Broganville Farm is an unexpected sight on the far east side.
Nestled in behind a neighborhood near 30th Street and Cumberland Road, the farm has horses, goats and miniature cows. You won’t find any corn or soy beans, but there is a large vegetable garden.
But then, the unexpectedness is the whole idea behind the Black-owned family farm.
“You see sometimes people say Black people don’t do this or you can’t have a farm in the city,” said owner Kadeem Brogan. “But here we are, in the middle of Indianapolis.”
In fact, you may have seen Brogan and his family riding horses along local streets. He said people get excited when they see the horses.
“When the people see them, everybody honks, everybody’s happy, they wave,” Brogan said. “They be like, how you get a horse, where did you get a horse from? It just brings you a brighter side to the far east side.
“We just try to bring the country to the city, expose our kids to something different,” Brogan said.
He said the goal of Broganville is to teach kids on the far east side about farm life — about animals, how to grow food and spend more time outside.
He’s accomplishing that through community partnerships, educational programs and events.
Embracing the farm lifestyle
Brogan, 31, didn’t grow up around farm animals. He was raised on the far east side before joining the Air Force.
He had just moved back to Indianapolis in 2020 when he impulsively purchased his first horse, an older mare named Midnight.
Pretty soon he was hooked. He bought more farm animals and eventually purchased the land that’s now his home and farm. Today, he has dozens of animals on the farm.
Brogan said he learned about taking care of animals from members of an Amish community he connected with and other Black horse owners in the city. He said it quickly became a lifestyle.
Broganville wouldn’t be possible without family support, Brogan said. His siblings help run and maintain the farm.
“It’s all hands on deck with my family,” Brogan said. “Our whole family, from siblings, uncles, aunts, grandma, help out.”
Even his 3-year-old son, Kashton, helps feed the animals and give them water.
“He’s going to waste a lot of it, you know, it’s going to cost me, but him learning is more important,” Brogan said.
Kashton’s favorite horse is named Major. Brogan, in fact, recently took Kashton and Major on their first street ride down 30th Street and near German Church Road.
“I rode on the street,” Kashton proudly shared with Mirror Indy.
Bringing farm life to the far east side
Lyna Martin brought her family to Broganville earlier this month. She was looking for opportunities for her 17-year-old daughter to learn more about agriculture, an area she is interested in pursuing after she graduates.
Martin and her children, who live on the west side, explored the farm and rode horses. She said being around the animals was calming. And Brogan even gave Martin’s daughter advice about farming.
“Most Black kids, this is not their dream to be in agriculture, right?” Martin said. “That’s not what they want to do. But Kadeem (Brogan) talked to her about the importance of connecting with people that are on the same path as you. I thought that was really nice of him.”
Brogan said a lot of people are interested in living off the land or want to learn more about animals. He wants to help them.
“A lot of us just don’t have a clue of how any of this works, or even how to get started, or believe that we could do it,” he said. “Down South might be a little different. Those guys, they got land for days down there. But we’re in the middle of Indianapolis.”
When kids visit the farm, the first thing Brogan teaches them is safety — for themselves and the animals. And he makes sure it’s a hands-on experience. He encourages kids to touch the animals and run around the farm.
“Sometimes I take my alpacas on a walk, and some kids think it’s a camel,” Brogan said. “You know, it’s funny, but it’s sad at the same time. They don’t know, because they’re not exposed to it.”
The family spreads community joy by hosting free events such as Halloween parties and community days. Brogan’s sister works with kids with autism, so last year they had an event for children with autism and their families. He said he hopes the farm gives kids a chance to explore and have fun.
“Outside of them gates, you don’t know what goes on or what type of lifestyle people are going through,” Brogan said. “Some kids don’t have that type of freedom or just energy to be free and just be a kid.”
But Broganville is not just for kids. He said even adults find joy from the animals.
“I could go to the hood and bring a goat, and it can be the hardest guy in the world, but he’s smiling and saying ‘Oh, you done brought a goat to the hood!’ It brightens up the whole environment.”
A partnership with CAFE
Broganville often partners with the Community Alliance of the Far Eastside’s community events.
The farm, in fact, is now home to the CAFE Nature Park. The park is funded through a $45,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment. It features a fishing pond, a nature center and native landscaping. CAFE will use it to expand the organization’s STEM programming, including hosting a new nature camp this summer.
“So many children have never even made it to downtown Indianapolis,” said Kendra Nowell, the CEO of CAFE. “This nature park component is very important to me, for us to be able to help give some access to youth.”
CAFE’s orchard education and program curator has developed a curriculum to be used at the nature center. Outside of the summer camp, CAFE will provide one session each in the fall and spring. CAFE also has the ability to provide programming year-round.
“Let’s say there’s a school group that was bringing a group of kids out to the farm to ride horses and do everything else,” Nowell said. “Well, they can add this nature center component on it as well, where CAFE would lead those activities.”
If you go
Broganville Farm is located at 11650 E. 30th St. Community events are posted on Facebook. To schedule a visit, call 317-721-2833 or email info.broganville@gmail.com.
A correction was made on May 23, 2025: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the amount of the Lilly Endowment grant. The grant is $45,000.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or darian.benson@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian or on Bluesky @darianbenson.bsky.social.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
