Everywhere I turn lately, I have another friend talking about homesteading and becoming more self-sufficient...
It's like there's something in the water and so many of us are getting more interested in these topics.
I’ve had countless conversations recently around growing a garden, learning how to can and preserve foods, raising chickens for eggs and meat, milking cows, raising meat rabbits, raising pigs and cows, and so much more.
We are at a time in our society when so many of us want to return to these lost skills and see great benefit to learning these things again.
But since we are so far removed as a society from our food production and from the land, every single step along the way can feel daunting and overwhelming. And most people we know are not even remotely interested in these same topics or have the skills to share. So it can be equally hard to find like minded friends to go on this journey with.
--> But I firmly believe that there is no better time to starting slowly investing in these skills and trying these things out for yourself.
I had someone recently tell me, “Jami, you were born 50 years too late with all this homemaking and homesteading stuff you do!” Many today see these skills as ancient and irrelevant in modern times. Or maybe merely as a hobby that most "modern" people just don't have time for.
But there has been a resurgence of those of us who know the truth: We are not digging into “old hobbies” for purely sentimental value. We are slowly bringing back essential life skills that have been gone for two or three generations. We are seeking to create a different path for our children and to change our lives.
So whether you are all in on this homesteading stuff and you’ve got 20 acres ready to turn into your dream homestead, OR you live in the suburbs and want to take your first baby steps into this world… I have something incredible to introduce you to!
We are launching our VERY POPULAR 2nd annual Hands-On Homesteading Online Conference! It will take place June 26-29th (with lifetime access to the material) and will feature 15 hands on, practical, and encouraging conference sessions in all aspects of homesteading…no matter where you are in the process!
And the best part? You get lifetime access to the conference material so that you can join us this month to view, or watch it 6 months from now when you are ready to dive in further.
With your ticket you’ll get lifetime access to all the sessions, a conference notebook so you can follow along with each session and take notes, and incredible bonuses we’ve put together.
Scroll down below to read about ALL the speakers + sessions and what the bonuses are! This is an event you won't want to miss!! 🥳
P.S. We make it SUPER easy to access for everyone with a busy schedule. You'll get to watch all the sessions throughout the week as they post AND then have access to those sessions for later whenever you want to watch. Don't let a busy schedule stop you from making some very important baby steps!!
P.P.S. Did you attend last year's homesteading conference? Excellent! All of the sessions and topics this year are 100% brand new! You'll get access to a ton of new information and you won't want to miss the bonuses!
Good News! We've put together all of these resources FOR YOU!!
My name is Jami Balmet, and my husband, Jason, and I have been putting together online conferences since 2014. This will be our 14th online conference, most of those revolving around homemaking topics.
But last yearwe ventured into our first HOMESTEADING conference and it was WIDELY popular - our most popular conference we've ever held in fact! So now we are back to build on those skills - and we want you to join us!
Building a homestead is a personal dream for our family, and we are getting the immense benefit of learning from all of these speakers ourselves.
We put together this conference based on all the questions we've had and the resources we've dreamed of. And I can tell you there is nothing like this resource out there!
I can't wait for you to join us!
- Jami & Jason Balmet (and 7 kiddos!)
Register Today - Here's what you get:
- Access to the full conference
- Lifetime access to all the content (to watch & listen when YOU have the time)!
- A printable conference notebook to put your new plans into immediate action!
- Gardening Course (worth $99)
- Gardening Planner (worth $49)
The conference will be live June 26-29th, 2023. During that time, you can pop into all of the sessions, download the workbook, and access the bonuses. Here you can see all of the speakers and sessions. And then scroll down to grab your ticket!
The exact schedule will be announced soon so you can see who is presenting what day! And I've got MORE speakers and sessions to surprise you with later this week in addition to the ones below. So stay tuned ;)
Dreaming BIG dreams but living in reality
This is an encouraging talk, I promise! Have you ever had such large dreams (oh you know, like living 100% self-sufficient off the land and building a local community of others doing the same thing?) that it felt nearly impossible to achieve? You dream and research, you plan and talk to people...but sometimes your dreams just feel a little too big?
