meet our educators
Homesteaders of America Speakers
From experienced farmers and livestock experts to authors, herbalists, and traditional skills educators, our speakers bring a wealth of practical knowledge to Homesteaders of America events.
Get to know the people who share their experience, teach valuable skills, and help homesteaders grow in knowledge and confidence.
2026 Women’s Retreat Speakers
Get to know the women sharing their knowledge, experience, and encouragement at the Homestead Women’s Retreat. From practical homesteading skills to family life and personal growth, our speakers bring valuable perspectives to this special gathering.
Amy K. Fewell
Homesteaders of America Founder
- How to Cultivate the “Village” (fellowship dinners, friendship, and more)
- The Beginner Family Herbalist: Herbalism & Whole Family Remedies (2 hour certificate once completed)
Amy K. Fewell is the founder of Homesteaders of America, The Church Storehouse, author of The Homesteader’s Herbal Companion, and a nationally recognized speaker, educator, and homesteader.
Passionate about helping women cultivate Christ-centered homes and communities, Amy teaches practical skills in homemaking, homesteading, herbalism, and biblical stewardship.
Through her writing and teaching, she equips women to live with confidence, purpose, and faith while building homes and communities that leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.
Janet Garman
Timber Creek Farmer
- Wool Processing (from sheep to skein)
- Learn to Crochet (Granny Squares Project)
- How to Become the Granny Farmer of Your Dreams (for the “elder” homesteader)
Janet Garman is a farmer and freelance writer and book publisher in Maryland. Janet’s background includes a degree in large animal farm management and animal science from University of Maryland and decades of farm and homesteading experience. In addition to the farm, Janet and her daughter began Sawdust Publishing, a micro publishing house focused on books for homesteading and small farm subjects.
She enjoys caring for her animals, and is committed to living a natural sustainable lifestyle. Janet loves yarn and fiber art, reading, playing with her dogs, a houseful of grandchildren and lots of coffee!
Janet Garman is the author of several books, including 50 DIY Projects for Keeping Chickens, 50 DIY Projects for Keeping Goats, The Good Living Guide to Keeping Sheep, and Other Fiber Animals.
Beth Dougherty
The Independent Farmstead
- All About Dairy & How to Utilize It
- Raising Responsible & Helpful Children: Chore & System-based Routines for Home & Farm
- Cheesemaking 201 (Hands on)
- Herdshares on the Homestead
Shawn and Beth Dougherty have been homesteading together since 1985, for the past 35 years in northern Appalachia, where they raise dairy and beef cows, pigs, and poultry on a small acreage designated by the state of Ohio ‘not suitable for agriculture’.
They write, speak, and teach on the use of holistic grazing and grass-fed ruminants for transforming abused land into small, fertile, inputs-free farmsteads.
They are the authors of The Independent Farmstead, and One-Cow Revolution, and The Independent Farmstead’s Field Guides to Inputs-Free Farming and Homesteading series. Their farm, the Sow’s Ear, is in Jefferson County, Ohio.
RuthAnn Zimmerman
Homesteading with the Zimmermans
- How to Make Homemade Tallow Lotion and Tooth Powder for Your Family
- The Basics of Cooking & Baking (hands on)
- Systems for Managing a Home and Family—Prioritizing relationships while maintaining a home
- Managing Your Home and Family—A deeper look at systems that have failed you and helping you implement new systems in your specific home
RuthAnn and her family live in North East Iowa, Her husband, Elvin, and her have 7 children and 1 son-in-law. Five of the children still live at home.
RuthAnn and her husband have been homesteading on their 21-acre homestead since 2001. They seek to preserve the self-sufficient lifestyle of their Mennonite Heritage for the next generation by involving their children in every aspect of the homestead.
From raising and harvesting the meat they consume, gardening and preserving to fill the family’s larder, processing the dairy from the family milk cow plus the many other skills that develop the character and integrity of a family that desires to bring glory and honor to their Heavenly Father.
Jill Ragan
Whispering Willow Farm
- The Sourdough Micro Bakery (Sourdough Basics & How to Profit)
- The Profitable Cut Flower Garden
- Growing & Selling the Market Garden (and beyond)
Jill Ragan is the founder of Whispering Willow Farm, where she and her family share their journey of cultivating a simple, intentional lifestyle rooted in growing food, from-scratch cooking, and holistic living.
