People should be able to make their own informed choices on what they want to put into their bodies. Know your farmer, know your food. – Tara Webster
Scott Webster is an artist whose life’s canvas is as broad as the brushstrokes he wants to paint, especially life on his evolving Flying W Farm in Hambden Township.
“Nothing is out of reach,” Scott said. “I do not wait for people to say it’s a good idea.”
So far, that philosophy has served the successful “Biker Build Off” winner, farm owner and entrepreneur well.
Scott and his wife, Tara, own the growing 40-acre-farm just east of Chardon, which specializes in non-GMO-fed, free-range chickens and various breeds of other farm animals from LaMancha goats, Miniature Jersey Cows, to Heritage breed Ossabaw Island and Mangalista pigs.
Scott also created his own art studio, called Flying W Studio, where he flexes his artistic muscles often. The words “Flying W” were inspired by the couple’s last name and the image of powerful wings spread out, which they use in their logo.
A West Coast vibe is felt both inside and outside of the couple’s sprawling farm. Tara grew up in Painesville Township, and Scott, in Leroy Township. They met at middle school camp more than 30 years ago.
Tara graduated from Lake Erie College and works as an accountant.
“While I do very well in the office setting, Scott thrives at taking the ‘horse by the reigns’ and accomplishing whatever he sets his mind to,” Tara said. “He is extremely creative and takes that mindset into everything that he does, from his start with The Original Painting Company, to where he is at today with Flying W Farm and Flying W Studio.”
Scott originally set out to be a cop. But his decision changed. He put is artistic skills to work and founded Leroy Thompson Choppers and ZeroSeven Design Concepts, which created a graphic mural of Hambden Township Fire Department’s first fire truck to be placed on Hambden’s pumper.
Scott eventually got a phone call that changed his life.
“I was contacted by the executive producer of ‘Biker Build Off’ to be a contestant for the show,” Scott said.
The hit 2002 – 2007 reality series on the Discovery Channel featured two of the country’s best motorcycle fabricators vying against each other, with each contestant given 10 days to complete the build.
“The bike we built was named Ethyl, and after the show was filmed, we rode down the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) on the bike,” Scott said. “We won the competition after four weeks of nonstop building and filming.”
Scott added, “Our episode was the last episode of the show’s series, so it was sort of rewarding to be the final winner of the show. In the end, we went home with a trophy, but a sense of pride in all of ourselves. I never thought I would have the ability to be able to successfully build a bike in that short of a time frame, as well as the pressure we had from our home state. It was an experience that I was certainly happy to have and live in the moment with.”
Scott eventually sold his bike company and graphic design company. He was searching for more purpose when Hambden called.
“We lived on a busy street (in Mentor) with traffic lights shining in our bedroom windows every night,” Tara said, adding they wanted more land, space and privacy.
“After ending the bike shop and turning 40, I wanted to find a passion in something I could see myself doing long term,” Scott said. “I realized what was important in life and that was health. Not only my wife’s and mine, but our family and friends. After plenty of research in farming, we started with free range chickens, turkeys and eggs.” The farm, shortly after, expanded with hogs, goats, cattle and dairy cows.
“It’s a wonderful thing to own your own farm,” Tara said. “Knowing where our food comes from and how the animals are raised and what they are fed is so important. We grow or raise nearly everything on the farm — beef, pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, rabbit, duck, vegetables, milk and soon, we will have honey. People should be able to make their own informed choices on what they want to put into their bodies. Know your farmer, know your food.”
Tara said the couple decided not to have any children, but have many dogs.
“We currently have seven dogs — Sugar our Hurricane Katrina rescue, our Chihuahua brothers Poquito and Loco, Rosey our Blue Heeler and future cattle herder, Minnie our Chihuahua mix and love child of Loco, and our Cane Corso sisters Stella and Fina, our newest additions and future hog helpers for Scott,” Tara said.
Employees are considered family and include Brittany Gardner, who heads graphic design, Taylor Palumbo, who heads the farm’s online store handmade TayTay’s Soap, and Breanna McKinney, farm manager.
“The goats provide us with milk, in which we use to create cold processed soaps by our sister company, TayTay’s Soap,” Palumbo said.
TayTay’s Soap produces various types of handmade body products with ingredients geared to one’s wellbeing, ranging from hand and body soaps, bath bombs, sugar or salt scrubs and more.
“When I was 14, I worked for Scott and Tara before anything was back there,” Palumbo said. “They had just built the chicken coop. I was there to mow the fields, throw hay, clean the coop and basically whatever Scott needed done. He recently asked me to come back to do the computer part of the farm, and shortly after, it was decided that I was going to be the soap girl. It’s a blast working here. Everyone here is very interesting.”
McKinney said working for Scott and Tara has brought nothing but a positive impact to her life.
“I couldn’t imagine there’s better people out there to work for,” she said. “I take care of the morning feeding and milking. I treat any injuries or illnesses that I see, which includes making and scheduling vet calls. Sometimes I even help birthing animals deliver. I keep track of feed inventory, schedule deliveries and drop offs, and make important phone calls for Scott throughout the day.
“I’ve watched the Flying W crew go from basic coworkers and bosses to nothing less than a family,” McKinney continued. “If anyone ever needed anything, they know any of us in our little circle would be there without thinking twice. It’s great to have that kind of relationship with people. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Always evolving, Scott shared his newest plan in the works for his business — to open a brand new farm-owned restaurant in Chardon, complete with a butcher shop.
“I am so pumped about the restaurant,” Scott said. “That’s my focus right now. I am so excited.”
He added, “Well, we are already talking to a producer about another television show. If it’s really based on the farm and it’s educational, that, too, may be a go.”
