One local family farm plans to make the most of 2021
Now that 2020 is over, many small business owners in our communities are looking forward to the new year with an optimistic vision. I had the privilege of gaining wisdom and enthusiasm for the future from one such business owner.
Susie Goodspeed from Payson operates the business Farm and Hive with her husband, Tyler Goodspeed. The couple first met when they crossed paths responding to search and rescue calls. Susie was a volunteer for Utah County Search and Rescue for many years, and Tyler was a volunteer at North Fork Fire Department. The two later married and are raising three children (ages 5, 3, and 11 months).
The Goodspeeds own and farm a 5.25-acre homestead. They stay busy living a self-sufficient, industrious lifestyle while sharing their talents and farmhouse goods with the community.
When I first sat down with Susie, it was immediately apparent she is one of the most genuine, down-to-earth people I’ve ever had the privilege to meet. When she was younger, she never imagined she’d one day own a farm or sell her own handmade, fresh-from-the-farm products. But today she wouldn’t want to live her life any other way.
At the age of 21, Goodspeed got a job at Vineyard Garden in Orem. She recalled that Farmer Grant, who had the last little vineyard in the area, taught her the joys of living self-sufficiently. She learned how to pressure can and take care of other responsibilities on the vineyard. It didn’t take long for her to fall in love with the lifestyle.
Goodspeed decided to grow every kind of living thing she could on her own quarter-acre property in Provo. Now that she lives on 5.25 acres, she has much more room to raise living things. Currently, the Goodpseeds raise alpacas, pigs, chickens, sheep, and goats. They also manage a 500-acre private farm in Lake Shore, with bison, water buffalo, peacocks, horses, chickens, goats, and other animals.
While the Goodspeeds enjoy a largely self-sufficient lifestyle thanks to their industrious natures, they also enjoy sharing the fruits of their labors with their community. Through their business Farm and Hive, they sell a wide variety of products from their own farm, as well as goods produced by other local farmers.
The Goodspeeds specialize in making honey products, including food wraps, candles, lotions, and ornaments all made from local beeswax. Goodspeed explained to me that beeswax candles are preferred over other candle types because they burn longer, cleaner, and brighter.
They also create negative ions when burned, which attach to unwanted positive ions (such as mold, dust, and pollen). In this way, burning beeswax candles can help clean the air. They also provide a fresh, unadulterated beeswax smell that’s not laden with chemicals or other pollutants.
Goodspeed first became a beekeeper about 10 years ago. She stated, “I was interested in knowing where my honey came from and being that much more self-sustained.” The very first beeswax product she made was lip balm. Then, she started researching additional products she could make with beeswax and her business grew from there.
Today, Goodspeed has a quaint market next door to her home. Though small, it contains a wide variety of products from the Goodspeed farm and other nearby farms.
Visitors can find beautiful, wood-turned pens made by a family friend’s grandpa, metal nativities and other items made by a 17-year-old backyard neighbor, and delicious freeze-dried fruits from a neighboring orchard.
And of course, there are plenty of beeswax and honeycomb products lining the rustic shelves. As
Chelsey Prescott, a friend and neighbor of Goodspeed stated, “There’s so much cool stuff. There’s something for everybody.” Farm and Hive sells more than 600 different products. In addition to non-edible products, there are also burgers, roasts, and other meat products produced from animals raised on the Goodspeed farm.
Farm and Hive is located at 10068 South 6000 West in Payson and is one of the last places that’s still based on a self-serve honor system. Those who want to buy in-person from the shop can pay for their purchases by scanning a Venmo payment icon displayed in the window. It’s a system that believes in—and encourages—honesty.
Farm and Hive participates regularly in the Beehive Bazaar, which is a local seasonal market that occurs every spring, fall, and winter in Provo. Goodspeed encourages people to visit the market and take a look at all the beautiful handmade crafts and products there.
But you don’t need to wait for the market to open to purchase Farm and Hive products.
Anyone can buy their products year-round directly from the Goodspeed family’s website.
With a contagious spirit of optimism, the Goodspeed family aims to brighten up 2021 for the community by offering fun and educational classes on a variety of homesteading subjects. Classes are kept small to maintain a personalized, hands-on environment. In previous years, Goodspeed has taught classes on raising goats, weaving, pottery throwing, candle crafting, and even chicken butchering.
Regarding her classes, Goodspeed explained, “In spring, we do a lot of classes. They’re hands-on, bring your kids to the farm events. If a mom needs to bring her kids, they can play in the backyard during the classes. We also have a giant barn in the backyard, so we can still have classes inside while accommodating all the COVID stuff.”
Prescott is a frequent attendee at Goodspeed’s classes and said, “I have learned a lot of stuff from Susie. She had a soap-making class here that was really fun. There are tons of fun classes that I want to take.”
Goodspeed encourages those who want to become more self-sufficient in 2021 to sign up for one—or more—of her upcoming classes. Interested individuals can learn more about upcoming events through the Farm and Hive Instagram page.
The year 2020 was a hard one for many local businesses. Fortunately, our communities have a reputation for coming together and supporting each other through challenging times. Through small actions, we can all help turn things around for local businesses this year.
Those who would like to make a New Year’s resolution to support more local businesses in 2021 can start by learning about and supporting the many great businesses in their own neighborhoods, including Farm and Hive.
People can learn more about the farm’s many offerings on its website (https://farmandhive.com/). For current operating hours, visitors are encouraged to refer to the Farm and Hive Instagram page. (Peterson is a Serve Daily contributor.)
