You can choose any session at any time. Descriptions of each session can be found below.

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Admission – Accepted at the Gate

Adults: $20      Youth 17-Under: FREE

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Arkansas Homesteading Conference – Session Descriptions

Choose any session you wish to attend at any time. Schedule is subject to change.

9 AM SESSIONS

SPRING AND SUMMER HERBS (ROOM 1: EXHIBIT HALL) – Cindy Faulk of C the Difference Boutique at Hot Springs and Debbie Tripp of Rosemary Hill Herb Farm at Royal will discuss the best herbs to grow in the spring and summer. This duo have been regular presenters at the Arkansas Homesteading Conference from the beginning, and often speak to Master Gardener groups around the state.

SPINNING FIBER (ROOM 2: MEETING ROOM) – Sona Gardner of Puddin Ridge Fibers and her husband, Lee, live in Ozark. They have a small rescue farm that works closely with Southeast Llama Rescue. Puddin Ridge Fibers evolved out of an effort to learn what to do with all that fluff since the llamas and alpacas must be shorn yearly. In 2017 Sona began a quest to learn how to take the fiber from the animals to a finished product. Learning to spin was a lot of fun and soon there was yarn everywhere.

10 AM SESSIONS:

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE (ROOM 1: EXHIBIT HALL) – Regenerative agriculture is a holistic and conservation-focused approach to farming that puts a high emphasis on creating and sustaining healthy soils that produce more nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. It incorporates a no-till approach to gardening while also using cover crops and livestock to improve soil quality. Kevin Jones of Blackjack Blooms & Berries near Mansfield will discuss his conversion to regenerative practices beginning 5 years ago.

MAKING GOAT MILK SOAP (ROOM 2: MEETING ROOM) – Ashley Thompson of Sweet T Farm in Jefferson County will be back again, this time discussing and demonstrating how to convert goat milk into soap. Thompson, who has been raising goats for several years, makes a variety of natural skin and health products that she sells through her store in southern Jefferson County.

11 AM SESSIONS:

INTRODUCTION TO BEEKEEPING (ROOM 1: EXHIBIT HALL) – Keeping bees not only provides you with a healthy source of local honey, but it can also benefit your garden and the local ecosystem. Dr. Yong Park of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and a regular presenter for the Arkansas Beekeepers Association, will be giving an overview of how to get into beekeeping.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE (ROOM 2: MEETING ROOM) – Logan Duvall of the Sowing Prosperity podcast and YouTube channel will be discussing the health benefits of food produced through regenerative agriculture. Duvall began his journey on learning about the impact of food on health after his young son was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. He has interviewed some of the giants in the regenerative farming movement like Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in Virginia and Will Harris of White Oak Pastures in Georgia, as well as some of the leading scientists around the globe who have studied the link between food and our health. Duvall and his family operate the Me & McGee Market just outside of North Little Rock. The market offers a variety of meats and other foods produced through regenerative methods.

LUNCH & LEARN SESSION:

LUNCH (EXHIBIT HALL/CONCESSION STAND) – The Cleveland County Fairgrounds will be offering a variety of options for lunch. The concession stand will be open throughout the day offering breakfast items burgers, hot dogs and more, while a buffet style lunch will be served in the Exhibit Hall with a plate lunch option (pork roast, mash potatoes with gravy, beans, fried okra and cornbread muffin) and beans and greens with cornbread.

VENDORS AND MINI-SESSIONS – We have allotted an hour and half for the lunch break to give you an opportunity to meet with vendors and take in some mini-sessions (see below). Many of our speakers will also be available for some one-on-one visits.

1:30 PM SESSIONS:

SAVING A LIVING (ROOM 1: EXHIBIT HALL) – As Benjamin Franklin once said “A penny saved is a penny earned,” and Tim and Amy Kinnard of The Kinnard Homestead outside of Sherwood are living that out: rather than “earning a living,” they’re “saving a living.” The Kinnards will share some of the money-saving principles they used to allow them to leave their professional careers to become full-time homesteaders while raising a family with five children.

HYBRID AIR-PRUNING RAISED GARDEN BED (ROOM 2: MEETING ROOM) – Britt Talent, organizer of the Arkansas Homesteading Conference, will give instructions on how to build an air-pruning raised garden bed using cattle panels and hardware cloth to create a 2-feet deep garden bed that allows air to penetrate through the sides for air pruning. This hybrid version incorporates hugelkultur and lasagna gardening practices into the system.

2:30 PM SESSIONS:

RAIN GUTTER GARDEN SYSTEM (ROOM 1: EXHIBIT HALL) – Donna Best of the Woodlawn community will be discussing how to build a rainwater gutter garden system. The system incorporates a couple of the most popular gardening concepts into one design: a wicking system that providers sustained moisture to the plants as well as an air-pruning system that “prunes” the plant’s roots in order to generate more rigorous root growth overall.

USES FOR TREES ON THE HOMESTEAD (ROOM 2: MEETING ROOM)  – Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams of Caddo Gap will be discussing how the different types of trees on your homestead can be put to practical use. His “Farm Hands Companion” YouTube channel and website has gained visitors and followers worldwide. The Voice of Amercia did a short documentary on McWilliams and his homestead five years ago.

EXHIBITS/DEMONSTRATIONS:

There will be exhibits and demonstrations available throughout the conference. Many of our speakers will have booths set for some one-on-one conversations. We have also invited some other special guests to join us that can provide you with some valuable information in your homesteading effort:

David Hill with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Extension Services’ Share Grounds Kitchen Incubator Project will be on hand to discuss to discuss this commercial kitchen that can be rented at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds. A lot of homesteaders like to generate revenue by making homemade food products. The Share Grounds Kitchen Project helps aspiring food entrepreneurs get their products into retail outlets by providing them with a certified kitchen to make their product. In addition, staff can help help food entrepreneurs get a nutritional food label for their product, assist them in up-sizing their recipes and more. David’s mini-session will also discussing “Food Freedom” and “Homemade Food Safety.”

Ed Montgomery of Rison has a passion for teaching others the art of blacksmithing. He loves its so much that he even started a 4-H Blacksmith Club in Rison. He and his family will be demonstrating throughout the day. Also, Ed is a professional forester by trade, so if you have any questions about managing timber on your land, feel free to ask him about that as well.

Shona Jordan of Pike County is a homesteader and taxidermist/tanner. She and her husband, Robert, raise about 90 percent of their food on their 5-acre homestead. Shona will be demonstrating how to covert a hide into a pelt, plus the Jordans are an excellent source for homesteading information in general.

Pat Berry and Richard Becker of the Cleveland County Hamsters, a local amateur radio club, will be discussing Inexpensive Communication Systems for the Small Farm/Homestead. Their presentation will show you some inexpensive how to extend the communication range of walkie-talkies and other hand-held radio devices.

Tim and Amy Kinnard of The Kinnard Homestead outside of Sherwood decided to take the plunge 12 years ago to become full-time homesteaders. They have reached that goal, and today Tim and Amy along with their four sons and one daughter are continue to develop their 20-acre spread that includes livestock, a high tunnel and sustenance garden.

Angelia Boiles of Garden of Love at Hot Springs grows herbs and mushrooms that she makes into herbal blends, teas and more. She is also a trained forager who often journeys into nature to find wild mushrooms and other edible plants. Angelina also grows mushrooms using inoculated logs, and she expects to have some of those available at the conference.