Cincinnati Magazine
Photograph by Aaron M. Conway
A few years ago, longtime friends Shawn Carson and Andrew Conn were discussing how the local restaurant scene’s farm-to-table ethos hadn’t yet spilled over into the burgeoning craft brewing community. The two had a thirst to get back to their agricultural roots, so over beers they hatched a plan to become a planting partner for local brewers.
Carson, an anesthesiologist, and Conn, a managing partner for his family’s construction company, decided their side hustle would have to start small. Barley one of beer’s four main ingredients along with water, hops, and yeast was their initial focus, but growing it requires a lot of acreage, so instead they launched Hopped Farms.