Joseph Farnsworth's great-great-great-great-grandfather, Matthias Farnsworth (1612-1688), immigrated to America from Eccles, Lancashire, England, prior to 1650, settling in Lynn, Massachusetts. Joseph's family lived in Massachusetts and Vermont until his father resettled in Utah in 1851.

Joseph was a farmer and rancher in Bonneville County, Idaho. He served as state bee inspector for Bonneville County, president of the Idaho Grazing Association, president of the Idaho Sheep Shearing Association, and, in 1901, co-founded the Idaho Honey Producers Association.

He was arguably the largest independent honey producer in the United States.

In the Oct. 1, 1903 edition of Gleanings in Bee Culture magazine, he reported harvesting 48,000 pounds of honey during the 1902 season.

On Dec. 31, 1903, The Teton Peak newspaper of St. Anthony, Fremont County, Idaho, reported that he had the best yield of sugar beets on 10 acres of land — 216 tons 312 pounds per acre — and was awarded a prize of $175 ($4,860 in 2015 dollars) from the Idaho Sugar Co.

On May 8, 1915, the Country Gentleman magazine reported, "Joseph Farnsworth, the founder of the association and one of the deputy state bee inspectors, has made a record that has possibly never been equaled in the United States. In 1907, from 100 colonies near Idaho Falls and at an altitude of 4,600 feet, he sold 748 sixty-pound cans of extracted honey — an average of 448 pounds a colony ... [T]he average throughout the association is less than 100 pounds a colony."

According to USDA records, as of 2017 that record had not been surpassed in the United States.

Joseph Farnsworth and his family moved in 1918 to Long Beach, California, where he invested in real estate. He bought the Dundee Apartments and the Majestic Apartments, and built the Farnsworth Apartments, downtown. He and his family lived at 317 Pacific Ave., near the downtown Civic Center. He was president of the McKinnon Airless Tire Co. in Compton.

First-floor businesses of the four-story Farnsworth Apartments, 317 Pacific Ave., included a cafeteria, a pool hall, and a beauty salon. The apartments also hosted meetings of Neighbors of Woodcraft; and the Upper Snake River Valley Club, with reading room, writing tables with stationery, and dancing, games and entertainment.

He was an unsuccessful candidate in 1924 for Long Beach City Council, Sixth District. He served as vice president of the Long Beach Apartment House Association in 1925-26 and supported development of the tourism industry. He was elected to the City Council, Sixth District, in 1927 as part of the reform group, the Straight Eight, and served as mayor pro tem. He was unsuccessful in his bid for a second council term in 1930.

He was co-chairman in 1929-30 of a citizens committee that studied the region's wastewater handling and made recommendations for improvement. In 1931, he sued to block the city's acquisition of land in a neighboring county for water development. He co-led an unsuccessful campaign in 1932 to recall members of the City Council.

In recognition of his contributions to the development of the city, Long Beach Mayor Ernie Kell proclaimed Dec. 28, 1989 "Joseph Farnsworth Day" in Long Beach.

Joseph and Agnes Farnsworth had nine children:

• Maribee Cardella Farnsworth Shurtliff (1892-1969)
• Joseph Arthur Farnsworth (1894-1967)
• Elwin J. Farnsworth (1896-1953)
• Guy Farnsworth (1898-1965)
• Blanche Farnsworth Nelson (1899-1974)
• Anna Amelia Farnsworth Prouty (1901-1933)
• Dora Thelma Farnsworth Walker Hartman (1903-1971)
• Mary Elizabeth Farnsworth Browning (1905-1972)
• Jack Dramond Farnsworth (1906-1992)