To kick off this incredible 4 day event, Jami is going to give us all a pep talk. It's okay to dream big, its okay to dream small, but at the end of the day we dream and we plan with both feet planted on the ground. Let's plan an incredible time together and do it with baby steps and small, consistent change in mind!
Session #2: Building Your Homestead Community with Jill Winger
When you are dreaming of and creating your homestead, one thing becomes very clear: you can't do this all alone. In this practical and encouraging interview, Jami and Jill chat about how we can cultivate community no matter if we live in a large metropolis or in a town of 175 people. Jill shares what it's like to be a trail blazer in forming community, the struggles she has faced, and why she thinks it's all well worth it. You will end this session ready to take action in your home town!
About Jill: Jill Winger is the founder of The Prairie Homestead, one of the foremost homesteading websites since 2010. She is dedicated to helping others learn how to grow their own food and live a more fulfilling, old-fashioned life. Jill and her family also run Genuine Beef Company which ships grass finished beef nationwide, as well as the historic Chugwater Soda Fountain. You can find her website and podcast at: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/ and on Instagram @jill.winger
Session #3: Building a Grocery Store in Your Basement with Jamerrill Stewart
Oh you are going to love this sessions! The queen of cooking and mom of 9 kids, Jamerrill Stewart is going to walk us through the process of building up her bulk pantry, freezer, and learning how to cook for her family from that. she is slowly switching their foods to homegrown/home canned/home preserved items over time. They raise meat birds that they butcher at home, they raise KuneKune pigs, are doing a large lasagna garden, and so much more.
About Jamerrill: I help mommas live their best lives for God’s Glory! I’m a Jesus loving wife to one (married 23+ years) and long-time homeschool mom to 9. I only know MEGA and LOTS. Here I share all about easy home cooking for a house full, homeschooling, and motherhood for God’s glory. You can find her at https://largefamilytable.com/, on Youtube, and on IG @jamerrillstewart
Session #4: Raising Free-Range Chickens with Jenna V. Smith
Learn the basics of keeping free-range chickens! We’ll be discussing what raising a free-range flock looks like with a natural and low-maintenance approach, and all that it entails. The Teacup Homestead has nearly 7 years of experience with raising happy animals, and we hope to encourage you to raise a flock of your own.
About Jenna: The Teacup Homestead is nestled in the forest of the Ozark Mountains where Jenna and her husband Zachary raise their family alongside a variety of free-range animals. They have been happily married for almost 10 years and have 4 sweet children together. Jenna is the creator of Homemade Homesteading Magazine, a print publication dedicated to the refinement of homemaking, homesteading, and motherhood, all for the Glory of God. You can usually catch Jenna baking in the kitchen or spending time outside with a baby on her hip and a cup of tea in hand.
You can follow along with The Teacup Homestead at HomemadeHomesteading.com and on IG @theteacuphomestead.
Session #5: Creating your own tea blends: How Does Your Tea Garden Grow? with Marla Lacey
Let's take a look at herbal teas (tisanes) and how you can create your own types of herbal teas. We will look at some simple tips/tricks to look for when deciding what herbs to use to create your teas. And create a couple of easy herbal tea blends you can make, using herbs you may have in your own herb garden!
About Marla: Marla is the woman behind the MaraBette & Co, Tea and Hospitality, LLC, a wife, daughter, friend. She is an unconventional, God- loving tea & hospitality enthusiast with a no-nonsense approach to helping people discover the joy of hospitality and serving, through the time-honored art of taking tea and having
afternoon tea. Through her company, MaraBette & Co, Marla has established a unique line of artisan teas reflecting the love of family, home, friendship, & hospitality, bringing to many a new sense of wonder through her
many tea blends. You can find her at https://ww.marabetteteas.com/ as well as on IG @marabetteandco
Session #7: Replacing Conventional Feed For The Animals On Your Homestead with Leah Hokenbrough
Raising animals on a homestead is an empowering experience that can offer independence from the grocery store. But what many homesteaders quickly discover is that they trade the grocery store for the feed store. The cost of raising and feeding animals can be costly. In this session, we will talk about creative ways to save money and replace conventional feed for your animals, while still providing high quality nutrition.
