Working For Wildlife Habitat Hero: Prairie Hills Farm by Isabel Nazarian, Midwest Regional Partner Biologist, Pollinator Partnership

Published September 5, 2025

As part of Pollinator Partnership’s Working for Wildlife series, we have interviewed and are sharing the experiences of agricultural producers who have successfully undertaken projects that benefit pollinators and other wildlife with the help of technical and/or financial support through conservation provisions of the USDA’s Farm Bill. We hope their stories encourage and empower reader and help foster a better understanding of the programs available to help support thriving food and ecosystems that we all rely upon!

In this installment, it is our privilege to feature Habitat Hero Sabrina Friend of Prairie Hills Farm. We invite you to join us in learning about Prairie Hill’s habitat journey in the interview below. You can also watch the accompanying video featuring the story of this inspiring Habitat Hero below:

Q: Tell us about your farm

Sabrina: My name is Sabrina Friend. I am co-owner, co-farmer here at Prairie Hills Farm.

We are located in Selma, Indiana and currently, we're on about nine acres. We pasture-raise goats, chickens, and turkeys for meat and eggs. We also have a six-hive apiary. We grow specialty crops such as tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, onions, beets, salad mix, green beans, the whole nine yards! We try to grow everything as regeneratively, as sustainably, as natural, and as organic as we possibly can.

Q: How long have you been farming and why did you want to become a farmer?

Sabrina: We have been farming for five years now. Both my husband, Sylvester, and I are first generation farmers. We did not grow up with farming in our families or in our backyards. What really brought us to growing our own food was moving down to Kennesaw, Georgia, for a promotion that my husband had gotten. I said that if we move to the South, I have to have a front porch because everybody in the South has a front porch and Sylvester said, if we move to the South, then we're going to grow a garden. At the time, I thought he was absolutely crazy. A lot of people laughed at our story and couldn’t believe we were going to start growing food in our backyard but that's exactly what happened.

We started on our deck. My husband went out with our daughters and got pots, soil, seeds, and little starter plants and brought it all home. Again, I still thought he was crazy. My background was in cosmetology, so I was doing hair and nails and makeup all the time and I just couldn't see myself working soil. Back then, I didn't even call it soil. I just called it dirt like everybody else. My husband was working his corporate job, so he had to travel a lot and I became the garden attendee. I thought “Well, I have to keep this garden alive for him and the kids. Right? I have to do this.”

I just remember one night, I was going to make a stuffed bell pepper dish but we didn't have a bell pepper. I didn't want to pack the girls up just to run to the store and grab a couple bell peppers, but I remembered that we had those bell peppers out on our deck. So I went out and picked it, and that's what I made for dinner that night. The girls ate it up! I called Sylvester that evening and I was bragging about dinner. I was like, “it was so good. I stole one of your bell peppers.”, because, again, I was still not connected to the garden. I was just his little attendee. It was in that moment that I was like, “Oh my gosh. It was the bell pepper!”, that dish was so good because the ingredients were so fresh. We grew it and put effort into it and cared for this bell pepper and it nourished us in return.

At that point, I went down a rabbit hole… I wanted to try to grow everything we could possibly grow, see how it grows, learn how it grows, and just figure it out. If it doesn't go great, that's okay, we're learning something. I grew everything I could possibly grow. I took over the garden. I was basically slapping Sylvester’s hand like, “No. Get out of the way, this is my baby now”. We ended up adding raised garden beds. Our neighbors were seeing this garden grow and flourish, and they kind of thought we were crazy, but eventually it even got them excited about possibly growing food in their yards.

Then, 2020 happened... We were already growing food for a couple of years, and we were so in love with it, so in love with being in nature. My husband and I decided it was our time to leave corporate America. We had the means and so we did it! We had two young children and we wanted them to be closer to family, so we decided to move close to Indianapolis, Indiana where my family lives. So, we looked for rural land an hour outside of Indianapolis, and it landed us here, in Selma.

We started as a homestead. We have a kitchen garden right now that has 24 raised garden beds, and then we added the chickens, then we added six goats. At first, we thought we were just going to grow the food that we were going to eat. The food that we weren't committed to growing and producing ourselves, we looked for elsewhere. We started looking for other small family-run farms that are growing food the way we want to grow food and we didn't find many. So we thought, “Okay, this is what we're called to do. We're called to farm.” That's when the chicken and goat production came into place, and then that's really what took us on this path.

Q: Why is this operation important to you and what impact do you feel you have made providing your commodities to people?

Sabrina: This operation is very important to us because being first generation farmers we had been disconnected from the life of a farm and living, caring, and nurturing, something.

