Farm Origins
Originally settled by Chief Ouiska of the Shawnee Indian Tribe, Ouiska Run Farm is located along the luxuriant banks of Whiskey Run Creek (originally Ouiska Run) in Marengo, Indiana. Noted for the breadth of its banks and the multitude of fauna that seeks refuge amongst the lush growth, Whiskey Run empties into the massive, 57 mile stretch of Blue River.
Once part of a much larger settlement dating back to the 1800’s, the existing acreage served as a pastured cattle operation before being abandoned in the 1950’s. The farm switched hands multiple times over the next several decades, during which an expansive, heirloom pear orchard was planted on the property’s northernmost ridge in the early 2000’s.
Despite being uninhabited for the better part of 16 years, Ella & Jeff Kennedy saw the “diamond in the rough” and committed themselves to the farm’s restoration in August 2016.
Our Totem
The old-world hare is synonymous with a number of myths from many different cultures. The Algonquin tribe honored the “Great Hare” as having a role in the creation of the world. The Egyptians also saw the hare as being involved in their creation story, symbolizing procreation, and then immortality. As it pertains to our mission and the work that we are performing on this land, a simple hare would not suffice.
The Ouiska jackalope exhibits horns comprised of pear tree branches with a solitary pear dangling over his weary, head. This embodies the farm’s heirloom pear orchard with a constant reminder that nothing in this world worth having comes easily. We knew coming into this venture that it was going to take several years of blood, sweat and ticks to shape the land into what we envision.
Sweat Equity
Our stewardship over the past four years has resulted in us planting over 500 fruit and nut producing trees, re-establishing wildlife hedgerows, and restoring multiple areas of pasture to a more desirable prairie comprised of native wildflowers.
Our primary focus is native pollinator recovery and conservation; however, the bulk of this work has also proved beneficial to our other native fauna. You can’t be a beekeeper without having bees and we have worked tirelessly to develop our own region-specific strain of honeybees (Apis mellifera). Our “Ouiska Mutts” have evolved to withstand a cold, northern winter and possess hygienic traits that aid in combating the Varroa destructor mite with minimal intervention on behalf of the beekeeper, E.g., mite treatments.
We are also committed to conservation efforts involving the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and its life cycle here in the Midwest. In addition to restoring a large section of acreage to the Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) that inhabited it, we have implemented monarch waystations at multiple sites, participated in Monarch Watch’s Monarch Tagging Program, Monarch Joint Venture’s Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP), and in 2019 was awarded Monarch Watch’s Milkweed Grant.
With a firm footing in citizen science, we are committed to raising awareness about the decline in pollinator populations here in the states, designing and implementing pollinator habitat within our community and working with multiple native pollinator species to aid in their recovery and influence their vitality.