Beef, pork, and chicken direct from the farm to your home! Two years ago I shared a conversation I had with my friend Sarah Ison. Today I’m coming back to share how things have changed on her family’s farm and in her life. Let’s catch up with the Isons.
Josh and Sarah Ison are the farmers of Flourish & Roam. Two years ago the Isons had transitioned from selling beef at farmers markets in Cincinnati, Ohio to shipping a wider variety of premium beef, pork, and chicken directly to customers across the country. Their products have been shipped as far south as the Florida Keys and Puerto Rico and as far west as California. Sarah would love to gain customers in Alaska and Hawaii - if you know anyone.
One of the great advantages that people get from shopping with F&R is they not only get great products, they also gain a direct relationship with their food. Josh and Sarah do a great job sharing their everyday farm life through social media posts. From the highs to the lows the Isons share it all. This level of transparency shows their customers the care that goes into raising every animal on their farm and the sustainability practices that make their farm safe for the environment and long lasting for their family.
In the last few years we have seen food shortages caused by supply chain issues, labor shortages, and international turmoil. With all of these concerns people have been seeking out farmers that sell direct to consumer- which has led a lot of people to the Isons. As a way to plan for their regular customers the Isons started their Ranch Club Subscription program. People who have subscribed to this program are first to receive products, so if you want to guarantee fresh meats in your freezer this is the best option. Signing up for the subscription also gives security to the Isons so they can further invest in their farm to continue providing high quality pasture raised meats.
The Isons have converted 30 acres of cropland to pastures and hay over the last two years so they can sustainably raise more animals and they have added Katahdin/Dorper sheep to the farm. The sheep are a great addition as they are a low input protein source (meaning it doesn't take as much feed and land to grow the sheep) and they work well in a grazing rotation with cows (this means sheep can share fields with the cows because they each eat different kinds of plants). It is Sarah's plan to bring in Navajo-Churro sheep in the future. These sheep provide a more premium meat and their pelts can be sold for another source of income.
Along with their on-farm work, Sarah also does consulting for other farms. Two years ago Sarah was a microbiology professor at Northern Kentucky University. Since then she has left classroom teaching behind to take on public engagement and farm consultations through her BeefDrSarah brand. Sarah has a wealth of firsthand knowledge in setting up a direct to consumer farm business and other farms looking to add this option are wise to seek out Sarah for advise- I have more than twice.
With all of the farm and business changes the Isons have seen they welcomed another change this year, the birth of their healthy, happy son Gannon Alton Joel Ison on March 10th! It is needless to say the Isons have their hands full, but they handle it well and I am proud to call them my friends. This is a family you can feel good about supporting so sign up and get your subscription started.
For learn more about their farm and to purchase their meats visit www.flourishandroam.com
For farm and business consulting check out www.beefdrsarah.com
