Today we’d like to introduce you to Brady Gordon
Hi Brady , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 2019 I had recently returned home from a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Philippines. I was excited about life and had begun my college education at BYU. I grew up my whole life working on the farm with my grandpa Randy Gordon and loved everything about my experiences on the farm and the person it helped me become and continues to help my become today. The dream is to be able to keep farm in our family as I am a 4th generation Gordon boy that has farmed in this area. The costs and difficulties that come with farming have made it more and more difficult over the years for “smaller” farms like us. I quickly realized this as I was working with my grandpa in 2019 and pondering what I wanted to do with my life as a college student. I realized that we needed to start doing something different if the Gordon Family Farm was going to remain for much longer. So we came up with the idea for “Gordo’s Fun Farm” (The name Gordo coming as a nickname that me and many of my uncles/cousins had in high school.) This was a shot at starting something new that could create a different type of business here at the farm on top of the continued produce producing and selling we already did at the time. I continued my education at BYU to become an elementary school teacher and have since also become a 5th grade teacher. Gordo’s opened for its first season in 2020 and we have grown each years since. We have found so much satisfaction in providing this unique event for the community to attend. People make memories at our farm while also learning about how essential farms are to society. Our biggest event being the “Gordo’s Fall Festival” has grown and is popular in the area. In 2023 we added our new event “Red Nose Ranch @ Gordo’s” which is a unique Christmas event/Christmas tree farm. in 2024 We add “Daisy Days @ Gordo’s” and this event is uniquely special as it is in now way for us to earn money as a business but simply a remembrance event for me and my wife daughter Daisy who was born and passed in March of 2024. This event is free to anyone who has experienced similar loss of a baby or child and there are many special things we do to remember Daisy and all of the sweet angel babies of families that attend. This summer of 2025 we will starting a new “Summer Farm Camp @ Gordo’s” event that will educate young people on farming and its importance in our lives as well as teach many important life lessons. All of these events and everything that has made it successful can also be attributed to my wife Madelyn and the help of our first son Keith. Since they joined me in the efforts to build this dream it has become even better than anything I had done or imagined in 2020. To sum it all up, 5 years ago I was just a college kid with a dream. Now I feel very fortunate to be part of a growing farm event, as a father, teacher, and slightly older kid with a dream that feels a little bit more attainable now.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have definitely been bumps in the road. We opened for our first season in 2020 which was in the thick of Covid. Each year financial stresses have squeezed us to try and make it all work. I started the business while working full time and attending school full time and as time has gone on my time has become even more limited as a young father and husband. Each year of farming crops can also be difficult depending on water levels and unexpected weather. Looking back each of these things were very challenging and many of them will continue to be but I try to look at the bigger picture and recognize that first off, any thing that is worth it is rarely easy. Secondly, that each of these things help me to find more purpose in my life and learn to appreciate the peak moments.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I will graduate this April with a degree in Elementary Education. 10 years ago I would have laughed at you hard if I were to hear that I would become and elementary school teacher someday but life has lead me here and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. I am near the completion of teaching my first year of 5th grade and look forward to many more years of working with and learning with young people. I also continue to manage the farm and Gordo’s Fun Farm. I have much to learn about each of my professions but I am proud of who I am becoming and the relationships I’ve built with so many wonderful people both in the educational world as well as the agriculture industry.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Don’t hesitate. Be passionate about something and believe in yourself. Just start, full heartedly and then do it with confidence in yourself and see the end from the beginning. When I feel discouraged I just have to go out and START and its easy to continue from there. The ups and downs are rough but looking back aren’t as bad as they seemed in the moment. Let your motives be things other than self gain and self improvement. I feel so much better about my life when I better it so that I can turn around to bless others with what I’ve been given.
Pricing:
- General Admission to most farm events is $8.50 per person and this includes ALL activities at the farm.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gordonfamilyfarms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brady_j_gordon/
