‘Homesteading with Independence’ conference planned for March 1 – Stuttgart Daily Leader

Benefits of Homesteading

To homestead is to become more self-sufficient. This means learning to grow your own food, sew and preserve your own foods and pick up other valuable skills.

Before jumping all in, figure out how self-sufficient you want to be and set goals for yourself.

BATESVILLE, Ark. — Homesteading appeals to those who seek self-reliance and self-sufficiency, so what better place to host a homesteading conference than in Independence County?

The Independence County Extension Office will host the first “Homesteading with Independence” conference on March 1, with experts from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture sharing their expertise in bees, backyard poultry, small ruminants, gardening, food preservation, and more.

The event will run 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Independence County Library, 267 E. Main St. in Batesville. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and workshops begin at 9:30 a.m. Space is limited to 75 people, and registration is required. The cost is $20 per person and includes lunch.

“This is our first year to have this conference,” said Julian Carpenter, family and consumer science agent with the Independence County Extension Office, part of the Division of Agriculture. “We have noticed people are becoming interested in learning how to be more self-reliant, and we want to provide the research-based education they may need.”

Experts will offer the following sessions:

• Are Bees Right for Me? — Jon Zawislak, extension apiary specialist and assistant professor in urban entomology, Division of Agriculture
• Backyard Poultry — Dustan Clark, extension poultry veterinarian and director of John Tyson Center for Excellence in Poultry Science, Division of Agriculture
• Small Ruminant Production — Dan Quadros, extension small ruminant specialist, Division of Agriculture
• Soil Health — Bill Robertson, retired extension cotton agronomist, now agronomist with CWC Farm
• Food Preservation — Julian Carpenter, Independence County extension agent, Division of Agriculture
• Growing Your Garden — Michelle Mobley, Independence County extension agent, Division of Agriculture
• Choosing Your Enterprise — Carey Robertson, adjunct agriculture instructor, University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville

For more information and to register, contact the Independence County Extension office at 870-793-8840.

Source: stuttgartdailyleader.com