In the heart of Riverton, Utah, a small local business is making waves in the world of backyard chickens and fresh eggs. GoodEgg Stuff, founded by IFA Co-op Members Bryce and Amy Van Leuven, has quickly become a staple among backyard chicken keepers.
What started as a simple idea–a better way to clean eggs–has blossomed into a thriving local business prioritizing quality and community.
Humble Beginnings With Backyard Chickens
The Van Leuvens’ journey to founding GoodEgg Stuff begins with their own flock of chickens and ducks. “We've always had animals, horses, goats, llamas, you name it, we might have had it,” Bryce says. So when Amy discovered she couldn’t eat store-bought chicken eggs, adding a coop with chickens and ducks to their Riverton homestead was a no-brainer.
The Van Leuvens brought home their first set of chicks and ducklings, and pretty soon, they were enjoying their own fresh eggs. While they appreciated the increased self-sufficiency of owning chickens, like many backyard enthusiasts, they realized cleaning fresh eggs was cumbersome and messy.
“We quickly realized that the eggs you buy in the store that are nice and clean aren't necessarily how they come into the house when you gather them in the backyard, especially duck eggs,” Bryce says.
Right away, Amy and Bryce started looking for a solution. “We went deep in the rabbit hole,” Amy says.
They found that paper towels, sponges, corn dehuskers, and sandpaper were among the most suggested solutions by chicken and duck owners. However, they also discovered that these methods were time-consuming, messy, and wasteful, as using sponges and rags harbored bacteria, making future use of those same tools on dishes or anything else unsanitary. The Van Leuvens realized they needed a dedicated tool for cleaning eggs, which didn't even exist.
“There was nothing made for individually cleaning eggs, and that kind of shocked us a little bit,” Bryce says. “The only specialized products you could get was more industrial-sized washers that washes hundreds of eggs at a time, which is just excessive for people who have backyard flocks.”
Recognizing the need for a gentler and more effective solution, Bryce and Amy decided to create a new product specifically for backyard chicken owners like them.
Egg Cleaning Product Development
Developing a sustainable, safe, and effective cleaning device proved more difficult than expected. At first, the GoodEgg founders wanted to improve existing methods and develop an egg cleaner that utilized sponges, scouring pads, and scrub brushes fitted to a concave shape that would fit around eggs and make cleaning easier.
The Van Leuvens created and tested what they estimate to be more than 50 prototypes before coming to a pivotal conclusion: material matters. “We just realized that scouring pads and sponges are not a great option because they hold on to bacteria, and if you're washing really dirty eggs, you're going to go through a lot of them,” Bryce says.
After deciding to ditch their initial designs, Amy and Bryce had what they considered their first true prototype of their GoodEgg Brush using silicone.
“It was our first foray into using a different material, but it represents a turning point in the product's evolution,” Bryce says. “Food-grade silicone was the most sanitary; it’s the easiest to clean, and nothing gets trapped inside.”
After making a few more tweaks to their now silicone design, the GoodEgg Brush was officially a reality. Amy says it’s a simple concept, but the end design is the most effective and safest solution to their initial egg-washing problem.
But the founders didn't stop there. They knew a truly effective egg-cleaning system required more than just a brush.
“In all of our research, we found that enzymes were the best way to clean and sanitize eggs, but again, no one had products like that on a single-serve basis,” Bryce says. “We had this innovative way to clean chicken eggs, now we wanted an innovative way to introduce a safe and effective wash.”
This resulted in GoodEgg Wash, a 99% organic, food-grade cleanser that uses the power of naturally derived enzymes to break down dirt and grime without penetrating the eggshell. The GoodEgg Brush and GoodEgg Wash form a complete system that ensures clean, healthy, and delicious eggs every time.
