Chief Financial Officer Dannette Henning continued the prepared remarks.
Henning said the outbreak has been moving north and now involves Mexican states bordering Texas. She said the U.S. Department of Agriculture is working to prevent cross-border spread, but added that if spread were to occur, Where Food Comes From believes it is “ideally positioned” to help manage the response.
Henning pointed to the company’s IMI Global unit, which she said maintains an advanced animal traceability system. She also cited the company’s growing partnership with CattleTrace, described as a producer-led private industry database. Together, she said, these capabilities could support contact tracing and help animal health officials identify livestock and locations that may have been exposed to disease.
Non-Beef Categories Continue to Grow
Management said the company is seeing growth outside beef as well. Henning said verification work for pork, dairy and egg operations continued to build momentum in the first quarter.
She also said certification activity increased for organic, non-GMO, gluten-free and upcycled offerings. Henning said the company continues to use its broad portfolio of services to support customers through bundling incentives intended to save time and money.
Company Continues Share Repurchases
Where Food Comes From also continued its stock repurchase program during the quarter. Henning said the company bought back 24,469 shares of common stock in the first quarter at a cost of $293,000.
Since the inception of the plan, including private purchases, the company has repurchased 1,399,121 shares at a total cost of approximately $15.5 million, according to Henning.
The call included no analyst or investor questions. Saunders returned at the end of the call to apologize for the technical difficulties and thanked shareholders, saying the company looked forward to providing another update in three months.
About Where Food Comes From (NASDAQ:WFCF)
Where Food Comes From, Inc (NASDAQ: WFCF) is a food traceability and certification company headquartered in Caldwell, Idaho. Established from a ranch-to-plate verification program launched in 2005, the company now offers a suite of services designed to authenticate product attributes, verify production claims and enhance supply-chain transparency for agricultural producers and food brands.
The company’s core offerings include third-party certification audits, program development, on-farm risk assessments and digital traceability solutions.
