Stream Cliff Farm

Stream Cliff Farm, also known as Stream Cliff Herb Farms, is a historic farm and visitor destination in southern Jennings County, Indiana, near the village of Commiskey. Its identity combines agricultural production, heritage tourism, gardens, food service, retail, and small-scale hospitality. The farm is associated particularly with herbs, perennial plants, edible flowers, handmade goods, and visitor experiences built around its historic rural setting. The property’s documented history begins in 1821, when James Harmon came to the land through a grant connected with his father’s service in the American Revolutionary War. A brick farmhouse was constructed during the 1820s or 1830s and remains associated with the family residence. The farm also lies along the route taken by the main body of John Hunt Morgan’s Confederate cavalry during its 1863 raid through Indiana. Indiana’s John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail passes along the western side of the property, giving the site a connection to regional Civil War heritage tourism. Ownership and stewardship passed through a local Methodist church after Harmon’s death in 1863 and subsequently through five generations of the same family. The property sometimes passed through the female line. Betty Manning, whose great-grandfather acquired the farm, and her husband operated it as a public destination for nearly 35 years according to the reference account. The business initially emphasized handmade crafts before developing a stronger focus on herbs and perennial plants. The visitor facilities include a garden, three arts-and-crafts shops, a general store, a winery, and the Twigs & Sprigs Tearoom. The tearoom uses herbs and edible flowers grown at the farm in its entrées and is described as specializing in soups and sandwiches. The winery opened in 2007, with its tasting room named General Morgan’s Tasting Room in recognition of the property’s association with John Hunt Morgan. The winery’s origin was linked to the owner’s husband receiving medical advice to drink red wine. As described in the reference material, the farm opened to visitors from April through December and was identified in 2007 as Indiana’s oldest herb farm. Because the available material does not establish its present operating status, current ownership beyond the named operators, production volume, distribution footprint, or a current official website, those details remain unconfirmed. Stream Cliff Farm is best understood as a place-based agricultural and heritage brand rather than a nationally distributed packaged-goods company.

Stream Cliff Farm is a historic agricultural property in southern Jennings County, Indiana, close to Commiskey. Its recorded origins reach back to 1821, when James Harmon settled on land granted in connection with his father’s Revolutionary War service. The brick farmhouse, built during the 1820s or 1830s, was made with bricks produced by its builder and continued to serve as the family residence. The farm is also part of Indiana’s John Hunt Morgan heritage. On July 11, 1863, the main body of John Hunt Morgan’s cavalry passed by the property during Morgan’s raid through Indiana. The Indiana John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail later came along the western side of the farm. Before the end of 1863, Harmon died, and the property passed to a local Methodist church. It was subsequently transferred through five generations of the same family, including inheritance through the female line. Betty Manning, whose great-grandfather purchased the property, and her husband developed the site as a public attraction and operated it for nearly 35 years according to the available reference account. The business first concentrated on handmade crafts, then shifted toward herbs and perennial plants. This transition gave Stream Cliff Farm its more distinctive identity as an herb farm while retaining the broader character of a rural destination. The visitor complex expanded beyond cultivation and retail. It included a garden, three arts-and-crafts shops, a general store, a winery, and the Twigs & Sprigs Tearoom. The tearoom incorporated herbs and edible flowers grown on the farm into its entrées and focused on soups and sandwiches. The winery opened in 2007, and its tasting room was called General Morgan’s Tasting Room. The name connected the new beverage business to the farm’s Civil War history. The account attributes the decision to open the winery partly to the owner’s husband being advised by his cardiologist to drink red wine. By 2007, the farm was described as Indiana’s oldest herb farm. It reportedly welcomed visitors from April through December, making seasonality part of its operating model. Its activities therefore spanned agriculture, plant retail, culinary service, craft retail, wine tasting, gardens, and historical tourism. The available sources do not provide a confirmed founding year for the public-facing brand, detailed sales information, current management beyond Betty Manning, or evidence of national distribution. Its significance rests primarily on continuity of family stewardship, historic buildings and associations, and a locally rooted visitor experience.

• 2007

  Winery opens

  [1]Stream Cliff Farmen.wikipedia.org

  The farm opened its winery and General Morgan's Tasting Room.

• 2007

  Farm described as Indiana's oldest herb farm

  [1]Stream Cliff Farmen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material identified the property as Indiana's oldest herb farm and described seasonal visitor operations.

• 1868

  Classroom building constructed

  [1]Stream Cliff Farmen.wikipedia.org

  A classroom building was erected on the property to house railroad workers.

• 1863

  John Hunt Morgan's forces pass the farm

  [1]Stream Cliff Farmen.wikipedia.org

  The main body of Morgan's cavalry passed by the property on July 11 during the Indiana raid.

• 1825

  Historic brick farmhouse constructed

  [1]Stream Cliff Farmen.wikipedia.org

  The farmhouse was built during the 1820s or 1830s and remains associated with the property.

• 1821

  James Harmon settles the property

  [1]Stream Cliff Farmen.wikipedia.org

  James Harmon came to the land through a grant associated with his father's Revolutionary War service.

A heritage-oriented Indiana farm destination combining locally grown herbs and plants with gardens, food, crafts, wine, and Civil War-era history.

• Agricultural products

  Herbs

  Herbs are the farm's defining agricultural offering and are used both as retail products and as ingredients in the on-site tearoom. The farm's later development reportedly shifted its emphasis from handmade crafts toward herbs and perennial plants.

• Plants and nursery products

  Perennial plants

  Perennial plants form another central part of the farm's plant-focused retail identity. The available material does not specify particular varieties, cultivation methods, or sales channels.

• Agricultural products

  Farm-grown edible flowers

  Edible flowers grown on the property are used in the food served at Twigs & Sprigs Tearoom. The source describes their culinary use but does not establish whether they are separately sold to customers.

• Beverages · 2007

  Wine

  The on-site winery opened in 2007 and offered tastings through General Morgan's Tasting Room. No specific wine varieties, production volumes, or distribution arrangements are identified in the available material.

• Food service

  Twigs & Sprigs Tearoom

  The farm's tearoom specializes in soups and sandwiches and incorporates herbs and edible flowers grown at Stream Cliff Farm into its entrées.

• 2007

  Opening of the winery and General Morgan's Tasting RoomProduct launch

  Background

  The farm expanded its visitor offering beyond plants, crafts, and food service. The reference account links the decision partly to the owner's husband receiving medical advice to drink red wine.

  Action taken

  Stream Cliff Farm opened an on-site winery and named its tasting room after John Hunt Morgan.

  Aftermath

  The winery added beverage tourism to the farm's existing agricultural, culinary, retail, and heritage activities.

  Source

• Shift from handmade crafts toward herbs and perennial plantsStrategy

  Background

  The farm originally emphasized handmade crafts before developing a stronger focus on herbs and perennial plants.

  Action taken

  The public-facing business repositioned its product emphasis around herb farming, plant retail, and related visitor experiences.

  Aftermath

  The shift helped establish the farm's identity as an herb-focused agricultural and tourism destination, although the source gives no financial or operational results.

  Source

1. 1Stream Cliff Farmen.wikipedia.org