Session #1: Pastured Poultry: Raising Chicken for Meat by Beth Declercq

Have you ever wanted to raise meat chickens? Beth is going to take you through the entire process. You will walk away from this session knowing the different breeds of chicken, what to feed them (and how often), brooder requirements, chicken tractor designs, and most importantly, how to process your meat chickens for the fridge or freezer!

About Beth: Beth Declercq is passionate about inspiring and encouraging women to cultivate the simple life and grow their own food. Her husband Tommy and six kids live on their little homestead in Michigan. You can find her on Instagram @bethdeclercq

Session #2: How to Grow a Fodder Garden to Sustain Livestock by Brianna Widen

Brianna and her family raise livestock for a living. So as you can imagine, feeding that livestock is very important. In this session, Brianna is going to share their secrets for growing a fodder garden, which supports their livestock. She's going to share what exactly goes into a fodder garden, how to replace livestock feed (and how to crunch those numbers), and all the tips they've learned on their farm.

About Brianna: From neighborhoods to pastures, Brianna and her family traded suburban sidewalks for real ranch life in 2016. Raising Pork, beef, lamb and chicken on their ranch using regenerative management practices, Widnor Farms provides quality, pastured meats for their customers all across the country. Alongside her husband and 3 young children, Brianna and her family open their ranch for educational classes, pop up farm dinners in their orchard and more, with a passion to connect to their community. Showcasing her fodder garden and sheep, Brianna is excited to teach about the benefits of holistic management of raising your own flock on your homestead. Their farm is tucked away in the small, rural town of Custer in North West corner of Washington State. You can find her on instagram @widnorfarms

Session #3: A Thorough Guide to Adding Bees to Your Homestead by Christine McDonald

Have you ever thought about adding bees to your homestead? Bees offer many advantages, but they can be tricky to take care of. Christine will be teaching us what it takes to add bees to your homestead so that you can decide whether beekeeping is a good fit for you! This is a session you won't want to miss.

Christine even provides you with a hive inspection checklist AND an equipment list checklist. Everything you need to get started!

About Christine: Christine McDonald is a full-time beekeeper in Northern British Columbia, Canada. Together with her husband, she runs Rushing River Apiaries and manages approximately 180 colonies to produce a local wildflower honey, as well as a specialty fireweed honey. She also provides education and mentorship to new beekeepers both in person and virtually.

Christine will be teaching us what it takes to add bees to your homestead so that you can decide whether beekeeping is a good fit for you!

You can learn more about Christine and Rushing River Apiaries by following her on Facebook and Instagram, or at rushingriverapiaries.com

Session #4: Breeding & Calving Your Dairy Cow by Nathan & Jenesse Vaughan

So many of us dream of having a family dairy cow! But this is a giant topic to dive into and it's hard to know where to start. Nathan and Jenesse are going to help you really jump into this topic with the beginning steps. They cover breeding and calving and you'll get a calving checklist for what to keep on hand. This is something you'll really need to know before diving into having a family dairy cow!

About Nathan & Jenesse: Nathan and Jenesse Vaughan live in East Tennessee with their four kids on 30 acres. They have had dairy cows since their oldest was just a baby, they love teaching people how to holistically care for their animals and share what they have learned over the last 6 years. Nathan and Jenesse both grew up in CA and moved to TN on Oct 2020 after God called them to move, they love to farm as a family and steward the land God has blessed them with. You can find them on Instagram @vaughan_family_farm

Session #5: How to Care for and Feed Milk Goats by Jenna Burris

Caring for milk goats can be an excellent addition to a new or growing homestead. But knowing how to care for and feed your milk goats is what you need to know first. In her session, Jenna shares all her tips for what exactly to feed dairy goats and how to care for them. You'll walk away from this session with your to-do list in hand for raising dairy goats!

About Jenna: Jenna lives in rural Nova Scotia, where she farms alongside her husband and two daughters (with another baby on the way). She has a small herd of very beloved Nubian goats who she milks to make soap, lotion and other body products!

You can find her on Instagram
@greenoaksnubians and her website is greenoaksnubians.ca

Session #6: Installing a Gray Water System by Kallie Boone

A terrific addition to many homesteads is a gray water system. Kallie is going to share in her session, the benefits of a gray water system, what supplies you'll need, building the system step by step, and more!

About Kallie: We are Boone Family Farm. We are a small farm raising our 5 children and our food in Northern Arkansas. We began our homesteading life in California, which we quickly outgrew, so we left everything, including my husband's career, to go farm full-time in Arkansas, where we have been able to expand and grow like we always dreamed, right alongside each other and our children.

