Tours share accessible farming practices in Vail

On one of his farm tours, Michael Ismail bent down to check on a rainbow cactus starting to bloom. He explained there weren’t many when he moved to the property, but after implementing his water basin system, native plants have popped up all around and created a desert oasis. He pointed to the string of small pits along the watershed, connecting down to the farm.

“By doing this all around the property, you essentially create this lens of water in the ground,” Ismail said. “It moves down the slope and ends up benefitting the ecosystem all the way down.”

Ismail and his team at Thrive and Grow Farms host tours at their property in Vail to teach about regenerative farming. Neighboring Cienega Creek Preserve, this farm will soon be a demonstration of its new business model, where they develop land to prioritize a regenerative ecosystem and sell the final product to farmers. Ismail calls their new model turnkey farming.

Ismail is an agricultural entrepreneur, expert and educator with a focus on land conservation. He was raised in a homestead near Tucson, where his family turned a patch of desert into a thriving farm.

“I grew up growing a lot of food and learning permaculture practices,” Ismail recalled. “My father taught me land development methods through a lot of passive rainwater retention. We were very mindful of the way we existed in our little ecosystem.”

As an adult, he noticed most people believed they had “brown thumbs” and couldn’t care for plants, let alone gardens or farms. Ismail decided to use his knowledge and experience to create the Thrive and Grow brand. The company’s goal is to develop a stronger, local regenerative food system, developing land and infrastructure for farmers to walk into and succeed.

Ismail defined regenerative farming as a practice that goes beyond sustainability, it’s farming the land the way nature does. It focuses on the health of the soil and the conservation of resources, eliminating harmful traditional methods like tillage. Especially in the desert, the priority is water retention, and he develops each farm based on water flow and keeping it in the ground.

His system not only focuses on conservation tactics but limits the amount of water used in overall farming.

“Agriculture is one of the largest uses of water throughout Arizona,” Ismail said. “The fact that we can put more water into the ground with our demonstration than we take out is a really important step.”

Their turnkey farming project is in its initial stages of funding. Through WeFunder, Thrive and Grow Farms has raised over $125,000 to develop its properties and continues to receive support.

As Ismail and his team receive money, they will develop their 32 acres in St. David into four turnkey farms. Once the farms are complete, they hope to sell each within six months. Ismail stressed the importance of developing the land and infrastructure to make it easy for farmers to conduct their business.

“We wanted to ensure people could walk into this and have a bright future in agriculture,” Ismail said. “It’s important to have a solid business plan and to know what to expect with all of the procedures in farming.”

Along with providing the land, Thrive and Grow Farms will also include their connections with local food markets and key business infrastructure. Any extra crops may be sold to the company to be freeze-dried, which will prevent spoilage and optimize sales for farmers. The company will sell the food under its new food brand, Truly Regenerative.

Ismail foreshadowed an upcoming trend toward regeneratively farmed products, much like the craze for organic foods. His mission is to help farmers see the value of these practices, not only to meet public demand but to create long-term profitability.

“One thing I believe is a common misconception is to do things right, you have to sacrifice a profitable business,” Ismail said. “We’re actually finding that it’s the opposite. These methods can create more stability for farmers and a better product for consumers.”

He noted the power of regenerative farming and its impact on the land. Along with examples of improved crop growth, Ismail’s demonstration farm is flourishing with a variety of native plants and animals.

Though in its initial stages, Thrive and Grow Farms is an opportunity for people to see the long-term benefits of regenerative agriculture, especially in a drought-prone environment. Ismail encourages those interested in recentering their business or starting new to come out for a tour and see the impact in person.

“It’s scary for a farmer to make changes and create any sort of uncertainty with growing crops and providing for their families,” Ismail said. “By demonstrating some of these practices, we can show people it’s very possible. They can create more resilient businesses while using less water.”

This article appears in May 4-10, 2023.