A farmer, educator, and author of The Tiny but Mighty Farm, Jill inspires others to maximize small spaces and create abundance wherever they are planted.
Through her popular YouTube channel, online workshops, and digital resources, Jill has taught thousands of families how to grow their own food, preserve the harvest, and nurture wellness from home. Her approachable teaching style blends storytelling with practical knowledge, encouraging people to take small, confident steps toward self-sufficiency.
At the heart of Jill’s work is the belief that anyone can live more intentionally — whether tending a backyard garden, baking sourdough, or building rhythms that bring peace and joy to everyday life.
Ann Accetta-Scott
A Farm Girl in the Making
- How to Ferment at Home
- A Homestead Business—a personal mentor’s look at your homestead and where it can make an income
- Value-Added Homestead Income as a Proverbs 31 Woman
Ann Accetta-Scott is the author of The Farm Girl’s Guide to Preserving the Harvest and the face behind the brand, A Farm Girl in the Making.
Her farm, Acorn Creek Farmstead located in middle Tennessee, is a teaching farm that offers hands-on workshops for those who seek to achieve a more sustainable life.
The farm also provides the local community the opportunity to purchase pasture-raised meat, eggs, and real milk.
Isabelle Heydt
Solstice Beef Company
- The Internal Dust Bowl: What the Dust Bowl Can Teach Us About Gut Health
By drawing parallels between the Dust Bowl and the gut microbiome, this talk explores how restoring our internal ecosystem may support women’s hormonal and immune health.
- A Deeper Look at Your Personal Health, Nutrition, and How to Support Your Body & Healing
Isabelle Heydt is a mother of three and a regenerative grass-fed beef farmer in Central Virginia, where she and her husband, Garrett, are raising their family.
Diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 16, Isabelle shares her personal journey of reclaiming her health through motherhood, a life rooted in nature, and a deep exploration of the connection between soil, gut health, and overall well-being.
Today, she is passionate about helping others discover the possibilities of living in closer relationships with the natural world.
Kim Fuhrmann
Our Father’s Farm
- From Girlhood to Elder: Women Helping Women Through Every Stage and Hormonal Season in Life
- Making Food-Medicine in the Kitchen & Passing This Art on to the Next Generation
After serving as overseas missionaries in Africa God toughened Jack and Kim up in preparation for a calling to homesteading life.
They have owned and operated Our Father’s Farm in Gretna, VA, along with their 9 children, 5 grandchildren, Uncle, and great-grandmother. Their farm is providing Southside, VA with grass-fed A2A2 dairy products through herd shares, pastured poultry, and grass-fed beef, as well as training in natural health.
The farm has grown with the family and is more diverse every year. The Fuhrmanns are passionate about God, His Word, the family, and others. They love to encourage, educate, and support others on their journey to whole health wellness.
They are committed to raising the most nutrient-dense foods possible while stewarding their land as a family for God’s glory. They love teaching others why this choice is worth the effort and sacrifice.
Angie Woodward
A Stitch of Grace
- Sewing for Beginners
Angela Woodward, follower of Jesus, strives to be a Titus 2 woman. She is a devoted wife to Glen, homeschooling mother of 9, and grandmother.
She learned to sew by her mother’s side, starting with pinning and cutting out patterns. Angie grew this knowledge in making and altering clothing and items for herself, husband and children.
In the past, she has freelanced as a seamstress for other businesses, but now has her own sewing and alteration business where she also offers sewing classes to the community. She hopes to impart to those she meets the message of our Savior Jesus Christ.
2027 From Homestead to legacy speakers
Meet the experienced farmers, homesteaders, and educators sharing their knowledge at From Homestead to Legacy. Through in-depth instruction and practical insights, these speakers will help attendees strengthen their homesteads, build valuable skills, and create a lasting legacy for generations to come.
Amy K. Fewell
Homesteaders of America Founder
- TBD
Amy K. Fewell is the founder of Homesteaders of America, The Church Storehouse, author of The Homesteader’s Herbal Companion, and a nationally recognized speaker, educator, and homesteader.
