Friday, March 31

Gates Open: 11 a.m.

Daily Admission: $10 Adults; $5 Youth (ages 7-17); 6 & Under Free

Two-Day Pass for Friday & Saturday: $15 Adults; $7 Youth; 6 & Under Free

11 a.m. Rison Community Garden Open House -The Rison Community Garden, located on the grounds of the Pioneer Village, was started in 2012 with a two-fold idea in mind: (1) provide a place where local folks can grow their own vegetables at no charge, and (2) provide a place to experiment with different growing methods and then pass that information along to others.  The garden currently consists of 27 raised beds as well as an 18 foot by 30 foot DIY high tunnel/hoop house, a compost corral and a chicken tractor. Les Walz, staff chair of the Cleveland County Cooperative Extension Service, manages the garden and also conducts various growing trials there as well. Some of his latest trials have been ways to extend the growing season using the high tunnel. After testing the longevity of the growing season with no supplemental heat last year, this year Les experimented with adding some supplemental heat plus a second layer of protection inside the high tunnel. The result was a fully-matured Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato harvested on Jan. 3, 2017. He recently added too more beds to the garden utilizing some of the latest trends in homestead gardens: a “lazy man”/lasagna bed and a “Back to Eden” bed.  Les will be on hand during the open house to answer any questions you might have.

11 a.m. Mini Demonstrations/Sessions – Some of our vendors offering essential oils, herbs and other products will be conducting some mini-sessions from about 11 a.m. until the first session begins at 1 p.m. Britt Talent, the organizer of the Arkansas Homesteading Conference, will give a demonstration on how he uses two large cattle lick buckets to make a self-watering garden system. Also, Gail West, a resident of Rison who has practiced homesteading skills for much of her life, will talk about how she makes everything from homemade cleaners to toothpaste using common ingredients.

1 p.m. Aquaponics Overview – Bauer Duke, Extension Aquaculture Specialist from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, will have a presentation on “aquaponics,” a system that combines “aquaculture” (raising fish in a tank) and “hydroponics” (raising plants in water). Duke will give an overview on the 3 types of aquaponic systems that can be practiced on a small scale at home: the nutrient film technique, flood and drain/ebb and flow system, and the deep water culture/raft system. While tilapia are the fish most often used in aquaponic systems, Duke said they are currently experimenting with using fish native to Arkansas like bass, bluegill, crappie and catfish instead. He explained that tilapia require a higher water temperature to survive, while the native fish can survive with cooler temperatures, which prevents the need (and cost) of heating the water. His session will include a traveling demonstration of all 3 systems being used.

2:30 p.m. Cheese Making – JoAnn Vann is a family and consumer science agent for the Clark County Cooperative Extension Office at Arkadelphia. She and her husband have a 14-acre homestead at Sparkman that includes a large garden, meat rabbits and their newest venture, milk goats. She will be demonstrating how to make cheese at home.

4 p.m. Homestead Enterprises – Ever wonder how you can generate some revenue off your homestead? We have put together a panel of people who use small-scale agriculture to earn full-time or part-timeincome. Learn how they got started, the pro’s and con’s of trying to make money on the homestead, time commitment and much more.

6 p.m. Pioneer Village Supper – Everyone is invited to stick around after the final session to enjoy a meal of pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, dessert and ice tea/coffee! Proceeds from the meal will support the Friends of Pioneer Village’s efforts to restore some of the historic structures that are on the grounds of the Pioneer Village. Also, Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams and his talented family will be performing some bluegrass!

7 p.m. Homesteaders Fellowship – After our North Arkansas Conference last October in Mountain View, we heard feedback from a few people that they would like to get together with other like-minded folks to talk about all things homesteading. Well, we took that suggestion to heart and have set aside a time to do just that! This will be a great chance to network and meet new homesteading friends! We’ve asked some of our speakers to stick around and have even a invited some guests. Among them is author Jake Beaty of Germantown, Tenn. When Jake was just 5 years old, his father decided to move the family out of Seattle and go live off-grid in the mountains of Washington State. If you have ever thought about living off grid, Jake can offer plenty of first-hand experiences! There is no charge for this event. If you couldn’t make the day sessions, please come by and fellowship!