About Leah: Leah is a homesteading, homeschooling mama of six kids, with a seventh due in July! She and her husband are passionate about living a traditional homesteading life, growing and raising their own food and encouraging others to do the same. When she isn’t wrangling kids or growing food, Leah is often baking, crocheting, or spending time outside. She believes that food is a love language and that great encouragement can happen when you share a homegrown, home cooked meal with others. You can follow along with her homesteading life on IG @littlefarmhouseonfelton
Session #6: Sourdough 101 - Making a simple sourdough starter from scratch with Mariah Knox
Kitchen skills are essential for the homestead life and the best part is everyone has a kitchen in there home even if they don’t have their dream property yet!
In this session you will learn the benefits of a sourdough starter, how to make your own simple sourdough starter from scratch, How to care for your starter, how to use your starter and tips on making sourdough bread.
About Mariah: I’m Mariah from thehomemakersway.com where I like to share all things homemaking, natural living, and food from scratch. I’m a wife and a mom to 2 little girls, a 3 year old and a 1 year old, who keep me on my toes. We have big dreams of moving onto some land and slowly becoming more self sustainable but as for now we are making the best of what God has provided us with by keeping backyard ducks and always learning new skills in the kitchen. You can also find her on IG @thehomemakersway
Session #8: Foraging the Land: Finding Free Medicine with Becca Gettmann
Many medicinal herbs are hiding in plain sight just waiting for us to use them! Join me as I chat about a few common herbs you can easily forage for on your property or in your town. I will walk you through my foraging process, share about some of my favorite herbs, and help you with resources to further your herbal journey. Recipes for tinctures, elixirs, and an herbal-infused oil will also be included.
About Becca: I am a wife, mama to two earthside babies and 3 in heaven, and a business owner. I love herbs, anything DIY, and love a good beverage! On any given day you'll find me working in my shop, infusing oils and tallow, or playing with my babies. You can find her at wildoaksapothecary.com aand on IG @wildoaksapothecary and @rebeccagettmann
Session #9: Why ducks are my #1 pick for a homestead animal with Jess Todd
People often wonder why our focus is on ducks as opposed to a more common homestead animal (like chickens). They may be a bit more mess and work than chickens, but they have a lot to offer for a homesteader, especially if you are interested in your animals contributing to your homestead financially. Today I’ll be sharing my favorite reasons to raise ducks and what I’ve learned along the way.
About Jess: Jess lives on a small homestead in NC with her husband and their kids where she raises ducks. She also enjoys having dairy goats, chickens, a garden, and learning as many homesteading skills as possible. In her free time, she is usually found in the kitchen experimenting with new sourdough recipes. You can find her on IG @homesteadingwithjess
Session #10: Homesteading on a Budget with Lauren Miller
It can feel overwhelming when you are just getting started with homesteading and you are surrounded by social media content of picture-perfect farms that are well-established. If you are working within a limited budget and have a desire to live more sustainably, it is possible to begin homesteading without spending a lot. This session will walk you through suggestions for how to find an affordable homestead, how to prioritize projects, ways to find free or inexpensive resources, and advice for learning skills yourself to save money.
