Holy cow. I don’t even know where to start.
Earlier this year, Scott and I volunteered to help at the Homesteaders of America conference. We have been learning over the past several years all about gardening, livestock, preserving, etc. Many of the members of HOA are the ones who I have been learning from, so I was excited for the possibility to learn from them in person and help the organization out during the event.
We headed out last week. It was a 10.5 hour drive one way. I am so glad we did it… and so glad that we drove…
I was most looking forward to hearing Jill Winger speak. She has been my #1 mentor for quite a while. She shared how to make the most of your time on the homestead. She gets a ton done, and is super inspiring. We were sitting eating lunch when Scott pointed and said “There’s Jill.” Introverted me almost stayed in my seat, but I got brave. I went up to her and got to chat with her about what we are doing. I walked away completely dumbfounded. She is a wealth of knowledge and inspiration, so go check her out. You can find her Youtube channel, Blog, and Instagram page by clicking on each word there. She also has an incredible podcast called “Old Fashioned On Purpose”. Also, her cook book is excellent. It is not just a cookbook, but also full of tons of homesteading information.
I also got to meet my other mentor, Melissa K. Norris. Once again, a wealth of information and inspiration. Unfortunately, we missed getting to hear her session because we had to get some sleep after being up all night. I will watch it on the membership page later though. You can find her on Youtube, Instagram, blog, and her many books that she has written. She also has a podcast called “Pioneering Today” that is so good. She was so incredibly kind and told us how to take care of the blueberry bush that we bought.. because, yes, we bough a big blueberry bush that rode in a seat home with us.
It really is a gift to be surrounded by thousands of like minded people. We didn’t have to explain any of our choices. It was a group of freedom-loving folks who started each day with prayer and the national anthem. So many people are tired of the system, and see how broken it is. We met several people who were just trying to learn as much as they could before they took the leap into homesteading. Everyone was in a different place with their goals, and it was so refreshing to see what can be accomplished.
We got to see Michelle Visser speak about homeschooling, which was so, so good. Ann Accetta-Scott spoke on food preservation. She had such a packed tent that we couldn’t hear her, and will be watching that one again later. There were so many good sessions that it was hard to pick which ones to go to.
The last night, after most people had gone home, we got to experience “Songs and Stories from the Homestead” that Rory Feek did. His story is so special, and he was so funny and kind.
I am so glad that we decided to take the girls along for the ride. I hope that they learned a lot, and feel just as inspired as Scott and I do. We are home feeling so grateful for all that we got to do and experience.
Thank you, HOA and Amy Fewell for all that you put into this event.