Passionate about helping women cultivate Christ-centered homes and communities, Amy teaches practical skills in homemaking, homesteading, herbalism, and biblical stewardship.
Through her writing and teaching, she equips women to live with confidence, purpose, and faith while building homes and communities that leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.
Jack &Kim Fuhrmann
Our Father’s Farm
- TBD
After serving as overseas missionaries in Africa God toughened Jack and Kim up in preparation for a calling to homesteading life.
They have owned and operated Our Father’s Farm in Gretna, VA, along with their 9 children, 5 grandchildren, Uncle, and great-grandmother. Their farm is providing Southside, VA with grass-fed A2A2 dairy products through herd shares, pastured poultry, and grass-fed beef, as well as training in natural health.
The farm has grown with the family and is more diverse every year. The Fuhrmanns are passionate about God, His Word, the family, and others. They love to encourage, educate, and support others on their journey to whole health wellness.
They are committed to raising the most nutrient-dense foods possible while stewarding their land as a family for God’s glory. They love teaching others why this choice is worth the effort and sacrifice.
Shawn & Beth Dougherty
The Independent Farmstead
- TBD
Shawn and Beth Dougherty have been homesteading together since 1985, for the past 35 years in northern Appalachia, where they raise dairy and beef cows, pigs, and poultry on a small acreage designated by the state of Ohio ‘not suitable for agriculture’.
They write, speak, and teach on the use of holistic grazing and grass-fed ruminants for transforming abused land into small, fertile, inputs-free farmsteads.
They are the authors of The Independent Farmstead, and One-Cow Revolution, and The Independent Farmstead’s Field Guides to Inputs-Free Farming and Homesteading series. Their farm, the Sow’s Ear, is in Jefferson County, Ohio.
daniel Salatin
Polyface Farm
- TBD
Daniel is a multi-generational farmer. He’s grown up in the farming landscape in Swoope, VA.
Farming right out of the gate has given him a lifetime of experience, mastery, and confidence that comes from a life’s work and passion. Today he leads an ever-growing team at Polyface Farm. Daniel finds the most joy in his family, teaching, team building, healing soil, farm design, a growing relationship with Jesus, working with livestock, and hunting.
Managing the day-to-day flow of the farm, he works with cattle, hogs, meat birds, layers, turkeys, rabbits, sheep, and forestry, but most importantly- People.
This keeps him learning something every day in a high-energy, outdoor workplace. With over 30 years of hands-on experience in the land healing, healthy food growing world, Daniel is practical in his approach and teaching.
Kaleb Hanshaw
The Wild Country
- TBD
Kaleb Hanshaw is a husband, father, entrepreneur, and certified Permaculture Designer and Educator with a background in church ministry.
Guided by his faith in Yahweh, Kaleb’s passion for homesteading and permaculture has led him to teach and design land development projects, homesteads, and backyard gardens.
Kaleb has a passion for helping families find property in creative and affordable ways. His vision is to help others cultivate a life of simplicity and intentionality through The Wild Country community.
Luke Dougherty
Dougherty’s Farmstead Butcher Trailers
- TBD
Luke grew up on a small farm in rural Appalachia, oldest son of Shawn and Beth Dougherty.
Today he lives nearby with his six kids and wife Jessica raising meat, eggs and vegetables for the family. Twenty-five years of harvesting meat for the table have given Luke a deep understanding of the process of animal harvest.
His focus is not on teaching commercial style butchering, with cuts geared towards retail, using equipment beyond the means of the ordinary homesteader. Luke’s goal is to empower the inexperienced, demystify the process, and get beginners over the first and biggest hurdle: this is too hard, and too scary.
Luke is also the creator of Dougherty’s Butcher Trailers, a company that designs and builds tools for homestead scale meat harvest.
Janet Garman
Timber Creek Farmer
- TBD
Janet Garman is a farmer and freelance writer and book publisher in Maryland. Janet’s background includes a degree in large animal farm management and animal science from University of Maryland and decades of farm and homesteading experience.
In addition to the farm, Janet and her daughter began Sawdust Publishing, a micro publishing house focused on books for homesteading and small farm subjects.