About Lauren: Lauren lives on a 2.5 acre urban homestead in Kansas with her husband and two kids. They recently renovated an old farmhouse on their property and are learning how to grow their own produce, raise chickens, and preserve food for the year. Lauren enjoys sewing capsule wardrobes for her kids and finding frugal ways to expand her family's little homestead. She writes for her blog, The Miller Acres, about slow, sustainable living and her experiences with motherhood, sewing, homesteading, and slow fashion. You can find her at themilleracres.com and on IG @themilleracres
Session #11: Homestead Cheesemaking & Dairy Processing with Naomi De Ruiter
In this session, Naomi will introduce the three main categories of cheese, talk about the tools of the trade, and share the secret to making thick, creamy yogurt without any additives. You’ll also learn how to make a delicious veggie dip, creamy salad dressings, and lacto-fermented pickles—all using yogurt.
About Naomi: Naomi De Ruiter is a first-generation farmer and the Modern Milkmaid & Artisan Cheesemaker at Birdsong Farm in Falkland, British Columbia. She raises registered Jersey cows, provides family milk cow mentoring and masterclasses, and teaches online cheesemaking classes using raw and pasteurized milk. You can find her at naomisbirdsongfarm.ca and on IG @BirdsongFarm.
Session #12: Homesteading is a Mindset with Leah Heffner
Homesteading isn't a destination or a specific piece of property, it's a mindset. Well explore how you can homestead with absolutely no property and make the most out of what we have. Plus we'll talk about community, reluctant homesteading, and even starting seeds in the space you have.
About Leah: Leah is a reluctant homesteader turned lover of plants. She lives on her urban homestead in South Central Michigan with her husband and 5 kids. She loves to read, eat good food, study the Bible, and share plants with other people.
Session #13: Growing a Homestead while Growing a Family with Jessica
We all know that growing a homestead is a demanding task. What's equally demanding is growing babies in your womb and raising them! Jessica is no stranger to growing both and in this practical and encouraging session, Jessica is going to share her secrets for juggling both and the blessings that can come from that hard work!
About Jessica: Jessica is a mother of 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.
Grab Your Ticket Today
Grab your ticket now for this incredible conference! You'll get lifetime access to all of the material! 🙌
Get your all access ticket here!
Register Today - Here's what you get:
- Access to the full conference
- Lifetime access to all the content (to watch & listen when YOU have the time)!
- A printable conference notebook to put your new plans into immediate action!
- Gardening Course (worth $99)
- Gardening Planner (worth $49)
Bonus #1: FREE COURSE! (Normally $99)
Your Guide to Growing a Garden: Learn from gardening experts for starting & growing your own family garden
An entire huge part of homesteading is learning all about gardening. Whether you live on 20 acres or a small apartment in the city, gardening can be a big part of your life.
But it can also be overwhelming and hard to know what to do next. As part of this incredible conference, you will get a full gardening course, helping with every step along the way taught by some incredible gardening experts.
I will release all the amazing speakers next week, but here's what we will cover:
- How to Plan Out Your Garden
- Our inexpensive seed starting set up
- Your guide to buying seeds
- Understanding cold crops vs. heat loving crops
- Urban & small space gardening
- How to grow what you need when you live on 1 acre or less
And several other bonus lessons we haven't even announced yet! Stay tuned
Gardening Class: Planning out your garden - Foundations for Planning Your Garden with Alisha Carver
In this class you'll learn what to grow and all Alisha's best growing tips! We'll look at important factors like choosing your garden spot, what to grow, companion planting, and different planting methods. You can work on your goal of growing your garden bit by bit when you plan it out like this.
About Alisha: Hi! I'm a homemaking wife and mama. Gardening is a hobby and passion of mine. I seek to learn and share old-fashioned skills that were once common. We're slowly restoring our 1940s farm in the Ozarks. You can find her on YouTube and over on IG @cottagetime_
Gardening Class: Totally Tomatoes! Have your best ever tomato season with Laura Ferdnandez
Let's grow the biggest, tastiest, most beautiful tomatoes. In this class we will discuss varieties, heirloom vs hybrid, starting seeds, transplanting, pruning, trellising, harvesting, and even basic preserving. This session is for anyone that wants to get the most out of this garden favorite.