The Vendor Expo will  be open throughout the day and the evening.

Saturday, April 1

Gates Open at 8 .m.

Admission: $10 for Adults; $5 for Youth (ages 7-17); 6 & Under Free

Demonstrations/Exhibits: We’ve gathered some of our local folks up who love to share their craft and passion with other people! Be sure to stroll through the Pioneer Village to check out blacksmithing, Dutch Oven cooking, quilting/knitting, chicken tractors, poultry, miniature donkeys, feral hog traps, homemade pea shellers and more.

TRACK 1 SESSIONS: (Stable Building)

9 a.m. “Improving Soil Health” -So you’ve taken advantage of the free soil test offered through the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and the results are in. Now what? That’s what Extension agronomist Bill Robertson of Bradford comes in. Bill travels the state helping commercial growers improve their soil, and he will show you how to read your soil test report, and what you need to do to make it the best garden soil possible. He will have some samples to show you the differences in soils and how to address various problems.

10:30 a.m. “ Old Time Farm Ways“ -Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams of the FarmHandsCompanion.com website and YouTube channel will work with many old-style hand tools as he explains 19th century woodworking skills along with other day-to-day practices of the typical southern subsistence farm. From “riving” wood shingles to hewing logs, from haymaking with simple tools to crafting your own tool handles, see how many of these “old-time” ways are still relevant for today’s homestead!

1 p.m. “Heritage Poultry” – Carey Robertson and her husband, Bill Robertson (another speaker at the conference), operate CWC Farm near Bradford. CWC Farm is a family farming operation that consists of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, guardian dogs, chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. Carey will be focusing on various breeds of heritage poultry and how they relate to the homestead.

2:30 p.m. “Raised Bed Gardening Techniques” – Les Walz, staff chair for the Cleveland County Extension Office and manager of the Rison Community Garden, and Britt Talent, organizer of the Arkansas Homesteading Conference, will discuss various raised bed gardening techniques as well as what they have learned through some of the growing trials that have been conducted at the Rison Community Garden and inside the hoop house.

TRACK 2 SESSIONS: (Indoor Stage Area)

9 a.m. “Heritage Beekeeping” – Elvin Bates of Monticello has loved working with bees his entire life. So much so, in fact, that he still maintains about 150 hives at 98 years old!  Mr. Bates has agreed to make a presentation on the evolution of beekeeping since he took up the trade about 90 years ago! This will be a rare opportunity to hear and see how beekeeping has changed, and probably pick up some great pointers as well!

10:30 a.m. “Beekeeping Basics” – Lori Bird of the Randall community in Cleveland County, along with her husband, Trent, own and operate Birds & Bees Honey, one of the largest natural, chemical-free beekeeping operations in Arkansas. Lori has been a regular speaker with the Arkansas Homesteading Conference and in this session, she will go over the basic equipment and what you need to do to get started in beekeeping.

1 p.m. “Crossover Herbs” – Did you know some of those herbs you cook with in the kitchen can be used in folk remedies and other ways around the house? Cindy Faulk, owner of C the Difference Herbal Boutique in Hot Springs, and Debbie Tripp, owner of Rosemary Hill Herb Farm at Royal, will be leading a session on herbs that can be easily grown here in Arkansas that have plenty of uses in the kitchen and elsewhere.

2:30 p.m. “From Trash to Fabric” – Mary Ann Hart of New Edinburg is an active member of the Stitching Sisters Quilting Club in Cleveland County. She has a great passion for the needle arts like sewing, quilting and knitting. In this session, Mary Ann will show you how to take trash items like plastic bags, old VCR tape and worn-out jeans. and convert that trash into a fabric that can used to make some useful things.

Youth Track

9 a.m. Discovering Homesteading –  Youth will be making their way through a variety of stations to learn about blacksmithing, Dutch Oven cooking, gardening, poultry and much more.