about us
Our Story
Birthed out of a desire to live closer together, raise our kids in close proximity, and become a little more self-sufficient, we began dreaming up the idea of finding a piece of land to farmstead together as a multigenerational family. While we did not set out looking for a Christmas tree farm, we fell in love with the property as soon as we saw it and loved the idea of returning to Oak Harbor where our parents’ story began. So we packed up our lives, said goodbye to suburbia and moved to Whidbey Island from three different corners of the country. Now we’re embracing a steep learning curve and the work we have cut out for ourselves, but we’re so excited to pick up the legacy of this wonderful farm and all that it means to the Oak Harbor community.
Why "Good Boy"?
We want our name to honor the ties of family and community. Dave, the patriarch of the family, has taught us so much about farming and embracing this new lifestyle we’ve chosen. To reflect his influence on the farm, we are naming it after him. Dave’s middle name, Yoshio, translates in English to “good boy” which has always been a bit of a joke in our family since he can be such a rascal. Therefore, Good Boy Farms came to be.
Our Team
Dave Yumen
Patriarch, Head Horticulturalist, Chicken Wrangler
Originally growing up on a cabbage farm in Maui, Hawaii, Dave first moved to the Pacific Northwest when he attended the University of Washington in 1971. He served in the Navy in active duty for 7 years, then joined the reserves and moved to Whidbey Island in 1984 on staff with the Navigators Military Ministry. There, he married his bride in 1988. Life took the Yumens to California for the next 26 years. While he always maintained a love for gardening and a green thumb, he never expected returning to life on the farm. Now he daily tends his garden, experiments in plant propagation, and raises chickens (and occasionally smokes them).
Janet Yumen
Matriarch, CFO, Grandbaby Wrangler
Hailing from warm and sunny San Diego, Janet claims she was cold the entire year she lived in Oak Harbor in 1988. Nothing but the allure of family and more grandbabies on the way could entice her to move back to cold country and re-engage with the farm life she left behind when she moved away from her family's strawberry and tomato farm as a teenager. A lover of numbers and extremely detailed oriented, Janet handles the financial side of the farm and tries to keep the rest of us in line.
Chris Yumen
Son, Head of Agricultural Operations, Baseball Buff
The Navy brought Chris to the Northwest in 2012 where he met Nicole while swing dancing. While military service has taken the younger Yumens to various places around the country, there has always been a pull to return to Washington and a desire to settle down in close proximity to family. In 2019, Chris and Josh began discussing the concepts of productive property, homesteading, and living more self-sufficient lives. After getting the wife and parents on board, it was only a matter of finding the right place, even if it meant taking him over 1,000 miles away from his beloved Padres.
Nicole Yumen
Daughter-in-Law, Business Manager, Boss Lady
Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Nicole is a nurse working toward her NP. Family-oriented with a love of geriatrics, she wanted to be close to both sets of parents to live life together, glean from their wisdom, and care for them in their later years. The dream of homesteading brought the perfect opportunity to do so and to raise her children with cousins, aunts, and uncles in a loving community. As our business manager, she will oversee seasonal employment and merchandise sales at our store front. One day, she hopes to be the proud owner of a miniature donkey.
Josh Hansen
Son-in-Law, Head of Strategic Planning & Business Dev, Steward of Gondor
Growing up moving around the West Coast, Josh met Kristi in Southern California after graduating from Biola University. For the past 6 years, Josh and Kristi lived in Oregon where Josh entered the world of home mortgage. The onset of COVID allowed him to work as a loan officer remotely, making the move to the homestead possible. With a background in marketing and business development, Josh was integral in casting a vision and creating a comprehensive approach to the new family business. Now Josh juggles full-time work with his farm responsibilities — driving the riding lawn mower, operating augers, and spending time in Middle Earth.
Kristi Hansen
Daughter, Director of Communication, Boba Connoisseur
Kristi was raised in San Diego, attended college in Los Angeles, where she met her husband, who moved her to Oregon. Now in Washington, she has been slowly working her way north for the past 10 years. Before she was a full-time mom, Kristi was a Board Certified Behavior Analyst working with children with autism. With three little ones around the house, Kristi balances the daily responsibilities of motherhood while coordinating with suppliers, and sneaking in as much boba as she can get.
