Arnold's Farm

See our website for more info. We specialize in the production of grass-fed and grain-fed beef, Berkshire/Duroc hogs, and pastured chicken and turkey.

Arnold's Farm raises grass and grain finished beef, pork, and chicken available for purchase at our farm by appointment, at selected restaurants and retail outlets, or by home delivery to the Chicago area. The Arnold Family Farm is located in the Apple River valley and surrounding hills near Elizabeth, IL, in the heart of beautiful Jo Daviess County. We are the fourth and fifth generation of Arnol

ds to farm this land and take great pride in caring for it. We strive to produce our products in harmony with the natural environment and use systems that need few commercial inputs, such as rotational grazing for the livestock and crop rotations for the fields. We bring our food products to you just the way we would want to eat them ourselves. We prefer chemical– and antibiotic-free food which is pure and wholesome, yet tender with good texture and excellent flavor. No mammalian by-products are used in our livestock feeds. Our beef and pork are processed by A.J.’s Lena Maid Meats in Lena, IL, a USDA-inspected processing plant with an excellent reputation and packaged in easy to use size portions. The poultry is dressed by Central Illinois Poultry Processing, Arthur, IL, also a USDA-inspected processor. We think you will find our meat a pure, fresh, and flavorful product. We encourage your comments and questions. We are open by appointment, or you can order online at www.arnoldsfarm.com or www.jdlf.org.

03/22/2026

Forest Regeneration Tour
On Saturday, March 28th, at 1:00 pm, the Northwest Illinois Forestry Association will host a tour of natural forest regeneration on past timber harvest sites at the Tom and Jessica Arnold Tree Farm northeast of Elizabeth, IL. Selective walnut harvests performed in 2018, 2010, and 2008 will be viewed as well as 2011/2012 fifteen-acre and 1995 four-acre hardwood clear cuts. Forester Kevin Oetkin of Woodland Forestry Inc., Monmouth IA, who consulted on each harvest, will review the selection and bid-for-sale process. He will also discuss how timber sales fit into the Arnold Farm Forest Management Plan with trees marked for sale in 2026. Trails have been groomed by Andy Phillips of Noble’s Grove Land Management, Stillman Valley, IL, who will be on site to explain his services.
Dress for hiking hills, primitive trails, and possible wet conditions. For day of tour confirmation or last-minute changes, check out the “Events” page of www.nifatrees.org and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NWILForestry/
The Arnold Farm is located at 997 N. Salem Road, Elizabeth, IL. All NIFA events are open to the public.

03/05/2026

🌲 Good News — Registration Extended!
We’ve extended sign-ups for our Annual Banquet on March 11th at 5:30 PM, but seats are limited — don’t wait to grab yours!
In this photo, Doug Duren leads a group along a woodland lane on his farm during a Learn About Your Land Day, sharing firsthand how he puts conservation into action. Doug will bring that same passion and insight to his banquet presentation on Sharing The Land — a program rooted in collaboration, stewardship, and community.
🌿 Reserve your spot today before they’re gone: https://nifa.wildapricot.org/event-6530912

02/23/2026

Don’t Miss Out: Secure Your Spot for NIFA’s March 11th Dinner with Doug Duren.

Our deadline of Saturday, February 28th, to let the staff at Woodbine Bend know how many guests to prepare for on March 11th is approaching fast. If you’ve not done so, RSVP now https://nifatrees.org/event-6530912 to help us reach our goal of covering the cost to feature this unique event. Here’s what to expect:

A wonderful meal prepared by the chefs at Woodbine Bend Restaurant.

Learn what NIFA offered its members and the public in 2025 and has planned for 2026.

Learn about Doug Duren https://www.dougduren.com/aboutdoug and his management approach of the Duren Family Farm near Cazenovia, Wisconsin where he has been working for over 45 years. Current management includes acres enrolled in CRP and other conservation programs, raising grass fed beef, timber management for forest health, wildlife habitat, and financial goals, as well as a variety of hunting, aesthetic, and recreation objectives.

Join us at 5:30 pm, March 11th, Woodbine Bend Restaurant, 3500 East Center Road Stockton, IL 61085

02/05/2026

Shortly after returning to the family farm in 1988, Jessica and I joined the recently formed Northwest Illinois Forestry Association (NIFA), a grass roots group of timber landowners and others who had an interest in supporting sustainable forest management. Since roughly a third of the farm is forested, we wanted to educate ourselves on how to best care for this resource for environmental and economic benefit, including water quality, erosion control, wildlife habitat, and lumber production. Networking with NIFA members and participating in monthly meetings and tours of properties demonstrating a wide range of practices from tree planting to timber stand improvement to how to create and implement a Forest Management Plan, I feel we have received a wealth of knowledge and experience we could not have received any other way. I would like to encourage anyone with an interest in our unique Driftless Area timberlands to check out NIFA online and invite you to a full course dinner at Woodbine Bend Restaurant on Wednesday, March 11th at 6 pm where Doug Duren of Sharing the Land will present a novel way to care for forest landscapes and preserve farmsteads. Clicking on any of the links will give more information on this distinctive, local event. NIFA https://nifatrees.org/ Dinner Registration https://nifatrees.org/event-6530912 Doug Duren Share the Land https://www.sharingtheland.com/

