Along the dirt roads of Selma, Indiana, sits Prairie Hills Farm. Owners Sylvester and Sabrina Friend wave to passersby, offering organic produce, livestock or farm-fresh eggs to regular customers, neighboring farmers and those who find themselves lost in the area’s winding paths.
The young couple started their life on their farm in 2021 after the crux of the COVID-19 pandemic served as the catalyst they needed to “see the world differently.”
“We’d talked about having some land out in the country and homesteading for ourselves. Around COVID, the Lord called us to feed His people, so we took a leap of faith,” Sylvester said.
The first-generation farmers grew up in the city and suburbs, meaning their ambition prompted concern from those who raised and grew up with them in those bustling communities.
“They thought we were crazy,” Sylvester said, recounting the rapid-fire questions from family and friends that he said were nothing short of a psych evaluation: “Are you OK? Are you sure?”
After all, the couple had abandoned some “pretty lucrative” careers. Sylvester left behind his job at Amazon — the second-most profitable company globally in 2024, according to S&P’s Fortune 500 results — where he worked for almost a decade and served as a general manager in his last two years with the company. He said he was responsible for “about 2,400 associates and 30 managers.”
Between farming and managing, Sylvester said there isn’t one role that appeals to him over the other. Instead, he values the differences of each profession.
As a farmer, “The span of control has shrunk, but the depth that I get to go is a lot further,” he said.
Time also changed the narrative of conversations the couple has with their family and friends.
“They’re able to see what we’re building here,” Sabrina said, noting the only disconnect now is geographical.
Although she comes from Indianapolis, neither she nor Sylvester were familiar with Selma. Instead, they originally hoped to pursue farm living in Terre Haute or Crawfordsville, just an hour away from Sabrina’s family in Brownsburg, Ind.
Upon viewing a listing for farmland in Selma, the Friends eagerly visited the property “the very next day, first thing in the morning,” Sabrina said, and found themselves unable to leave.
After nearly four years on the property, the Friends have expanded from a homestead to a full-fledged farm.
“We quickly realized even the things we weren't thinking of producing for ourselves originally — produce, livestock — we couldn't find anywhere else local [executing it] the way we would want it done,” Sabrina said.
They presently share the land with a plethora of goats, chickens and herding dogs, and the animals — each with their own names — are tended to so regularly that one has trouble knowing whether the Friends are referring to their biological children or baby goats when talking about their “kids.”
Locality and sustainability are two principles the couple said have always been important to them, acting as primary reasons for their farming initiative. Now, as the price of eggs hit a “record high” of $5.90 per dozen March 12 — a result of the nationwide avian flu epidemic — according to the Associated Press, the Friends are happy to see an influx of customers looking for alternatives to standard grocery stores.
“One of the biggest things that brings people to our farm is eggs, and of course, the costs at the grocery store compare[d] to finding something local. Then, [people] can tie it to also supporting a local business right in their community,” Sabrina said.
She clarified that since the farm is currently on the tail end of winter, they don’t have many eggs to offer, but in anticipation of warmer weather, Sabrina said she thinks this is going to be a big year for small-scale, locally owned farms.
As the Friends embrace spring’s growing season with new feeding facilities for chickens and fresh coats of paint on the farmstand, Sylvester hopes to sustain customer loyalty.
“I think people are trying to find things local in a time of ‘crisis,’ but it would be awesome if they came and supported more consistently when things weren’t ‘out of whack,’” he said.
The couple said support has gotten them to where they are today, emphasizing their appreciation for the “village” of surrounding farmers and “chicken ladies” they feel lucky to be a part of.
“I love our community. They have experience under their belts and they're not holding it back from us, so it's a tremendous blessing, the connection that the farm has allowed us to have,” Sabrina said.
Sylvester recalled a time recently when the farm was low on hay and a neighbor just around the corner spared the couple a half-hour drive into town, explaining that amid all the laboring duties of farm tending, one cannot let their pride get in the way of asking for help.
“Somebody in the community answers the call [for help] all the time, and we try to do the same,” he said, underscoring the hospitable nature of cultivation. “[Farming] is just learning and not being afraid to try.”
The Friends said the best way to order farm-to-table is through their website, especially for those looking to purchase proteins, as the online platform helps directly monitor community engagement and inventory.
Starting in April, they said they will reopen their farmstand on site, which is expected to be chock-full of fresh greens, vegetables and raw honey that are “straight from our farm.” The farmstand will remain open through October from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Friday.
Contact Katherine Hill via email at katherine.hill@bsu.edu.
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