I think it is very personal to us because we think about everything and how it all works together and this mindset really helps us impact our community because they are being educated by what we're doing. We're explain things, like, "Hey, we're going to be growing under plastic because it'll extend our growing season to bring you more crops and more goods.” or “We're going to be adding water catchment systems on our hoop houses because we know how important it is for the crops and the soil to get oxygenated water.” It all comes together and that's why it's so personal to us.

Q: Since you started farming, what differences have you observed in farming practices or food access in the community?

Sabrina: As first generation farmers we have really only seen big ag. The corn fields or soybean fields are always so pristine and nicely tilled. What I've learned and observed is the difference you see when you're working with your ecosystem versus when you're not. For example, you can see that the grass is growing tall on our homestead right now. A lot of people would just say, “Oh, that needs to be mowed.”, but in some sections we're cutting hay to store for winter, and in other sections, we're actually training goats on electric fencing that will then go out in our community and do services for clients to clear their brush and their woods.

I've observed the difference in farmers that are actually working with the ecosystem around them and then farmers that are not and the impact that that has on our ecosystem. I think that small farms like ours give our community the opportunity to see and observe a working farm in a different way.

Q: What first made you interested in pollinator conservation?

Sabrina: When we started our journey of finding rural land to build a homestead and farm, I always knew that I wanted honey bees. I didn’t know if I was going to be the beekeeper or not but I still did all the research and, in learning about honey bees, I learned that they are very important for our food system. One thing that we are really striving for here is to create a sustainable local food system. The first year when we didn't have any bees. We had food growing, but we could have had a bigger harvest. Then after we got the honey bees, we saw a boost. The next year when we added more hives, we saw an even bigger boost in our harvest. So having them here on our farm, we had that living example of how great they are for a sustainable food system.

Q: What pollinator friendly or other conservation practices have you implemented on your land?

Sabrina: Currently, we are in the midst of a project to add pollinator habitat into our orchard, where we have approximately 25 fruit trees. The first year that we planted them, I noticed that they were drying out. We just could not keep them watered. We were also in a drought here in Selma, so that did not help. However, when I was doing the research for that particular space, I realized that native plants roots go deeper into the ground, which holds in the moisture more, and can help your trees to flourish. Usually, I had let the grass grow tall to keep the ground shaded to try to preserve some of that moisture a little bit more. Then, I realized that approach was kind of helping the problem, but I wanted to try fixing it. That's when I came around to the idea of adding a natural native prairie. We have some chickens doing some work for us to clear the land so that we’re not going in and tilling too much or spraying hazardous chemicals.

In terms of other conservation practices, we also collect rainwater from our hoop houses. We have five hoop houses in total and after they are all up and running, each of them will have a water catchment system. Also, we bring in new compost every year and incorporate mulching practices for soil conservation. Our main goal is to build great soil. If we have great soil, we know that we're going to suppress the weeds and invasive plants and grow nutrient dense food. So, that's one of the biggest conservation efforts that we have is just building up the soil. I'm pretty sure there's other practices we’re using on the farm that I'm not thinking of right now.

Q: What was your motivation to implement these practices and why do you care about pollinator conservation now?

Sabrina: I care about conservation for our pollinators because our honey bee population is going down. Again, we really need honey bees for a sustainable food system. The first year we were here, we didn't have bees and we got our fall garden in late. I was like, “Oh, Lord I hope the ants are up for this job!”, because there's not just bees that pollinate, there are ants, flies, and other insects. However, the coverage that a honey bee can provide is just outstanding compared to many of the other pollinator friends that we have. I think, for me, what makes it so important and personal is that I know and I've seen the direct impact that they've had on pollinating our food.

Q: Have you noticed a positive impact to pollinators and other wildlife?

Sabrina: Yes. A very positive impact! When we first moved here, it was nothing but grass. We didn't see chipmunks like we've seen other places that we lived; we didn't see bunnies as much. Then slowly but surely, as we changed the way the land was being managed, the wildlife came. We started seeing chipmunks, little bunnies, and deer come in our front yard and just hang out. They love it! Even though we have dogs they just know this is a good safe place.

There is a mourning dove that nests in the same spot every year and we count how many fledglings she has and it’s just amazing! We also have two wild ducks that come hang out and swim in the water. I think by working with nature and creating a more sustainable ecosystem around us, the wildlife just flock to us.

Q: What other types of changes, positive outcomes, or benefits have you seen after implementing your practices?

Sabrina: Definitely increased yields. We've seen greener plants. Stuff that we didn’t think would make it actually came back and I think it’s because we've put a lot of time and energy into building and creating healthy soil.

Even places on our land where we run animals have improved. When you look at the grass that we usually mow down or just let the goats graze every once in a while, it's not as green. The greener spaces are where we run chickens, turkeys, or even our goats more regularly. You can tell the difference in the grass. Their droppings add nitrogen, potassium, and a lot of other good things back into the soil. So, I definitely think conservation practices help.

