Spring Creek Cattle Co. in Indiana: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Spring Creek Cattle Co. is the Armstrong family beef operation in Springville, Lawrence County, Indiana, covering 1,140 acres and about 160 brood cows. Stan and Ann Armstrong were named 2026 Indiana Master Farmers and earlier received the 2018 John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation, and the family has farmed in southern Indiana since 1817.
| Location | Springville, Lawrence County, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Founded | Family farming since 1817; land in the family since 1855 |
| Sectors | beef cow-calf; Angus and Angus-Simmental genetics; hay and pasture |
| Scale | 1,140 acres (Indiana Landmarks) and a herd of about 160 brood cows (Farm Progress) |
| Why it is elite | 2026 Indiana Master Farmers; 2018 John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation |
| Ownership | Armstrong family, operating as Spring Creek Cattle Co. LLC |
| Official website | Purdue 2026 Indiana Master Farmers announcement |
History of Spring Creek Cattle Co.
The Armstrong family has farmed in southern Indiana since 1817, and their Lawrence County land has been in the family since 1855. The farm headquarters is an 1873 farmhouse. Stan began his herd with one Hereford heifer from his father's cattle.
In 2018 Indiana Landmarks and Indiana Farm Bureau gave the Armstrongs the John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation, citing their care for historic barns, a granary, a corn crib and a springhouse. In 2026 they were honored as Indiana Master Farmers, nominated by the Indiana Beef Cattle Association.
What Spring Creek Cattle Co. Grows and Raises
The herd moved from Hereford to Angus and Angus-Simmental cattle to follow market trends. Stan uses Zoetis genetic testing and the Cow Sense program to rank cattle, with goals that include longevity, docility, milking ability, calving ease, weaning weight and marbling. A fall calving season was added to the spring one.
The family also operates Pleiades Cattle from the same headquarters. Stan was an original member of Purdue's Integrated Resource Management program for conservation practices and has served on the Lawrence County Cattlemen's Association and Soil and Water Conservation District boards.
How Spring Creek Cattle Co. Makes Money
Calves and cattle sales
As a cow-calf operation with about 160 brood cows, the main product is calves. Adding fall calving spreads sales and workload across the year.
Genetic selection
Genetic testing ranks cattle on traits that buyers pay for, such as weaning weight and marbling. Better genetics improve the value of every calf crop.
Land stewardship and extras
The farm covers 1,140 acres of pasture and hay ground. The family also uses a restored springhouse for beekeeping equipment, a small example of extra enterprises on historic buildings.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Spring Creek Cattle Co.
Genetics plus records is the main lesson. By testing and ranking cattle on longevity, docility and calving ease, the Armstrongs reduce labor and improve calf quality. Cow-calf producers can start with simple record keeping and add testing over time.
Preservation can also be good business. Maintaining old barns and outbuildings, rather than replacing them, keeps useful space for hay, calving and machinery, and earned the family public recognition. Operators with older buildings should assess what can be reused before building new.
A farm with a barn scale from the 1880s that still weighs cattle is the kind of operation that makes our farm.FM team feel sentimental. The farm satire desk finds the best farm humor in Lawrence County hiding in a corn crib and a springhouse, while the ranch humor department points out that Stan went from one Hereford heifer to 160 cows. The farm jokes can wait until chores are done.
farm.FM calls itself the nation's first satirical farm site, and between the headlines it spins Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers; a good place to start reading is this farm.FM columnist's archive.
How to Contact Spring Creek Cattle Co.
No official website for Spring Creek Cattle Co. was found; this page is the Purdue announcement of the 2026 Master Farmers. Contact the Indiana Beef Cattle Association or Lawrence County Purdue Extension for introductions.
Spring Creek Cattle Co. Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Purdue 2026 Indiana Master Farmers - Announcement of the 2026 honorees
- Stan and Ann Armstrong: from one heifer to 160 cows - Indiana Prairie Farmer profile of the herd
- Indiana Landmarks rural preservation award - 2018 award for the Armstrong farm
- Indiana State Department of Agriculture programs - State programs including Indiana Grown, Clean Water Indiana and the Indiana Dairy Strategy
- USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture, Indiana - State-level Census of Agriculture tables for Indiana
Spring Creek Cattle Co. FAQ
Where is Spring Creek Cattle Co.?
In Springville, Lawrence County, Indiana.
How large is the operation?
Indiana Landmarks reports 1,140 acres, and Farm Progress reports about 160 brood cows.
What awards has it won?
Stan and Ann Armstrong were named 2026 Indiana Master Farmers and received the 2018 John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation.
What breeds do they raise?
Angus and Angus-Simmental cattle, selected with genetic testing.
Spring Creek Cattle Co. shows how genetics, records and care for historic buildings can sustain a southern Indiana beef farm. See the Indiana farms guide for more operations and resources.