Friday Fling vendor using marketplace to launch homegrown business

PALMER — Greatland Family Nursery owner Cody Beus is growing his budding business through the Friday Fling marketplace to support his children in the short and long term, utilizing his passion for agriculture and experience stewarding life from the ground up.

“This is their college and fall back to school shopping money,” Beus said with a laugh. “For this business, just mainly to expand out offerings but the main goal is to put these guys through college.”

Beus works as an agricultural teacher for Palmer High School. He said the school’s agricultural program holds a large plant sale before Mother’s Day each year. He said they sold out in two weekends this year, marking a new milestone.

“It was our best year yet. The community really came out,” Beus said.

Beus said that he established Greatland two years ago, growing to a total of 800-plus plants in their current inventory. He said he’s growing a variety of crops out of the family garden off Soapstone Road.

“We got everything here, specializing in our edible perennials... any berry you can think of,” Beus said.

This is Beus’ first year vending a booth at Friday Fling. He said this venue is an ideal launching pad for getting Greatland goods into people’s palms to plant them in their gardens.

“It’s a great incubator for your business,” Beus said.

This may be Beus’ first year as a Friday Fling vendor, but’s he’s no stranger to downtown Palmer’s coveted marketplace. He said that he’s attended for many years, and he loves the good food along with the ample opportunities to catch up with good friends.

Beus said that he’s made a lot of new friends through Friday Fling and met a lot of supportive growers. This encouragement has fertilized his ambitions to keep going and keep growing. He said that he’s inspired by Alaskan growers’ operations of all shapes and sizes since the extreme land calls for unique and dedicated efforts. He said the fruit of a grower’s labor taste all the sweeter when it’s shared with others.

“We’re all good friends… Instead of competing, we’re just cooperating,” Beus said. “I’ll put a plug for anybody who grows locally they’ll give you good advice and good plants.”

Beus said that he grew up on a farm and he’s helped plants grow nearly all his life.

“The renewal of life and the whole cycle is just beautiful and fun to be a part of. There’s always something new to learn,” Beus said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com