Amana Farms Beef

Healthy Land, Healthy Animals, Healthy Ecosystem
Like all good farmers, we care deeply about the land, our animals, and the environment we share. For over 160 years, Amana Farms has been farming with the future in mind—carefully preserving the land through sustainable and responsible practices.
For us, it all starts with the soil. It’s the foundation of a healthy ecosystem. Through thoughtful pasture and crop rotation, planting cover crops, and minimizing tillage, we work to conserve soil moisture, reduce erosion, and build a stronger, more resilient soil structure.
Our crop production is diverse and intentional. While the majority of our fields are planted with non-GMO soybeans and a variety of corn—including white, waxy, and traditional yellow—we also grow smaller amounts of wheat, rye, alfalfa, and sorghum. This variety helps keep our ecosystem healthy and avoids the risks of monoculture farming.
But the heart of Amana Farms lies in the connection between our crops, our cattle, and our commitment to sustainability.
We call it Amana’s Circle of Life—a closed-loop system that integrates our crop production, cattle feeding, and manure recycling in an innovative, eco-friendly way. At the center of it all is our anaerobic digester, which transforms cattle manure and organic waste from local industrial partners into green energy.
This process not only reduces landfill inputs and carbon emissions across Eastern Iowa, but it also generates enough renewable energy to power homes and tourism businesses throughout the Amana Colonies.
And it doesn’t stop there. After the methane is extracted and energy produced, the byproduct becomes a nutrient-rich, environmentally friendly fertilizer—further enhancing our soil and reducing our reliance on synthetic and commercial inputs.
Circle complete. How green is that?