She enjoys caring for her animals, and is committed to living a natural sustainable lifestyle. Janet loves yarn and fiber art, reading, playing with her dogs, a houseful of grandchildren and lots of coffee!
Janet Garman is the author of several books, including 50 DIY Projects for Keeping Chickens, 50 DIY Projects for Keeping Goats, The Good Living Guide to Keeping Sheep, and Other Fiber Animals.
Ann Accetta-Scott
A Farm Girl in the Making
- TBD
Ann Accetta-Scott is the author of The Farm Girl’s Guide to Preserving the Harvest and the face behind the brand, A Farm Girl in the Making.
Her farm, Acorn Creek Farmstead located in middle Tennessee, is a teaching farm that offers hands-on workshops for those who seek to achieve a more sustainable life.
The farm also provides the local community the opportunity to purchase pasture-raised meat, eggs, and real milk.
Leroy Byler
Pop’s Bees
- TBD
Leroy Byler is a retired Class A builder and Certified Home Inspector.
He had his own building company and home inspection business for 30 years each.
He started with bees as a hobby 15 years ago. He started by taking a bee class and managing two hives of his own.
The hobby has grown into 3 apiaries with 120 to 150 hives altogether. He sells nucs, queens and honey under the name, Pop’s Bees.
Leroy is a journeyman beekeeper. He is a member of the Virginia State Beekeepers Association and the local Virginia Foothills Beekeepers Association.
2027 HOA Annual Conference speakers
Meet the farmers, homesteaders, authors, and educators sharing their knowledge at our annual conference. Explore their backgrounds and discover the lectures, demonstrations, and workshops they bring to the event.
Joel Salatin
Polyface Farm
- Your Bandsaw Mill Profit Center
- Margins, Pricing, and Profits
- How Big?
- Earning $1 Million on 10 Acres
Joel Salatin, the Christian Libertarian Environmentalist Capitalist Lunatic Farmer hails from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where his family and team operate Polyface Farm.
Pioneering pasture-based livestock and non-chemical farming techniques, the farm produces salad bar beef, pigaerator pork, pastured poultry and forestry products.
Joel has authored 17 books, created a video curriculum titled Farm Like a Lunatic, writes a non-scheduled blog called Musings from the Lunatic Farmer, co-hosts the Beyond Labels podcast, is editor of The Stockman Grass Farmer, has appeared in numerous documentaries and travels the world promoting environmentally, emotionally, and economically enhancing agricultural opportunities.
daniel Salatin
Polyface Farm
- TBD
Daniel is a multi-generational farmer. He’s grown up in the farming landscape in Swoope, VA.
Farming right out of the gate has given him a lifetime of experience, mastery, and confidence that comes from a life’s work and passion. Today he leads an ever-growing team at Polyface Farm. Daniel finds the most joy in his family, teaching, team building, healing soil, farm design, a growing relationship with Jesus, working with livestock, and hunting.
Managing the day-to-day flow of the farm, he works with cattle, hogs, meat birds, layers, turkeys, rabbits, sheep, and forestry, but most importantly- People.
This keeps him learning something every day in a high-energy, outdoor workplace. With over 30 years of hands-on experience in the land healing, healthy food growing world, Daniel is practical in his approach and teaching.
Shawn & Beth Dougherty
The Independent Farmstead
- TBD
Shawn and Beth Dougherty have been homesteading together since 1985, for the past 35 years in northern Appalachia, where they raise dairy and beef cows, pigs, and poultry on a small acreage designated by the state of Ohio ‘not suitable for agriculture’.
They write, speak, and teach on the use of holistic grazing and grass-fed ruminants for transforming abused land into small, fertile, inputs-free farmsteads.
They are the authors of The Independent Farmstead, and One-Cow Revolution, and The Independent Farmstead’s Field Guides to Inputs-Free Farming and Homesteading series. Their farm, the Sow’s Ear, is in Jefferson County, Ohio.
RuthAnn Zimmerman
Homesteading with the Zimmermans
- TBD
RuthAnn and her family live in North East Iowa, Her husband, Elvin, and her have 7 children and 1 son-in-law. Five of the children still live at home.