We believe you should know where your food comes from, how it lived, and what it ate. We believe once you have tasted truly good, quality meat, there’s almost no going back. We raise grass-fed beef, forested pork with a diet full of raw milk and whey, and non-gmo chickens who spend their life on grass, eating bugs and living their best chicken life. We ship our meats all over the U.S.! And of course, we also have our 4 milk cows, who are the life-blood of our farm, providing us with all of our dairy, along with milk for so much of our other livestock. They are the queens, to be sure.

We believe in working with your own two hands, and that with hard work, a heart to learn, some creativity, and a whole lot of prayer, the homesteading life is one of the most satisfying lives you can lead, and the best part is: you can start wherever you are at. You can find them on Instagram @boone.family.farm

Session #7: How to Cook for a Large (or small) Family on a Wood Stove Oven by Katie Metka

An incredible skill to add to your homesteading arsenal is wood stove cooking! Have you ever thought how you would cook if you had no electricity? Or looking for a great addition to your homestead? Katie is going to share how to cook for a large (or small) family with a wood stove! She even shares a family favorite recipe with everyone: Sourdough pancakes cooked in the wood stove.

About Katie: Katie Metka is a homesteading, homeschooling mama of nine daughters. She and her husband Oresti recently moved to the Ozarks to build a new homestead/farm for their large family. They’re building everything from scratch and enjoying the journey along the way. You can follow her in instagram @katiemetka

Session #8: Raising Chickens Off-grid in the North by Kristin

Kristin has two big challenges on her homesteading when it comes to raising chickens. The first is that they live in the far North (i.e. cold and frozen). And second, they live off grid. If you want to learn some terrific tips for raising chickens AND how to do it off grid in the North, then this session is going to provide a ton!

About Kristin: I live on an offgrid homestead with my family in upstate New York. We homeschool, raise livestock, produce maple syrup, grow lots of food in our gardens and orchard, and continue to take steps toward our self-sufficiency. While we've been homesteading on some level for the last 13 years, we became serious about it 6 years ago. We believe that homesteading is a mindset and something that you can start where you are and with what you have. Learn those lost skills from generations past and you'll find fulfillment and purpose. You can find her on instagram @hiddencreekmaplefarm

Session #9: Homesteading with Kids by Leah

During their growing and preserving season, Leah and her family run from sun up to sun down.
She shares a peek into what our days look like and how we do this with kids! Raising kids on a homestead doesn't come without its own challenges, but Leah's family has come to think it's the best lifestyle for raising children. Watch her session to find out why!

About Leah: Leah, her husband Lincoln and their 6 children live on a 19 acre farm in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. They are passionate about farming as a family, while raising high quality meat for their community. They raise beef, pork and poultry, and also have chickens, ducks and a family milk cow. They are a homeschooling family and enjoy the many opportunities homesteading gives them to teach their children. You can follow along on their adventures as Leah shares @littlefarmhouseonfelton on Instagram.

In Leah’s session, you’ll get a glimpse into how they homestead alongside their children. They value the relationships they have with their kids and have seen many benefits to homesteading together as a family. Leah also dives into how they homeschool their kids on the farm and discusses creative ways to include homesteading in your homeschooling life. You can find her on instagram @littlefarmhouseonfelton

Session #10: Homesteading Through Illness/Chronic Pain & Disability by Marissa Froese

After battling multiple types of breast cancer and now dealing with the fatigue and chronic pain of recovery, Marissa shares how her farm and homestead life continues even now, with limitations. She shares her insight and her tips for continuing on with illness and chronic pain. So many are going to benefit greatly from this chat!

About Marissa: Marissa Froese grew up in the wilds of Central British Columbia where she learned how to make it happen. In 2011 she moved to beautiful Nova Scotia to start a small farm with her husband Dan (who is writing this bio) and 3 young daughters. They keep a variety of animals including a milk cow, chickens, goats, pigs etc. After almost a decade of getting the farm going, Marissa was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in 2020. Dan thinks something else that starts with C happened in 2020 but all he remembers is that she’s still a stunner without hair.

We are very thankful that after going through some pretty intense surgery and treatment, Marissa is getting another chance to take on farm life. It’s not the same, but it’s good. Hopefully her video here can help others who are figuring out the homesteading life with limitations. You can find her on instagram @marissa.froese

Session #11: Eating From the Homestead: Utilizing Your Harvests to the Fullest by Meg Hollar

A very exciting time around a homestead is Harvest time! But a bountiful harvest begs the next question: What do I do with all of this? Meg is going to share how to utilize your harvest to it's fullest potential! She will cover how to plan your harvest and preservation, building a supportive pantry and kitchen, eating from your homestead, using leftovers and bits, and thinking outside the box!