About Laura: Laura Fernandez founded Front Yard Foods in 2022 in order to help clients develop uniquely designed gardens and grow their own food. Laura’s passion for food first sprouted with her first garden with her grandfather at the age of 12. Food, farming and community are of the greatest importance to Laura. Through Front Yard Foods, Laura hopes to inspire others to find their own connection to the earth and its value. You can find her at frontyardfoods.com and in IG @frontyard_foods
Gardening Class: Real Life Gardening For the Busy Mom with Maudie Smith
I’m going to show you how I garden on a small space, using the resources I have, along with some low cost items, all while running a busy household, homeschooling, and maintaining my sanity ( somewhat).
About Maudie: My name is Maudie Smith and I’m a homeschooling momma to 9, homesteading on a half acre, in East Central Alabama. I focus on having real life gardens, not a bunch of fancy fluff, all while keeping the budget low, much to my husband’s delight! You can find her at simplehomemakingwithjoy.wordpress.com and on IG @simplehomemakingwithjoy
Gardening Class: Gardening in the city - How to create a productive garden in a very small space with Stephanie
Don't believe the lie that only people with acreage can experience the pleasure of growing things! Join me in Los Angeles as we find creative ways to produce snacks, beauty, and grow green joy while living in a tiny apartment.
About Stephanie: Mama to three doing weird stuff in the city: loving Jesus, homeschool, tiny living, making our own food, happily married, and raising our own kids. You can find her on IG @weirdlamama
Gardening Class: Seed Starting Made Simple with Regan
Breaking down indoor seed starting set up and practices into simple, easy to follow steps. Tools to help you feel confident taking the next step and starting your own seeds and growing beautiful plants for your garden!
About Regan: Expand your garden and your skills by starting your own seeds! You can find her on IG @ourjoyfulhomestead
Gardening Class: Beautifying Your Garden with Regan
Take your garden to the next level by beautifying your space and creating a productive AND inviting space that you will fill your harvest baskets and feed your soul.
About Regan: Expand your garden and your skills by starting your own seeds! You can find her on IG @ourjoyfulhomestead
Gardening Class: Small Space Gardening & Companion Planting with Daisy
Join me as I show you our smaller space front yard garden and how I incorporated companion planting in it!
About Daisy: I'm Daisy, a mama of 2 and married to my sweetheart. We bought and built our small homestead from 10 acres of bare land and wild woods and it has been an ongoing project for nearly 2 years now. We have two garden spaces, but my favorite of them is the small(er) space garden in our front yard that we added this spring. I also enjoy making fresh raw milk products, learning how to keep my family healthy naturally, homeschooling my 2 children, baking & other handiwork. You can follow my day to day life in my stories at @rosesdaisiesandsunshine
Gardening Class: On Buying Seeds with RuthAnn Zimmerman
It sounds so simple to just buy some seeds and plant them. But then you go to buy them and you realize it's not that easy. RuthAnn will walk you through how to buy seeds for your growing homestead.
About RuthAnn: 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 IG @ruthannzimm
Gardening Class: Cold Crops vs. Heat Loving Crops with RuthAnn Zimmerman
We often think of mid-summer as being our peak growing season. But there are a plethora of cold loving crops that we can plant all year. RuthAnn is going to give us a terrific overview of those cold loving crops verses the heat loving ones.
About RuthAnn: 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 IG @ruthannzimm
Bonus #2: Gardening Planner (Normally $49)
When I was brainstorming what else this conference needed to really give you the tools you need to take action in your homestead, I knew exactly what we needed!
So with your conference ticket, you will get FREE access to our beautifully designed and mega helpful Garden Planner!
You'll get 50 pages that you can print again and again (or use digitally) to take your garden to the next level!
Register Today - Here's what you get:
- Access to the full conference
- Lifetime access to all the content (to watch & listen when YOU have the time)!
- A printable conference notebook to put your new plans into immediate action!
- Gardening Course (worth $99)
- Gardening Planner (worth $49)