08/23/2025

We started raising turkeys on pasture over 20 years ago. They complimented our farm diversification efforts and were not hard to raise. I always marveled at how “social” they were and enjoyed working with them. At our peak, we raised 400 a year with many customers purchasing an Arnold’s Farm Pastured Turkey every fall. Before placing an order for poults in the spring, I would book processing to ensure we got dates that worked with our sales and delivery schedule. This year I was dismayed to not find a local processor available! The company we used the past five years was sold last summer. This spring that business was "temporarily closed" with no indication of what was going on or if it would reopen. A Wisconsin processor I’d used previously was booked up by early February, and the processor we use for chickens in Arthur IL is too far away to haul two trailer loads of live turkeys and still make money over the transportation costs. Without processing options near our farm, we did not order poults to raise and will not have turkeys to sell this fall. Sorry!

07/27/2025

It has been 25 years since Arnold’s Farm made it’s first Chicago Area delivery! We were invited by a buying club to bring a collection of orders to a central meeting site for their members to pick up. As word of the service and quality of our meats spread, this arrangement was soon replicated in 22 different neighborhoods. Over the years, we participated in many Farmer’s Markets and promotional events, adding to a growing customer base. In 2018, a transition to “web cart shopping” was made by adding “Grazecart” software to our website. At the onset of COVID-19, we switched to all home delivery, bypassing restrictions on public gatherings at meeting points and farmers markets. Dropping these options and offering only home delivery has made better use of our limited time and staff. "Grazecart" has served us well and streamlined many of the “back door” marketing and distribution chores of Arnold’s Farm beef, pork, and chicken. However, with an eye on managing sales growth, we have begun working with a different company, "Barn2Door", to develop a new website with more features. Much of the ordering format will be the same, but we hope to offer more bundles of products to offset the upward spiral of individual cuts prices and to enable more promotion via social media. Watch for updates on our progress as we plan for a “soft” roll out of the new website in October.

We will be in your area for Home Delivery Saturday, August 2nd. Deadline for ordering: 11:59 pm Thursday, July 31st. Next Delivery – August 30th.

***Crystal Lake, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village (near and north of Biesterfield), Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Logan Square, Oak Park, Forest Park, Chicago, Evanston, Glenview, Mundelein/Lake County, and Freeport.

Find August Specials https://arnoldsfarm.grazecart.com/store. 10 # Grain-fed Steak Package - $210.00. Save $35.00 over purchasing steaks individually. 20 # Summer Pork Pkg. - $175.00. $20.00 savings over individual item pricing! Grain-fed beef sirloin steaks and short ribs on sale. To save more money by buy in quantity, consider our 30 # pork package or 25 # grass-fed or grain-fed beef packages!

06/14/2025

Although cool evenings make for comfortable sleeping weather, daytime temperatures are signifying summer has arrived. With the warmer weather and a shot of rain now and then, corn fields look fantastic. Over half our 100-cow beef herd has calved onto lush green pastures with the other half due in a few weeks. We are making first crop hay between rain showers, and yield has been surprisingly good. Our farm has enrolled in a hay quality testing contract though USDA’s Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Samples taken from bales off each field are sent to a lab for analysis of feed quality and nutrient content. From these results, we can see where adjustments to field fertilization, harvest timing, and management of bale density, wrapping technique, and storage options may be beneficial. This is a 5-year program over which time we hope to improve stored forage quality for our growing beef herd.

Order now for Arnold’s Farm Jo Daviess County Delivery Saturday, June 21st. Deadline for ordering: 11:59 pm Thursday, June 19th. Next Delivery – July 26th. Meet us at the following locations:

***Galena Territory 8:00 am – Country Store parking lot, 109 Eagle Ridge Dr, Galena, IL 61036 (near the Highlands Restaurant and Hwy 20 Main Entrance to the Territory).

***Galena 8:30 am - Piggly Wiggly Parking Lot near Illinois DMV Office.

Find June Cook-out Specials https://arnoldsfarm.grazecart.com/store. 10 # Grain-fed Steak Package - $210.00. Save $27.00 over purchasing steaks individually. 20 # Summer Pork Pkg. - $160.00. $20.00 savings over individual item pricing! Grain-fed beef sirloin steaks and short ribs on sale.