About Meg: Meg lives on a 6 acre homestead with her husband and five children in Western NC. Together they raise their own meat and dairy, and tend a nearly 3000 sq ft garden. You can follow their homestead journey on their YouTube Channel - The Hollar Homestead. You can find her on instagram @hollarhomestead

Session #12: How to Milk a Cow by Naomi De Ruiter

Throughout this conference you are going to learn how to breed and calve and learn the ins and outs. Now in this session, Naomi is going to teach you how to milk a cow! She will cover pros and cons of milk by hand verses a machine, basic milking supplies, and cleaning! You'll be equipped then to jump in.

About Naomi: Naomi De Ruiter is a first-generation farmer and the Modern Milkmaid & Artisan Cheesemaker at Birdsong Farm in Armstrong, British Columbia. She raises registered Jersey cows, provides family milk cow mentoring, and teaches cheesemaking classes while dairy farming alongside her husband. You can find her on instagram @naomisbirdsongfarm

Session #13: How to Make Feta Cheese by Robyn

Homemade cheese can be a staple in any modern homestead. But cheese can feel so daunting to take on! But don't worry, Robyn is going to show you how. She provides an ingredient and supply overview and a step by step video showing you how to make feta cheese! Robyn shares a great discussion on choosing your kind of milk and some troublehshooting at the end.

About Robyn: I am a Mom to three sweet children, a Rancher, a Homesteader and a Milkmaid. I have been milking a cow and making cheese in my kitchen since 2014. Homestead cheesemaking is something that is dear to my heart. 200 years ago your mother, grandmother, or aunt may have taught you to make cheese; these days it is pretty rare to actually know someone in person who makes cheese. I teach homesteaders how to turn their milk into cheese, and as a life long learner, I am always seeking to listen and learn from other people perspectives and experiences. I am very passionate about traditional skills, homegrown food, and living a slower, more intentional life. You can find her on instagram @cheese_from_scratch_

Session #14: Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Canning by Jessica

If you've ever visited Jessica's Instagram, you'll see a lovely wall of canned goods. She preserves her goods each year and has been at it a long time. In her session, she's going to share 10 things she wishes she knew before she started. If you've been wanting to learn how to can, this is the session for you!!

About Jessica: Jessica is a mother of seven (soon to be eight) homesteading in Northwest Ohio with her husband Adam. She enjoys gardening, beekeeping, and raising her meat and eggs, but her favorite aspect of homesteading is food preservation. She is passionate about all forms - canning, freezing, dehydrating, freeze drying, and fermenting - and enjoys sharing these skills with others.

You can find Jessica on Instagram at @threerivershomestead and on YouTube at Three Rivers Homestead.

Session #15: Kids on the Homestead: The Value of Hard Work by RuthAnn Zimmerman

As a mother of 7 children, RuthAnn knows the value of hard work around a homestead...especially for kids! Many people today can criticize kids helping out around the house or the farm. BUT RuthAnn knows the truth: this can instill such a terrific work ethic and more within your kids. She's going to dive into all of this and more in her session.

About RuthAnne:Elvin and RuthAnn Zimmerman live on 22 acres in North East Iowa. They have 7 children, and a son-in-law, 5 of their children still live at home.
Elvin and RuthAnn where born and raised Old Order Mennonite and desire to preserve the work ethic and self sufficiency of the Mennonite culture for the next generation. You can find her on instagram @ruthannzimm

Session #16: Growing Great Greens by Using the Four Pillars of Organic Gardening by Kyle Stenersen

Mastering your garden is a huge goal for so many of us aspiring homesteaders. But there's a big difference between dreaming and actually doing. In this practical session, Kyle is going to take us on a deep dive into organic gardening! You'll walk away ready to get going - or make your garden even bigger and better!

About Kyle: Kyle Stenersen owns and operates Humble Roots Farm, a small, diverse operation that offers pastured meats, eggs and vegetables to the general public and restaurants in Wilmington, NC. He and His wife Katelyn (mostly Katelyn) homeschool their four children ages 10, 8, 6, and 3. Kyle is the founder and instructor at Grow Your Own Food Academy, an online program where he passes on his passion about growing good food by teaching others to grow their own. You can find him on instagram @humblerootsfarm

Session #17: Make a Simple Homestead Apron with Jennifer Spaans 

Every homesteader needs a sturdy apron for working around the homestead. Jennifer is going to teach you how to make a simple one! She's going to teach you everything you need and how to sew it! Your friends and family will be impressed with your new homestead uniform ;)

You can find Jennifer on instagram @offgridhyggehomestead

Session #18: TummySafe Gardening

With 40 blueberry bushes, a big raspberry patch, 6 goats, lots of chickens, a big garden, and more on our farm, I get a LOT of movement around my property in addition to practicing Fit2B workouts. It's important to me that I move well as I do my chores, especially because I don't want my diastasis to come back. Beth's session will include some tips on protecting and strengthening your core while you work in your garden.

You can find Beth and her work outs at Fit2b.us as well as on instagram @fit2bstudio