Farm Origins
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 that was abandoned in the 1950’s. The farm switched hands multiple times over the next several decades, during which an 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 ten years has resulted in the planting of numerous fruit and nut producing trees, creating edges and establishing hedgerows for wildlife, and restoring a large portion of pasture to a native prairie ecosystem, comprised of forbs and grasses.
Initially, our focus was on native pollinator recovery and conservation; which also proved beneficial to numerous other species. We committed ourselves to conservation efforts impacting the Monarch butterfly and its life cycle here in the Midwest. In addition to establishing the prairie which greatly benefits the 2nd and 3rd generation breeding adults, we implemented monarch waystations at multiple locations. The data that we collected has benefitted organizations like Monarch Watch’s tagging program as well as Monarch Joint Venture’s integrated monarch monitoring program.
You can’t be a beekeeper without bees thus we worked tirelessly to develop our own region-specific strain of honeybees. Our bees have evolved to withstand a cold, northern winter and possess hygienic traits that aid in combating the destructive Varroa mite.
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.
Land & Ethic Nature Reserve
Seeing our land flourish after several years of consistent and intentional labor, we decided in 2025 to begin establishing a private nature reserve. We added segments to our Bluebird Trail and nesting boxes for several species of birds and mammals. We also began installing interpretive signage throughout the reserve's trails and walking paths.
As we approached 2026, we went public with Land & Ethic Nature Reserve and hosted our first workshop in July. The workshop welcomed conservation professionals from across the country to learn about the importance of wetlands and how to restore them.
Under the direction of world-renowned wetland Biologist Tom Biebighauser, the participants worked together to actively design and construct two wetlands on the reserve. In addition, they attended other conservation-focused sessions that emphasized the importance of our natural world and the effects that we have on it.