The Boruff Family Farm has a long, storied history in southern Indiana. From alfalfa and beef cattle to a private oasis for the family, the property has transformed from a production farm to a space where family members can relax, breathe and listen to the bluebirds burble, mockingbirds sing and Northern bobwhite call. Scattered throughout the homestead are photos of the first generation of Boruffs to live in Indiana, and a photo of the patron of the family, Sam, sits in the entryway to greet guests and family members alike.

After growing up in Pennsylvania and Tennessee, newlywed Sam Boruff arrived in Monroe County, in the new state of Indiana in 1819 with the dream of raising his family on a piece of property larger than he’d ever had before. Settling on 200 acres in Bloomington, the early Boruffs, including a growing family of 17 children, worked the land and built a life surrounded by beautiful trees, wildlife and sunshine. 

Fast forward to 2025 – the Boruff Family Farm is now owned and operated by Sam Boruff’s great-great granddaughters, sisters Jane Tesso, Barbara Ruben and Chris Goehner, along with their late sister’s children Brendan and Meghan McHale. Having spent summers and various stages of their lives at the farm, the sisters and their families have a deep connection to the land and are invested in keeping it a natural, healthy resource for their descendants. “We’ve all spent summers and holidays in the little farmhouse. My grandma Boruff would open up the windows in the morning and say ‘oh, listen! Bobwhite! Do you hear it?’,” Ruben explained. 

As time went on, the family began to hear fewer and fewer ground-nesting birds singing across the fields, prompting Ruben and Tesso to begin researching how they could restore the ecosystem and bring bobwhite back to the land. “Our dad had always reached out to the extension agent because he was not raised on a farm,” Tesso explained. “He was a lifelong learner, and he was always willing to try new things…that was our impetus. Let’s call the extension agent and see what we can do.” 

After speaking with the Monroe County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Tesso connected with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). The family was referred to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and, with the help of former NRCS District Conservationist Cara Bergschneider, NWTF Forester Amy Spalding implemented a variety of conservation practices intended to protect their natural resources. 

The most beautiful part of their EQIP contract is the pollinator habitat. “The pollinator planting has been a point of joy this summer,” said Tesso. “When I pulled in the drive in July, I got out of the car and went ‘wow!’ It was just so beautiful.” 

From attracting valuable pollinators like bees, butterflies and moths to providing habitat for birds, such as the Northern bobwhite, a pollinator habitat is relatively low maintenance and can be added to just about any property. The Boruff Family chose to transform a former production field into pollinator habitat, transforming it into something beautiful instead of a fallow, overgrown field. 

One of the challenges of any conservation planting is keeping invasive species controlled. “We’d like to keep the Canada thistle and Johnson grass at bay,” explained Tesso. It’s a constant battle, but the payoff is well worth it. 

Their pollinator habitat is an excellent complement to their tree plantings, another conservation practice implemented on the property through EQIP. After removing invasive species, like Callery pear, multiflora rose, autumn olive, and winter creeper, the sisters planted sapling native trees transforming former fields and offering increased forest habitat for native animal species like deer. The increased habitat for deer allows for the family to offer their land for recreational deer hunting, letting others experience the beauty of the property. 

Any time members of the family have time off, they visit Monroe County and relax at the Boruff Family

 Farm. “I have this belief that our bodies need to hear the nature, the land, and the sounds of the bugs and the birds,” Ruben said. Transforming the former working farm into a space where creatures of all kinds can find rest and peace is vital to the Boruff family. In the future, they’re hoping to transform the home and property into a short-term rental property so they can share it with the public. 

As new stewards of the land, sisters Tesso and Ruben were able to receive valuable technical assistance and information about seed mixes, planting schedules, invasive species control, soil types and more from their local NRCS, NWTF and PF staff in addition to financial assistance. “We could not have done this without the help and information from our local office and without the financial support,” explained Tesso. 

Sisters Tesso and Ruben hope to keep this oasis in the family for the next several generations. “I’m trying to create something that will be attractive for future generations,” Ruben explained. “There was a consensus after [our] mom died that we wanted to try to keep it in the family…we’re hoping to keep it to do that for another hundred years, hopefully 200,” said Tesso. If all goes as planned, generations of Boruffs will be able to enjoy the symphony of birds and bees singing throughout the property. 

For more information about programs available to new farmers, visit farmers.gov/your-business. To find your local USDA Service Center, visit farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator.