Finally: Hands-On Learning, Trusted Experts, and a Community That Feels Like Home.
Break free from overwhelm and online noise. Learn real-world homesteading skills, face-to-face with the nation’s most trusted mentors, and connect with families who actually get it.
🗓️ June 26–27, 2026
📍 Kootenai County Fairgrounds, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Join 4,000+ homesteaders—registration now open!
VIP Experience:
Almost Sold Out! Exclusive access, front row seating, VIP lunches with speakers—reserve your spot now.
Imagine spending a weekend surrounded by families who actually get it—where you can finally ask questions, learn directly from the real experts (not just the ones with big Instagram accounts), and feel 100% confident you’re on the right path.
No more going it alone. No more feeling like the “odd one out.” This is where your homesteading journey gets real—and where you finally find both the hands-on skills and the true community you’ve been missing.
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Why Thousands of Homesteaders Say This Conference Changed Everything
✔️ Proven, hands-on skills— not just theories. Watch and learn exactly how real homesteaders raise animals, grow food, preserve harvests, and tackle challenges unique to your climate.
✔️ Personal answers to your real questions. Get direct, honest advice from experts with decades of experience—not just internet guesswork.
✔️ A notebook full of actionable strategies. Leave with step-by-step plans and practical takeaways you can use the minute you get home.
✔️New friends and a support network. Build real connections—families, mentors, and peers who “get it” and want to help you succeed.
✔️ Confidence and clarity. Know who to trust, what works, and what your next steps are—without second-guessing every decision.
June 26-27th, 2026
Meet Your Mentors: 30+ of America’s Most Trusted Homesteading Experts
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
At the Modern Homesteading Conference, you’ll learn face-to-face from real experts who have lived and breathed this lifestyle for decades—raising families, building businesses, and feeding their communities year after year.
These aren’t just social media personalities.
They’re the voices you can actually trust, sharing proven wisdom, hard-won lessons, and real-world strategies—so you can skip the trial and error and start building a thriving homestead that actually works.
You don’t need to figure it out alone. These speakers have walked the path of modern homesteading—growing food, raising animals, preserving the harvest, and building resilient communities. Now they’re sharing it all with you, in person.
Joel Salatin – America's Favorite Farmer, Co-Owner Polyface Farm • Regenerative Agriculture Pioneer
Melissa K Norris 5th‑Generation Homesteader • Author • Food Preservation Specialist
Trevor Hollenback – Internationally-Trained Sheep Shearer & Hoof Care Specialist
Sally Fallon Morell – Founder & President, Weston A. Price Foundation • Author of Nourishing Traditions®
Cassidy Cornell – Author of The One Acre Homestead and expert in small-scale, sustainable living
Pete Strayer – Chief Marketing Officer at Azure Standard & Strategic Business Consultant
Bethany Hutson – Educator Turned Homeschool Mom | 6 Years Teaching English | Passionate About Purposeful Learning
Kelsey Harms – Former English Teacher Turned Homeschool Mom | National Board Certified | Master’s in Teaching
Nathan & Michelle Stelzer – Heritage Grain Growers & Heirloom Seed Stewards at Azure Farm
We Needed This Too—So We Built It
Modern Homesteading Conference was born from a simple, stubborn truth: If you want something done right, sometimes you have to build it yourself.
We’re Melissa Norris and Katie Milhorn—co-founders, longtime homesteaders, and passionate advocates for learning that actually works in the real world. After years of traveling to the East Coast for every major homesteading event (while hearing over and over, “Please, let us know if anything like this ever comes to the West Coast!”), we realized… no one was coming to invite us. We had to be the ones to build the table.
Both of us have spent decades farming, raising our families, and learning hard-won lessons about what works—and what doesn’t. We built this conference for every family, every beginner, and every serious homesteader who’s tired of feeling left out, or left behind.
If you’ve been craving an in-person community, real mentors, and honest answers—right here in the West—you’re exactly who we built this for.
Don’t wait for an invitation. Join us and thousands of others in Coeur d’Alene. This is your seat at the table.
Book Your Seats
Learn from experienced homesteaders and find your community all at the same LIVE event June 26th & 27th, 2026 in Idaho!
General Admission
Be first in line to get tickets to this event, there are a limited amount of tickets, get yours NOW to ensure your spot.
VIP Admission
Be first in line to get tickets to this event, there are a limited amount of VIP tickets, grab yours NOW.
Grow Your Homestead
action plans. inspiration. community
Step 1: Arrive & Get Oriented
- Check in, grab your full printed program, and find your bearings. Whether you’re solo or with your family, you’ll spot friendly faces and helpful guides everywhere—no more feeling lost or left out.
Step 2: Learn from the Best
- Dive into live, practical workshops and real-time demonstrations led by the nation’s most trusted homesteaders. See it done right, get honest answers, and leave with proven techniques you can trust.
Step 3: Ask Questions, Get Real Answers
- Every session includes direct access to expert speakers—so you’re never left wondering “but will this work for me?” Ask what matters most to your homestead, your family, and your situation.
