Farmer Focus: Meet Sylvester & Sabrina Friend, Prairie Hills Farm
Owning and operating a nine acre farm in Selma, Indiana wasn’t part of the plan for Sylvester and Sabrina Friend. In 2020, after years of working in corporate America, the couple moved from Georgia to be closer to their family in Indiana. But what started as a homestead on a rural property quickly became something bigger.
“After homesteading for a couple months, we noticed there were not many organic options at the local grocery store,” Sabrina Friend shares. “So, we decided to scale grow more to be able to provide food for our community. In 2021, Prairie Hills Farm was born.”
That growth has only continued. As first generation farmers, the Friends have spent the past five years building their business from the ground up. “We have added hoophouses - currently have five - and pastures to support the livestock we now raise,” says Friend. “We distribute our farm goods through a local grocery store, provide food to local organizations, USDA programs, farmstand, and our website.”
While Prairie Hills Farm raises chickens, turkeys, and bees, and grows many varieties of produce outdoors, in hoophouses, and in their orchard, the Friends’ favorite part of their farm is the goats. “Goats were the first livestock we brought onto the farm, and that was a great decision,” says Friend. “Each goat has their own personality and brings their own mischievous adventure to the farmers daily. From playing with each other to showing off their new kids, goats are the best livestock to have on the farm. Since having goats on the farm for the last five years, we have learned that goats have many benefits such as targeted brush grazing, meat, milk products, and much more.”
“The most rewarding part of farming for us is the diversity we get to experience at Prairie Hills Farm,” Friend explains. “From the crop planting plan, to being about to experience our livestock, particularly goats’, kidding seasons and watching the generations of goats on our farm grow and thrive. Being able to watch, and then catch a wild honey bee swarm is just a flavor of the most rewarding part of farming.”
All Prairie Hills Farm’s fresh, nutritious, and local food supports the broader Selma area, but that doesn’t happen without the consumers. “We, farmers, need the support of our community to be able to supply the food need for our community,” says Friend. “The more the consumer understands or has visibility to the food supply chain, they will be able to make more educated decisions for their food choices.”
“Hoosiers need to know that about 90% of the food eaten in Indiana comes from outside of the state,” Friend continues. “Indiana is known to be an agricultural state, but the agriculture being produced is focused more on commodities. Indiana can focus on producing more food, proteins and produce, within the state to be able to create a more resilient Indiana food system.”
One of our goals at More Than Corn is to inform consumers about their local food systems by introducing them to the Hoosier farmers in their backyards. Supporting our neighbors in this way helps create healthier foods, people, and economic systems for us all.
Friend adds, “Hoosiers should eat more food from Indiana because the food will likely be fresher, be handled less, and have a shorter lead time than produce that needs to be shipped in from other states or countries. By buying local farm products, it helps to support the local economy and build up the resiliency to address unplanned situations that may impact the food supply chain.”
Follow the Friends’ journey at Prairie Hills Farm on their website, prairiehillsfarm.com, and on Instagram @prairiehillsfarm.
Keep Digging!
Want to learn more about Hoosier food and farming? The Friends recommend these resources:
The Beginners Guide to Raising Goat - “Amber Bradshaw, the author, did a great job of having a complete guide to inform and support the beginning Goat Rancher/farmer. Amber really set the expectation appropriately for what goats need to be healthy and happy.”
Bee Keeping for Beginners: How To Raise Your First Colony - “The author was very personable and made me feel like we were having a private conversation, very detailed, and informative.”
Josh Statin Farming - “Josh does a good job of explaining the ‘whys’ behind the methods he uses and educates his audience with regenerative practices. We learned a lot from Josh.”
Photos courtesy of Sylvester and Sabrina Friend.
