Raising Sustainable Beef at Arndt Land & Cattle

Austin Arndt farms with his dad and brother at Arndt Land & Cattle in Janesville, Wis. The Arndt family has been farming in Rock County for over 100 years. The Arndts are proud to be raising sustainable beef along with corn, soybeans alfalfa and peppermint.  

The Arndt family is committed to adopting new technology and sustainable farming practices that increase food production for a growing population while enhancing the environment for future generations. 

The team at Arndt Land & Cattle consists of Austin, his brother Abe and their father Bob. Efficiency is key to successfully managing the farm without any additional employees. The trio is always thinking of the most efficient way to run their farm that is good for the cattle and good for their families.  

“We do what we do because we believe in it,” shared Austin. 

The efficiency begins when the cows are bred. Arndts use synchronized artificial insemination to breed all their cows on the same day. Austin uses ultra-sounding to estimate due dates and closely monitors body condition scores throughout the gestation period. The cows are grouped based on their nutrient requirements to be efficient with feeding.  

Calving season begins in December at Arndt Land & Cattle. Austin shared they have better health outcomes in the winter. The calves stay healthy because bacteria and microbe pressure is low.  

Calves are born inside in a controlled, closely monitored environment. This protects the mother cow and the calf from the unpredictable elements that Wisconsin winters bring.  

During peak calving season, 125 calves are born in a span of 45 days. The team is prepared for this baby boom because that is their primary focus during calving season. 

“It’s fun – you don’t mind getting up at 2 a.m. when you’ve put in the work and you get excited to see the results,” said Austin. 

Efficiency continues after the calves are born. The calves stay with their mothers for approximately six months. After they are weaned, the calves stay together in age-based groups like grades at a school. Grouping them by size and age helps them to meet the specific needs of each calf throughout their life and helps the team be more efficient with their feed.  

The land and cattle go hand-in-hand at Arndt Land & Cattle. Arndts grow their own feed to maintain control over their animals’ diets. They feed a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) consisting of silage, alfalfa and pea vines from an area vegetable grower. The vines are a byproduct of pea harvest that would otherwise be wasted but are a valuable feedstuff for the cows. 

The cow-calf pairs rotationally graze on pasture. A group is moved every three days and each paddock “rests” for 45 days after being grazed. The pastures consist of white clover, alfalfa, orchard grass and fescue. 

Grazing is an efficient way to feed the herd of beef cattle. It is also an efficient nutrient management tool because the cows spread their own manure as fertilizer to help the pastures grow.  

“We don’t get any nutritional value from grass, but cows do,” Austin added.  

This system not only feeds the animals efficiently but plays a role in the farm’s environmental stewardship. 

Cattle have a four-chambered stomach that allows them to digest grasses and plants people can’t eat. That makes them the ultimate upcyclers, turning things like hay, silage and leftover pea vines into delicious, nutritious beef. 

As cattle digest their food, their stomach naturally produces a greenhouse gas called methane. It is important to note that this methane is part of a natural carbon cycle. Plants pull carbon from the air, cows eat the plants and their digestion returns methane to the atmosphere. Within about 10 years, that methane breaks down and becomes part of the cycle again. 

Cattle are responsible for less than 2% of greenhouse gas emissions, but the fact remains that cattle produce a lot of methane and reducing any amount will benefit the planet. Practices like grazing don’t just feed cattle efficiently; they also help store carbon in the ground. By improving soil and reducing methane, beef cattle can be part of the climate solution. 

By understanding how cows process feed, Austin sees their role in the broader environmental picture. Caring for the land and animals is second nature to Austin. Their approach reflects what raising sustainable beef looks like — efficient, environmentally conscious and future-focused. 

“There’s things I learned when I was ten years old that I didn’t realize I was learning,” Austin shared.  

Austin is passing that innate knowledge to his children, nieces and nephews as the next generation at Arndt Land and Cattle. 

“Sustainability means this farm is here for the next generation,” added Austin.