Step 4: Find Your Community
- Don’t just learn—connect! Join the Community Meet & Greet at Friday lunch, swap stories, and make friends who actually get your homesteading journey. You’re not alone anymore.
Step 5: Feed Your Soul
- Wrap up your weekend with Cowboy Church on Sunday morning—an all-attendee, in-person worship and encouragement gathering led by Joel Salatin. (Included for all ticket holders.)
Step 6: Go Home Ready
- Leave with a clear plan, a notebook full of real strategies, and a support network you can tap into all year long.
“What Real Attendees Are Saying”
Every ticket to the Modern Homesteading Conference includes:
🗓️Two full days of hands-on sessions, workshops, and live demonstrations led by the most trusted homesteading experts in the country
❓Access to all keynote speakers and Q&A panels
🗺️Your printed program with session schedules and maps
👨👩👧👦Entry to the Community Meet & Greet—network with other families, make friends, and connect with mentors
🐔Live butchering, animal care, gardening, and food preservation demos
👦Kid & youth tracks with activities, workshops, and hands-on learning for younger homesteaders
🫙Vendor hall and homestead marketplace—discover tools, resources, and local products that make your journey easier
⛪Admission to Cowboy Church on Sunday morning—exclusive to ticket holders only
💁♂️Support and encouragement from a real, welcoming community all weekend long
VIP Ticket holders ALSO get:
Priority seating at all main sessions
Exclusive lunches with headline speakers
VIP swag and extra bonuses
Early entry to select events (while available)
All of this—plus friendships, wisdom, and confidence that will last all year.
2026 Schedule & Topics!
Note: When the schedule is finalized, we will create a printable PDF version, AND a full schedule will be included in your printed program, handed out at your arrival to the conference.
| Friday June 26th, 2026 | 8:30 to 8:45 am | 9:00 to 10:00 am | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm | 12:00 to 1:00 pm Lunch | 1:00 to 2:00 pm | 2:00 to 3:00 pm | 3:30 to 4:30 pm | 5:00 to 6:00 pm |
| Arena | Opening Ceremonies | RuthAnn Zimmerman – Raising a Homestead Family: Creating Rhythms That Grow With Your Children | Joel Salatin Faith, Stewardship, and the Call to Cultivate | Meet & Greet | Sally Fallon Morell – Healthy Babies | Mary Heffernan – From Pasture to Plate – Building a Ranch-to-Table Business | KEYNOTE – Joel Salatin HOMESTEADERS LIABILITIES AND LEVERAGES IN MODERN AMERICA | |
| Trademark Tent | VIP Lunch -Featuring a Special Chat with Joel & Daniel Salatin – Beyond Family Succession: Creating a Farm That Attracts the Next Generation | Pete Strayer -Take Back Your Table: The Real Power of Choosing Organic | ||||||
| Building 25 | Dr. Ken Berry – Reversing Disease Naturally | Daniel Salatin- How Many Animals Can Your Land Support? (Without Overgrazing or Buying Feed) | Carolyn & Josh Thomas & their daughter Rachel Thomas-Entz – Helping Kids Choose Homesteading as Adults | Health Expert Q&A Doc Jones, Kaylee Richardson, Sally Fallon Morell | ||||
| Building 1 | Don Tipping -The Fall Garden Starts in June: Extending Your Harvest Through Winter | Dr. Patrick Jones- Autoimmune Disease – The Modern Medical Crisis | Joe L'ampl- Raised Bed Gardening | Trevor Hollenback – Sheep Shearing (Demo) | ||||
| Building 2/ Youth Track | Karson Rippstein -Soil Basics for Young Homesteaders: Build Healthy Soil from the Ground Up | Rachel Thomas-Entz, Abigail & Brianna Thomas – Hands-On Make-Along Class: How to Build a Mason Bee House | Don Tipping – Seed Saving Demystified Hands-on | Nathan Kromer -Leather working- Hands On-Make Along | ||||
| Building 3 | Kaylee Richardson – The Beekeeper’s Apothecary: How to Turn Honey & More Into Healing Traditions (demo) | Karsen Rippstein – Putting Bentonite Clay to Use in Your Natural Medicine Cabinet | Juan Penzini-Granier – Artisan Conserves: Fruits and Vegetables Part 1 (demo) | Juan Penzini-Granier – Artisan Conserves: Fruits and Vegetables Part 2 (demo) | ||||
| Jacklin Square | Matthew Tuller – GOAT REARING: How to Raise a Thriving Herd | Bethany Hutson & Kelsey Harms – Confidently Homeschooling on the Homestead | Tim Eng – Buying Land for a Homestead: What to Know Before You Commit | Anne of All Trades- How to Run a Chainsaw/Woodworking | ||||
| Park | Kevin Trosclair – From Side to Freezer: Breaking Down a Pig Part 1 (demo) | Kevin Trosclair – From Side to Freezer: Breaking Down a Pig Part 2 (demo) | Matt Richards – Hide Tanning on the Homestead | |||||
| Building 22 | Cassidy Cornell -Small Property, Big Possibilities: Suburban Homesteading Made Practical | Seth Smith – The Complete Elderberry Workshop: Cultivation, Harvesting & Healing Uses | Daniel Salatin – How to Butcher a Chicken (Demo) will go until 3:30 pm |