RuthAnn and her husband have been homesteading on their 21-acre homestead since 2001. They seek to preserve the self-sufficient lifestyle of their Mennonite Heritage for the next generation by involving their children in every aspect of the homestead.
From raising and harvesting the meat they consume, gardening and preserving to fill the family’s larder, processing the dairy from the family milk cow plus the many other skills that develop the character and integrity of a family that desires to bring glory and honor to their Heavenly Father.
Kaleb Hanshaw
The Wild Country
- TBD
Kaleb Hanshaw is a husband, father, entrepreneur, and certified Permaculture Designer and Educator with a background in church ministry.
Guided by his faith in Yahweh, Kaleb’s passion for homesteading and permaculture has led him to teach and design land development projects, homesteads, and backyard gardens.
Kaleb has a passion for helping families find property in creative and affordable ways. His vision is to help others cultivate a life of simplicity and intentionality through The Wild Country community.
Luke Dougherty
Dougherty’s Farmstead Butcher Trailers
- TBD
Luke grew up on a small farm in rural Appalachia, oldest son of Shawn and Beth Dougherty.
Today he lives nearby with his six kids and wife Jessica raising meat, eggs and vegetables for the family. Twenty-five years of harvesting meat for the table have given Luke a deep understanding of the process of animal harvest.
His focus is not on teaching commercial style butchering, with cuts geared towards retail, using equipment beyond the means of the ordinary homesteader. Luke’s goal is to empower the inexperienced, demystify the process, and get beginners over the first and biggest hurdle: this is too hard, and too scary.
Luke is also the creator of Dougherty’s Butcher Trailers, a company that designs and builds tools for homestead scale meat harvest.
Jill Ragan
Whispering Willow Farm
- TBD
Jill Ragan is the founder of Whispering Willow Farm, where she and her family share their journey of cultivating a simple, intentional lifestyle rooted in growing food, from-scratch cooking, and holistic living.
A farmer, educator, and author of The Tiny but Mighty Farm, Jill inspires others to maximize small spaces and create abundance wherever they are planted.
Through her popular YouTube channel, online workshops, and digital resources, Jill has taught thousands of families how to grow their own food, preserve the harvest, and nurture wellness from home. Her approachable teaching style blends storytelling with practical knowledge, encouraging people to take small, confident steps toward self-sufficiency.
At the heart of Jill’s work is the belief that anyone can live more intentionally — whether tending a backyard garden, baking sourdough, or building rhythms that bring peace and joy to everyday life.
Ann Accetta-Scott
A Farm Girl in the Making
- TBD
Ann Accetta-Scott is the author of The Farm Girl’s Guide to Preserving the Harvest and the face behind the brand, A Farm Girl in the Making.
Her farm, Acorn Creek Farmstead located in middle Tennessee, is a teaching farm that offers hands-on workshops for those who seek to achieve a more sustainable life.
The farm also provides the local community the opportunity to purchase pasture-raised meat, eggs, and real milk.
Beth declercq
Intentional Homesteading
- TBD
Beth Declercq is a former city-kid-turned-homesteader, raising 8 kids with her husband Tommy on 10 acres in mid-Michigan.
What began as a desire to provide better food for her family eventually grew into a deep appreciation for all the steps of the process – from planting seeds to butchering at home.
After 10+ years of learning, she now aims to share knowledge with those starting their own journeys as well as offers nourishing food to the local community.
Leroy Byler
Pop’s Bees
- TBD
Leroy Byler is a retired Class A builder and Certified Home Inspector.
He had his own building company and home inspection business for 30 years each.
He started with bees as a hobby 15 years ago. He started by taking a bee class and managing two hives of his own.
The hobby has grown into 3 apiaries with 120 to 150 hives altogether. He sells nucs, queens and honey under the name, Pop’s Bees.
Leroy is a journeyman beekeeper. He is a member of the Virginia State Beekeepers Association and the local Virginia Foothills Beekeepers Association.
Interested in Speaking at an HOA Event?
We’re always looking to connect with knowledgeable farmers, homesteaders, and educators who are passionate about sharing practical skills. If you have experience that could benefit our homesteading community, we’d love to hear from you!