In the coming months, Soapbox will dive into how to source regionally raised food. Buying local has become a mantra for many Cincinnatians, as the environmental and economic costs of purchasing goods produced across the country and beyond have become increasingly disquieting. Concerns about the current administration’s enacted tariffs, with threats of still-higher rates looming, have turned concerns of buying foreign-made materials from a low din to an earsplitting clamor.
Buying some products from abroad is practically inevitable. However, it’s much more viable to think and act locally when it comes to what we eat. This paradigm shift will require looking beyond the supermarket and the “Big Ag” ecosystem, but options exist, and the benefits of buying food from your neighbors are many. In this opening story, we’ll look at Flourish and Roam, a Cincinnati-area meat producer with a holistic approach to farming to provide better environmental stewardship, quality of life for animals and nutrition.
Josh and Sarah Ison are a husband-and-wife team who have operated Flourish and Roam, a 112-acre livestock farm in Moscow, since 2016. They both earned doctoral degrees in animal science at Texas Tech, and their experience entailed studying food safety and epidemiology at farm feed lots across Western states.
“I think our background in studying animal health and nutrition provided a unique background and perspective for operating a farm,” Sarah said.
Flourish and Roam’s operations follow regenerative agriculture principles, which strive to reverse climate change, revive soil health, improve moisture retention, and promote biodiversity, ultimately yielding healthier livestock and improved long-term arability for the land. Sarah noted that regenerative practices are more easily adopted by smaller farms than larger agricultural operations where everything is geared toward high volume.
She pointed to the concept of enterprise stacking, which rotates species strategically around Flourish and Roam’s acreage. Using a mobile chicken coop, the farm’s workers will release the birds to forage, ultimately leaving droppings that create a natural fertilizer. Once the scat has been absorbed into the soil, the nutritionally enriched grasses provide healthy fodder for its cattle to eat and grow. And, instead of relying on pesticides or bulldozers to combat invasive species such as honeysuckle, the Ison’s unleash their sheep to forage to mitigate its growth.
“We’ve made some neat discoveries by letting nature be our guide, that has helped us make improvements to cultivate healthier soil that has helped restore native plant and animal populations and yielded healthier animals,” she said.
She said that the regenerative agriculture community has provided more camaraderie than competition, with conferences, blogs and other engagement tools that facilitate learning about new techniques and tools that can help more profitable operation. She doesn’t judge farms that use more conventional practices, acknowledging the difficulty of uprooting entrenched methods and equipment.
“No farmers we’ve met disapprove of what we’re doing,” Sarah said. “Conventional farmers have often used the same system for generations, and it can be very expensive to reestablish new processes from scratch. Regenerative agriculture is probably easier to implement for new farmers.”
The Isons transitioned most of their acres from cropland to raising livestock, a time-consuming process. While the soil became more hospitable to grazing, grain and hay was required for bovine sustenance. As natural fertilizer and other organic matter deposits into the soil, the grass and natural vegetation now provide a food source sufficient for most of the year.
“We haven’t had to feed grass to our cattle yet this year,” Sarah said. “We don’t advertise as grass fed because, although we strive to always feed cattle that way, the nutritional needs of our cattle are the most important consideration, and we’re transparent with customers.”
She said that renting the property instead of owning, though its deed is within the family. They rent additional acreage from relatives to provide Flourish and Roam’s hay.
“Some people think that you have to get loans to purchase farming acreage,” Sarah said. “That’s difficult to manage for younger people wanting to start farming, no matter how good the business plan. We hope to buy out the property one day, but keeping your overhead lower by renting makes farming more accessible.”
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The proof is in the cut; the dark-red color reflects on Flourish and Roam's practices that protect herd health and yield a tasty product.
She pointed out the superior food quality of meat raised via regenerative agriculture, thanks to better bioavailability of nutrients. This means livestock enjoying a diverse diet of nutrient-dense food sources, as well as allowing ample time to wander about in sunlight, yielding leaner, more nutritious meat.
Sarah noted that “approximately 99%” of its product is sold directly through
its website. Offerings include beef, chicken, lamb and pork. Those interested in buying in bulk may obtain a share of cattle, chicken and pigs.”
For reference, a one-eighth share of a cow yields at least 50 lbs. of dry-aged beef. Flourish and Roam also runs an onsite retail store, and sells at the Ohio BBQ Store in Cincinnati, and at the Winchester Farm Exchange in Canal Winchester. The farm store also sells products from other organic and sustainably raised foods, such as paddlefish, honey, maple syrup, and, according to Sarah, “other healthy foods I’m happy to serve my kids.”
The Isons’ future plans involve erecting a new barn that will provide more storage and a kitchen that will provide space for making prepared foods for sale. Sarah said that they had anticipated 56% year-over-year growth in 2024 but surpassed 200%.
“People think of regenerative farms as tiny homesteads, but if you want to make a living full-time as a farmer, you need to stay focused on growth.”
Sarah is also hoping for more visitors to Flourish and Roam: “We welcome anyone who lives within [100 miles] of the farm to come visit. We love to talk about farm life, and it’s good for people to learn more about how their food is raised.”