06/01/2025

Everything is green!! With the warmer weather and a shot of rain now and then, pastures are exploding with grass growth, trees are leafed out, and corn planted early May is looking fantastic. Half our 100-cow beef herd has calved onto this lush greenness with the other half due during the next 4 weeks. First crop hay making has started, the official signal summer has started for us. Hoping this recent favorable weather pattern will continue.

Order now for Arnold’s Farm Home Delivery to your area Saturday, June 7th.

**Marengo/Hampshire, Elgin, Bartlett, North Aurora, Aurora, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Villa Park, Elk Grove Village, Wood Dale, Downers Grove, Brookfield, La Grange, Orland Park, Homer Glen, Joliet, Minooka, Plainfield, Naperville, Dekalb, Rockford, and all points in between. Deadline for ordering is 11:59 pm Thursday, June 5th. Next delivery: Saturday, July 12th.

Find June Cook-out Specials at https://arnoldsfarm.grazecart.com/store/on-sale . 10 # Grain-fed Steak Package - $210.00. Save $27.00 over purchasing steaks individually. 20 # Summer Pork Pkg. - $160.00. $20.00 savings over individual item pricing! Grain-fed beef sirloin steaks and short ribs on sale.

03/31/2025

The weather is warming up, and we are officially into the second week of Spring. With Easter fast approaching, consider one of our regular cured or nitrate-free ham roasts for your family get-together! These hams are bone-in and weigh between 3 - 4 #. Although smoked and pre-cooked, it is suggested you heat these roasts to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. before carving and serving. Refrigerated leftovers can be reheated or eaten cold. At Arnold’s Farm, holiday dinners are not complete without a ham roast on the menu!

Order now at www.arnoldsfarm.com

Check out our April Specials. 10 # Grain-fed Steak Package - $200.00, Save $27.00 over purchasing steaks individually. Save $2.00/ # with purchase of four 10 oz. Grass-fed New York Strips! Grass-fed & grain-fed beef short ribs on sale while supply lasts.

03/07/2025

We have sold out of our pastured chicken pieces and whole birds the past month. Pastured chicken Bone Broth and Backs & Necks remain in stock. The first group of 2025 pastured birds will be available in May. Until then, we have sourced indoor-raised birds from an Amish farmer associated with our poultry processor, Central Illinois Poultry Processing. These birds are still of high quality, cut and packaged similar to our pasture-raised birds. You will find bone-in skin-on breasts, thighs, wings, and medium & large whole birds available in the "Non-Pastured Poultry" category https://arnoldsfarm.grazecart.com/store/non-pastured-poultry. We will offer this alternative until supply is gone.

01/25/2025

Hi Everyone,

Jessica and I just got back from the two-day Driftless Region Beef Conference in Dubuque IA. This annual event is sponsored by Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa University Extension as a way to disseminate the latest research on topics such as breeding stock selection, grazing practices, genetics research, and pasture management. One of the more interesting presentations was on where markets are heading. Due to unpredictable financial returns and regional droughts, the U.S. beef cow herd is the smallest in 64 years with producers downsizing herds. Retention of young females (heifers) for replacements is the lowest in 75 years. Fewer cows equal fewer calves with the 2024 calf crop the lowest in 84 years. However, over this same period of time, average slaughter weights have increased substantially, and quality of beef products has greatly improved, resulting in a steady if not increasing supply of beef for consumers. With a continued strong demand for beef, the result is higher prices for those animals and the meat they produce. Although all markets are cyclical and eventually the cow herd will rebuild bringing prices down, the current record setting trend has no immediate end in sight. Arnold's Farm has aggressively retained heifers over the past 5 years with the goal of going from an 80 cow herd to 150, but it is a slow process. Each year older or non-productive cows are culled and heifer retention must replace these numbers as well as planned annual expansion. Time from conception to marketing an animal can be almost 3 years. There is also the process of ramping up facilities, feed sources, and labor to accommodate a near doubling in beef numbers while maintaining hog and poultry enterprises. Active pursuit of these goals and challenges gives us a lot to talk about at Arnold's Farm!

Order now for Arnold’s Farm Home Delivery to your area Saturday, February 1st at www.arnoldsfarm.com

***Crystal Lake, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village (near and north of Biesterfield), Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Logan Square, Oak Park, Forest Park, Brookfield, Chicago, Evanston, Glenview, Mundelein/Lake County, Freeport, and all areas in between. Deadline for ordering is 11:59 pm Thursday, Jan. 30th. Next delivery March 1st.

Address

997 N Salem Road
Elizabeth, IL
61028

Telephone

+18158582407

Website

http://arnoldsfarm.com/

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