Meet the Founders:

Britney Fields & Bryant Phillips

The visionaries behind Sonna Mae Heritage, a farm-to-table experience deeply rooted in community, sustainability, and exceptional hospitality. With backgrounds in fine dining, bartending, and hospitality management, they bring a refined yet approachable touch to everything they create—from curated farm dinners to immersive agro-tourism experiences.

What started as a passion for regenerative agriculture and local food systems has grown into a vibrant space where people can gather, connect, and experience the seasons. Bryant takes on the construction, engineering, and hands-on problem-solving, and has been instrumental part in building the farm’s infrastructure. Britney, with her leadership in event planning, culinary passions, and business strategy, has shaped the farm’s immersive guest experiences. Together, they have transformed Sonna Mae into a space where craftsmanship, sustainability, and hospitality intersect.

Their work is more than farming—it’s about creating moments that nourish both body and soul. Whether through intimate chef-led dinners, educational workshops, or the thriving membership community of The Arbor, Britney and Bryant are dedicated to fostering a connection between people, food, and the land.

Our Story

Nestled just outside Cincinnati, our six-acre haven, once merely compacted Ohio clay, overlooked and neglected, now thrives. It stands as a vibrant hub for community, innovation, nourishment, and play—all rooted in a deep respect for the land itself, to being a part of the land rather than apart from it.

2020 was a reckoning for our founders, two seasoned veterans from the restaurant world, not just a pause. As the bustling kitchens and dining rooms they had dedicated their careers to grew silent, they began to question the very foundations of their industry. "Is there a better way?" they pondered, gifted with time to consider a more symbiotic relationship with our earth and envision a food system both equitable and accessible. They wondered if, with little more than passion and a willingness to learn, they could contribute a fresh perspective to the ancient practices now experiencing a renaissance as "regenerative agriculture."

They embarked on a journey, blending modern innovations with the wisdom of age-old practices. In their exploration, they encountered a landscape where Big Brands, wielding significant influence, often reduce meaningful terms like 'regenerative,' 'permaculture,' and 'organic' to mere buzzwords. A tactic carefully designed to uphold an unsustainable status quo, despite a growing public demand for practices truly beneficial to both people and the planet. Their mission was clear: to return to the roots of agriculture, embracing practices that genuinely nurture and sustain life— a stark contrast to the greenwashed narratives that dominate our shelves.

With tenacity as our compass we have since done our best to follow those paths to sustainability, joy, and diverse community engagement. After four years of hard won successes and countless humbling failures, those paths have also begun to reveal that there is, indeed, a "better way." A way that not only honors the legacy of the land itself but also pays homage to the native plants, wildlife, and humans that served as its stewards long before we embarked on our journey to become farmers here. Our approach marries the innovations of today with the timeless wisdom of the past, demonstrating that a fresh perspective on ancient practices can lead us to a future where both the earth and its inhabitants flourish together—perhaps, just in time to make a difference.