Bethany Gotts is weaving a tapestry of love, legacy, and agriculture through her vibrant sunflower festival.
“I am a farmer here in front of the Bruno Sand Dunes, and a few years ago, my father started Quays Maze - a corn maze and pumpkin patch. And this year, in 2023, we started the Sunflower Festival.”
Bethany’s journey into farming wasn’t one she envisioned in her early days. Growing up surrounded by the rural charm of her family’s farm, she initially sought a different path. “I wanted nothing to do with farming and left to start my own life elsewhere,” she admits with a chuckle. However, destiny had other plans. When her father fell ill, Bethany and her husband returned to Mountain Home to lend a helping hand.
“I started helping on the farm, gradually taking on more responsibilities,” she explains. “As the years went by, it became apparent that someone needed to take over the farm. Out of my siblings, somehow, I was the chosen one.” Bethany’s voice carries a mix of nostalgia and pride as she recounts how she embraced farming and found her true calling in agriculture.
The farm has been a canvas for diverse crops, from corn and hay to wheat, barley, and oats. “We grow corn and hay and wheat barley and oats. We rent out for mint and potatoes occasionally,” Bethany details. “It’s been a wonderful thing. I’ve found my passion in life. Agriculture is... besides sunflowers, sunflowers are my joy, but farming is my passion, for sure.”
Her father’s legacy lives on in the form of Quays Maze - a corn maze and pumpkin patch he established 17 years ago. Designed to introduce kids in Mountain Home to the world of agriculture, it became a cherished tradition for local school and preschool groups. “My father’s place was Quasemates, which was my father’s name,” Bethany says fondly. “I wanted something of my own.”
Four years ago, the seeds of inspiration took root as Bethany planted sunflowers on the farm. Their vibrant beauty brought her immense joy and caught the attention of passersby. “People would stop on the side of the road to take pictures and buy the sunflowers,” she recalls. This marked the birth of an idea – an idea that would eventually blossom into the Sunflower Festival.
Tragedy and inheritance interwoven in Bethany’s journey, as her father’s passing propelled her into taking the reins of the farm. “Here we are, finally doing a Sunflower Festival like I had envisioned,” she exclaims. The festival boasts a vibrant tapestry of over 75 sunflower varieties, inviting families to wander through the fields, pick their favorites, and take home a piece of the sun-kissed magic.
“I am following in my father’s footsteps,” Bethany says with a sense of profound connection. “He started Quays Maze, the corn maze, and the pumpkin patch. And I started Quasimi’s Sunflower Festival.” The festival, held on the first two weekends of August, radiates not only the beauty of the sunflowers but also the warmth of community and shared experiences.
As visitors immerse themselves in the festival, Bethany hopes to shed light on the importance of agriculture. “Agriculture is what feeds people in the world,” she stresses passionately. “It’s a crucial part that I wish more people understood. We are everything that supports life here. It is my way of life, and it is my passion.”
Gotts, with her sunflower festival, is not only cultivating fields but also nurturing connections – with the land, with her father’s legacy, and with the hearts of those who come to share in her love for farming.
