The Brossy Family

South Central Idaho's Magic Valley doesn't look like obvious bean country at first glance. The landscape is arid, the soil sandy, the growing season shaped by high desert rhythms. But for farmers who know how to work with the land rather than against it, those conditions produce something special — and the Brossy family has spent decades figuring out exactly how to do that.

Fred and Judy Brossy were early converts to regenerative agriculture, long before it had a trendy name. Starting with hay and pasture, they built one of the most diversified farms in the region near Shoshone, Idaho. Today Fred and Judy farm alongside their son Cooper and his wife Ahnna.

Regenerative Agriculture, One Cover Crop at a Time

The Brossys operate from a simple but demanding conviction: that regenerating farmland isn't optional, it's the job. Fields stay covered with living plants year-round through cover crops, living trellises, and crop rotations. They've developed dedicated pollinator habitats in partnership with NRCS, the Xerces Society, and the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides. And they're deep into a multi-year effort to develop a no-till dry bean system — planting directly into rolled-down cereal rye without herbicides or additional tillage. By Cooper's own description, it's genuinely hard. They're several years out from having it dialed in. That kind of patience with a long-term experiment is its own form of farming philosophy.

Alongside beans, the Brossys grow potatoes, wheat, barley, alfalfa hay, corn, and vegetables grown for gardening seed. They've also helped establish one of the region's farmers' markets, extending their commitment to community beyond the farm fence.

We source our certified organic Southwest Gold and cannellini beans from the Brossys — and if you've cooked the Southwest Gold, you already know why we keep coming back. It has the kind of flavor that makes you want to eat a pot straight from the stove with good olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. We're hoping to add more Brossy-grown varieties next year.