| Saturday June 27th, 2026 | 8:30 to 8:45 am | 9:00 to 10:00 am | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm | 12:00 to 1:30 pm Lunch | 1:30 to 2:30 pm | 3:00 to 4:30 pm |
| Arena | Opening Ceremonies | Dr. Ken Berry – Health Freedom & Medical Self-Reliance | Melissa K Norris – Preservation Season Without the Panic – Creating a Summer-to-Fall Strategy That Works | Joel Salatin – Small Farms, Big Impact: Building a Profitable Family-Scale Homestead | Q&A Panel Homestead Joel Salatin, Melissa K Norris, RuthAnn Zimmerman, Daniel Salatin, Ken Berry, Carolyn Thomas | |
| Trademark Tent | David Stelzer – Rooted Wellness: How Healthy Soil Grows a Healthy You | David Stelzer, Nathan Stelzer & Michelle Stelzer (Panel, Moderated by Pete Strayer) Heirloom Seeds: Saving Tradition, Building Resilience | Pete Strayer – Homestead Marketing Made Simple: Stand Out & Sell With Heart | David Stelzer – Faith Over Fear: Rooted Decisions in Uncertain Times | ||
| Building 25 | Carolyn Thomas – Master Freeze Drying in 7 Simple Steps (demo) | Mary Heffernan–The Business of Homesteading / Ranching – Turning Passion Into Profit | RuthAnn Zimmerman – Stewardship in Practice: Building a Resourceful and Financially Sustainable Homestead | Dr. Patrick Jones – Livestock Health: Principles, Practices and Natural Interventions | ||
| Building 1 | Daniel Salatin – Homestead Layout and Chore Efficiency That Works | Sally Fallon Morell – Nourishing Diets | Don Tipping Growing Herbs Successfully for Food & Medicine | Joe L'ampl- Ecological Gardening-Natural Methods for Management & Pests | ||
| Building 2/ Youth Track | Karson Rippstein – Baby Animals 101: Calving, Kidding & Lambing for Young Homesteaders | Malia Steffen – Soap making demo | Young Homesteaders Board Q& A Malia Steffen, Rachel Thomas-Entz, Brianna & Abigail Thomas | |||
| Building 3 | Kaylee Richardson – Lessons from the Hive: Real-World Beekeeping for Every Homesteader | Matthew Tuller – Turning Fresh Goat Milk Into Delicious Chèvre (demo) | Cassidy Cornell – Smart Chicken Feeding: Nutrition, Balance & Budget | Trevor Hollenback – Sheep Hoof Trimming – (Demo) | ||
| Jacklin Square | Anne of All Trades- Growing Mushrooms | Tim Eng – How to Find and Build Community That Lasts | Juan Penzini-Granier – Artisan Bread Making Part 1 | Juan Penzini-Granier – Artisan Bread Making Part 2 | ||
| Park | Kevin Trosclair & Juan Penzini – Natural and old world meat curing Part 1 (demo) | Kevin Trosclair & Juan Penzini – Natural and old world meat curing Part 2 (demo) | Matt Richards – Hair-on Hide Tanning (Demo) | |||
| Building 22 | Seth Smith – Planning Your Orchard & Fruit Production | Seth Smith – Growing Figs & Fruit Trees | 1:30 to 3:00 pm Daniel Salatin- Butchering Rabbits (Demo) | 3:30 to 4:30 pm Sara and Piper Harrel – How to Raise Rabbits |
| Sunday June 28th, 2026 | 8:00 to 8:30 am | 8:30 to 10:00 am |
| Arena | Arena gates open | Worship, Sermon by Joel Salatin, Closing prayers |
Our Commitment to Every Attendee
We know committing to a live event is a big decision—and that’s exactly why we take every detail, every speaker, and every session seriously. Our goal is to deliver an experience so valuable you’ll be talking about it all year long.
Because of the high level of preparation, and the limited nature of each ticket, we are unable to offer refunds or cancellations for any reason.
We’re confident in the quality, integrity, and value of this event. That’s why thousands of families come back year after year—and why we pour everything into making the Modern Homesteading Conference worth every mile, minute, and dollar.
If you have any questions about the event, what’s included, or if this experience is right for you, just reach out to our team. We want you to be fully confident before you buy.
Ready to Finally Find Your Homesteading Community?
Don’t wait for another year to pass you by.
Join 4,000+ families and homesteaders at the Modern Homesteading Conference—where you’ll build real skills, real relationships, and real confidence for the journey ahead.
Tickets are available now—secure your spot and get ready for a weekend that will change your homesteading journey forever!
VIP tickets are almost gone—if you want the VIP experience, don’t wait!
Location
Kootenai County Fairgrounds
The fourth annual Modern Homesteading Conference 2026 is taking at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds in Coeur d’Alene, ID. These beautiful grounds are spacious and provide plenty of room!
Coeur d'Alene is known for its gorgeous lake, mountains, ranches, and hiking trails. Perfect for exploring before or after the conference or extending your stay for some rest and relaxation or an adventure!
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