Q: Describe how your farm benefitted from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), and/or other programs and how did you first learn about this support? If applicable, which type of NRCS Programs did you choose to work with?

Sabrina: This is an awesome question and I love it because now I can ping in our USDA office here in Delaware County. They are amazing! Our whole family loves going into their office. Even the girls want to go in there. They always have something cool, like a coloring book with soy crayons or a topography table made out of sand.

So we love our USDA office and we have been able to benefit from working with the NRCS and Soil and Water Conservation District staff who helped us enroll in the EQIP program. Two of our hoop houses and all of our water catchment systems were established with technical and financial support from the EQIP program, so we've benefited that way.

The current pollinator habitat project that we're doing in our orchard is also thanks to support from the EQIP program. I think working with them and partnering with them has been very beneficial for our farm because it helps us be able to scale in the time and the fashion that we need to scale in. That's been just amazing because we're able to grow the food that feeds our community. So, I think those programs are very beneficial for farmers, beginner farmers, or farmers that even are larger scale than us. There are so many great programs and the staff at our USDA Service center always available. They love talking with us because we always have these crazy ideas and questions. We love talking with them and I can't say anything bad about them. I just recommend USDA, NRCS, EQIP, Soil and Water, Urban Soil Health, all of them.

Q: From your experience, what would you say other landowners can expect when working with NRCS, SWCDs, or other programs?

Sabrina: You can definitely expect them to give you all of the information that you're looking for. They're very informative. If they don't know the answer, they're getting with a counterpart and getting you the answer in a timely fashion. When you come to them and tell them you’re interested in positively impacting the ecosystem around you and want to add a conservation efforts to your farm, they are excited and want to help. They offer so many great programs and events that can help you get educated and get your wheels spinning. But, really, I think what people can expect is just to be educated and then be able to take that education back to your farm and have the tools to be a rock star for the ecosystem.

Q: What is something you wish you knew before going through this process, especially in terms of habitat establishment and long-term management?

Sabrina: The one thing that I wish I would always remember with farming is things take longer than what we initially plan. When I started I just thought this would be awesome. We're going to get some animals to do the work for us, they're going to kill out the grass, we'll still be raising our food, and we'll get things going. But then I was like, “slow your roll. It's going to take a little bit of time.” So, I think that's just the biggest thing when you are thinking about adding conservation practices to your farm, it's just knowing you're doing it for a reason and it might take a little bit longer, but in the end its going to be beneficial.

Q: What is some advice you would give to others interested in implementing pollinator friendly conservation practices on their land?

Sabrina: Take your time. Be open to the experience. It is going to be different for a lot of people. Understand what you’re doing before you jump into something, and just have fun.

Q: What is your favorite pollinator or wildlife species?

Sabrina: I love my honey bees, but I would say my favorite pollinator is the monarch butterfly. The girls and I raised monarchs one year, and it was the most fabulous experience. I know their numbers are decreasing, so I would love to see monarchs here in our orchard alongside our honey bees, jumping from flower to flower all season long.

Q: Anything else you want to say?

Sabrina: To the farmers, I would say thank you. Thank you for thinking about conservation and how you can add conservation to your farm practices.

My daughter is going to be a part of the next generation of farmers, I do believe. She is always asking me, “what superhero would you want to be?” When I got the email asking if I’d be interested in being featured in this series, her question came to mind and I got excited to see these interviews are for Habitat Heroes. Like, how cool is that? And I'm like, you know what? If I was a superhero, which I do believe I am now, my superpower will be doing all that I can for our ecosystem around us and keeping it as beautiful as it possibly be. So that's my superpower. I'm a Habitat Hero.

Thank you for joining us in reading this installment of Pollinator Partnership’s Working for Wildlife blog and special thanks to Sabrina Friend of Prairie Hills Farm for sharing their Habitat Hero story! Watch the Habitat Hero video featuring Pettit's Green Thumb Farm.

This video series is made possible through funding and support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

To ensure you never miss a new video, subscribe to the Working for Wildlife series here: tinyurl.com/mpjszd7k

To learn more about financial and technical assistance available to famers and landowners visit: pollinator.org/nrcs-regional-partner-biologists or farmers.gov

To find out more about Pettit’s Green Thumb Farm and their operations check out the links below

Pettit’s Green Thumb Farm Website: prairiehillsfarms.com

Facebook: facebook.com/TheFriendFamilyHomestead

To learn more about financial and technical assistance available to famers and landowners visit: pollinator.org/nrcs-regional-partner-biologists or farmers.gov  

This video series was created by Pollinator Partnership (P2). To learn more about P2’s mission and how you can help conserve pollinators, please visit the links below: