Guyon Springs aims to become a ‘foodie destination’ in Dayville

Published 6:15 am Tuesday, June 7, 2022

DAYVILLE — Guyon Springs wants to be your next vacation or meal destination.

Owners Jim and Kerri Latashaw, along with their son William, have been cultivating the idea of Guyon Springs as an organic farm, restaurant and Airbnb destination since 2016. They started with a large, no-till garden and have expanded to include a restaurant, three Airbnb units, a catering service and community supported agriculture venture, all contained on a 120-acre property on the outskirts of Dayville.

Both Jim and Keri are teachers in Mitchell when they aren’t operating Guyon Springs. Jim is a science and agriculture teacher, wile Kerri teaches language arts and art. Drew Crossley and Jackie Stuber, an engaged couple, joined the business in 2021 and have been a “tremendous asset,” according to Kerri. Stuber brings a bachelor of science in pastry along with a professional background as a pastry chef and cook to the project. Crossley brings a communications degree with an art background in addition to kitchen experience.

Kerri said everything Guyon Springs has evolved into really statred with that original garden in 2016.

“We built that bed and water holding tanks that are filled by the spring,” she said. “Once we put that system together and built that enclosure, that’s when we really got into it. It’s fun. … I’ve been teaching 20 years. I’ll retire in a couple years, but I want to do this when I retire.”

Expansion began in 2020 following the acquisition of the property below the off-grid farm the Latashaw family lives on. That land acquisition has allowed the farming operation to grow into a ⅓-acre plot for vegetables and a ⅛-acre plot for flowers and culinary herbs. A saddle shop on the property was revamped into a farm store and restaurant that sells the produce grown on site while serving breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays.

The store is open to anyone who wishes to come in and buy produce, while the restaurant is reservation only. Also in the works is a wood-fired pizza oven and weekly pizza nights. Catering with a specialization in barbecue is also offered at Guyon Springs.

All the produce is grown using regenerative agriculture and certified organic means. Regenerative agriculture eliminates the need to use pesticides or herbicides and emphasizes soil health. Cover cropping, crop rotation, plant diversity, perennial plants, zero tillage, mulching, composting and animal integration are all a part of a strategy that focuses on capturing carbon within the soil. The goal, according to Kerri, is to bring high-quality food that inspires a level of community.

The food grown on site will also be offered to the public in the form of community supported agriculture.

“That’s where people share in the risk of farming,” Kerri said. “They essentially buy up front. It’s $600 a year and you get 20 weeks of produce starting from May through October. You get a box each week with a variety of vegetables. It’s a popular model for a lot of people that want to know where their food is coming from and want to be associated with the growers.”

The ultimate goal, according to Kerri, is for Guyon Springs to be known as a “foodie destination.”

Guyon Springs is also an Airbnb that started as a single cabin in 2016 and has grown to include two wall tents with a third tent planned sometime in the future. Airbnb customers are free to roam the grounds and visit the horses, donkeys, chickens, geese and ducks that call the facility home.

The goal is to create an experience.

“It isn’t like going to eat breakfast at Denny’s and going home,” Stuber said.

WHAT: Guyon Springs, an organic farm with a restaurant, farm store, Airbnb rentals, and community supported agriculture subscriptions.

WHERE: 28734 South Fork Rd. Dayville, OR 

WHEN: Breakfast 9-12 a.m. Saturdays, Sunday with three seatings at 9, 10, or 11. 

Farm store Tuesday-Sunday 9-5 with grab and go ice cream sandwiches starting in two weeks. 

CONTACT: 541-602-0303, ksungspiral@yahoo.com

ON THE WEB: https://www.facebook.com/people/Guyon-Springs/100076844379124/