The Value of Partnering with Local Farm Stores
Before they were the inventors and founders of GoodEgg Stuff, Amy and Bryce were IFA customers. Amy says their IFA Country Store in Riverton is her and her kids’ favorite store for everything from clothing to horse and chicken and duck feed, so when the GoodEgg Brush and GoodEgg Wash officially launched, a partnership with the co-op’s farm supply division was a natural fit.
“Early on, one of our big dreams was seeing our product on the shelves at IFA,” Amy says. That dream became a reality when IFA became the first official retail partner for GoodEgg Stuff in 2024.
As customers and backyard growers, Amy and Bryce already appreciated their local farm store and, more importantly, the services and expertise they could find there. Bryce says that IFA adds value to the community as a local farm and ranch store, not only by providing the best products but also by being a source for reliable expert advice.
“IFA is an authority figure,” Bryce says. “Your local farm store is where you can go in and talk to employees, and you get real advice from people that know because they live this lifestyle too.”
Partnering with the co-op allowed GoodEgg to reach a wider audience of chicken keepers while staying true to its local roots. The founders appreciate IFA's dedication to supporting small businesses and are grateful to have their products featured in a store they trust.
“We are still a small family business, and we have big hopes and aspirations, but we love seeing our products on IFA’s shelves,” Amy says.
More Than Just Products: GoodEgg Gives
GoodEgg is more than just a company that sells egg-cleaning products. As the company’s founders, Amy and Bryce are also passionate about using their business to help others in their community through their foundation, GoodEgg Gives.
The Van Leuven’s entrepreneurial journey was filled with many common challenges that business owners face, but just before their initial product launch, the couple faced their biggest challenge to date. Amy was diagnosed with a very aggressive type of Breast Cancer while pregnant with their second daughter.
The diagnosis was a heavy blow to the business and the family. Amy and Bryce decided to postpone launching their product and focus on Amy’s health.
“Though this was a lot to handle on every level, we did our absolute best to stay positive, and I was able to deliver our healthy baby girl,” Amy says. She and Bryce focused on finding alternative and holistic forms of treatment in combination with common Western medicines to help fight the disease.
“Something we really learned through that experience was that little things that people would do for you were really big,” Amy says. She notes that people bringing meals, offering to tend the kids, or even just money for groceries all made a big difference for her and her family during that time.
While difficult, Amy and Bryce decided to use their experience to help others facing similar challenges by starting their GoodEgg Gives program, where they give directly to individuals and families affected by cancer. As part of their program, 10% of all profits GoodEgg receives goes to the GoodEgg Gives fund, along with outside donations.
“If we can be successful, we are not only obliged to give back, but it's really our joy to be able to give back because we want to be able to give that gift to people to help ease that burden,” Bryce says.
A Bright Future in the Homesteading Community
GoodEgg has gone from a small family startup to a recognized brand in the backyard chicken community in only a few short years. The Van Leuvens hope to “elevate the homestead experience” as they expand their GoodEgg product offerings while helping empower other backyard growers.
As they continue to grow their family business, IFA is proud to partner with the Van Leuvens as IFA co-op members and now as IFA vendors. We’re grateful for the chance to support Amy and Bryce in their GoodEgg journey.
Written by Mikyla Bagley, IFA Content Writer, and originally published in the IFA Cooperator magazine (vol. 91, no. 2) Summer 2025.
Mikyla Bagley is a fifth-generation rancher actively involved in her family’s cattle operation. She holds a deep respect for the wisdom and management practices of the farmers and ranchers who have crossed her path, both because of her family operation and otherwise. A deep desire to remain connected to the agriculture industry drove Mikyla to earn her BIS in Agriculture Science and Communication from Southern Utah University. She continues to be involved in her family’s operation while using her degree and life-long experience as IFA’s Content Specialist sharing the experiences and wisdom of IFA experts and Co-op Members.
“The agriculture community is filled with genuine and hard-working men and women whose passion for their lifestyle deserves to be shared. I look forward to helping highlight both their stories and expertise alongside IFA.”
—Mikyla Bagley