Meet Betsy and Mike of the Lyons Farmette

Today we’d like to introduce you to Betsy Burton.

Betsy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My husband, Mike and I started farming the land ~ very small farm of about 4 acres ~ that’s why we call it the “Farmette”;) about ten years ago. It was mainly vegetables and herbs, but now also a flower farm and we also raise Alpacas and goats.   We started it with the intention of establishing a community center and brought together our passions for locally-grown food, animals, art, education & environmental sustainability. The Farmette has evolved and also hosts beautiful farm dinners and weddings. We’re a working organic farm and education center with a mission to support and empower our local food community through our workshops and farm dinners.

Our business evolved quickly and in an amazing ways.

A friend of ours asked if they could do their rehearsal dinner in the field ten years ago and we said “Sure.” We knew NOTHING about the wedding business at the time and have learned A LOT since then! We now have two wedding/private event venues and host over 130 weddings each summer (May-Oct) and also have many fundraisers and farm to table dinners.

It’s an extremely fun and rewarding business and we also have helped to start careers for our 8+ employees.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s been relatively smooth considering we have grown so much and the learning curve was steep. The first summer of weddings, we just threw it all out there and people showed up and had a party without any rules or restrictions. I NOW understand why venues have rules and restrictions ~ as is now evident in our rental agreement and 12 pages FAQ!

We’re also very fortunate to have an incredible group of people who help with every detail. We call them our “Farmette Family.”

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Lyons Farmette story. Tell us more about the business.
What we do is rather broad, but we now mainly consist of two large outdoor properties that host private events (mainly weddings), farm to table dinners and workshops. Much more information and details are on our website. https://www.lyonsfarmette.com/

We’re very proud of the fact that we have a business that makes people happy while celebrating with their friends and family and at the same time providing business to many others ~ caterers, wedding planners, bartenders, musicians, rental companies and more. One of our main joys is the young people who have started out as our interns, are still with us and have successful careers of their own because of the Lyons Farmette and River Bend. Our in the house flower business, for example, Plume and Furrow. https://www.plumeandfurrow.com/

We also host many benefits and have been able to raise money for numerous non-profits over the past nine years.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Well, we do feel pretty darn lucky!

We kinda lucked into this business and learned along the way. To be able to have a farm (and a beautiful river property) to do outdoor events, wander through the gorgeous flower gardens, raise Alpacas and goats and be around amazing people AND to top it off, have a successful business. Yes, we are very fortunate and don’t take anything for granted.

As far as location, we’re in a great area close to Boulder and relatively close to Denver and Fort Collins. Our properties are unique and worth the drive to get out of the city.

Pricing:

• Wedding property rental ~ ranges from $5,000 – $7,000
• Farm to Table dinners ~ range between $65 and $125
• Workshops ~ range between $25 and $150

Contact Info:

• Address: The Lyons Farmette ~ 4121 Ute Highway Lyons, CO 80530
  River Bend venue ~ 501 West Main Lyons, CO 80540
  BEST directions are on our website.
• Website: LyonsFarmette.com https://www.lyonsfarmette.com/
• Phone: 3037466266
• Email: Betsyburton@icloud.com

Image Credit:
Photo of Mike and Me (with goats) Kristen Boyer http://kirstenboyerphotography.blogspot.com/
The “Welcome” photo Mallory Munson http://www.mallorymunson.com/
Venue photo with chairs Jill Houser https://www.jillhouser.com/
Couple in flowers Red Aspen Photography http://redaspenphotography.com/
River Bend view from cliff Anni Graham https://annigraham.com/
Bride and brides maids with Betty, the Beverage Burro 🙂 Haley Rynn Ringo http://haleyrynnringo.com/

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.