Katie McDaniel and wife Allison are the owners of Sprouting Life Garden in Roanoke, VA. They sell all natural local grassfed beef tallow skincare products, homegrown garden produce, plant starts, sourdough, and teach gardening classes all around the Roanoke Valley. They have a passion for growing, preserving, and teaching others to do the same.

Katie’s homesteading journey started 10 years ago, and she specializes in urban gardens and maximizing space without spending a ton of money. Their property is in the suburbs of Roanoke County, and only 0.5 acres, but with a little creativity, they grow a large amount of their own food. She is excited to share her love of gardening and tips she’s learned along the way to help you become more self-sufficient.

Amber Fleming is the founder of Earth’s Essentials Apothecary, a small-batch herbal wellness company rooted in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. A self-taught herbalist, forager, and medicine-maker, Amber is passionate about helping others reconnect with the healing power of the natural world through practical, everyday plant wisdom.

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She grows, wildcrafts, and thoughtfully sources many of the herbs used in her products, creating remedies that reflect her values of self-reliance, sustainability, and intentional living. From herbal salves and tinctures to teas, body care, and seasonal wellness formulas, every creation is made with care and a deep respect for the earth.

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Amber is also known for her hands-on community education. Through her popular Eat the Weeds workshops, she teaches people how to identify, harvest, and use common lawn weeds and wild plants for both nutrition and wellness. Her classes empower others to see abundance where they once saw nuisance and to build confidence in caring for themselves and their families naturally.

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At the heart of Amber’s work is the belief that we must be active participants in our own health journey. She encourages people to ask questions, trust their instincts, learn the old ways, and advocate for their well-being.

Nature nurtures. We facilitate.

Meet Jarrett Barksdale, owner of The B-Hive Homestead. He and his wife are committed beekeepers from Ferrum with 7 years of experience.

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They enjoy teaching people the benefits of honeybees for honey, and all the different kinds of products that can be made from your hives beeswax.​ They focus on sustainable bee raising, swarm capture, and honeybee removal.

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Together, let's appreciate the essential contribution of bees to our crops and homesteads and learn the best ways to keep a successful hive!

Kaplan Farms is a cottage farm in Glade Hill, VA founded by Stephen and Alexandria Kaplan in 2016. They specialize in mushroom identification, production, and cuisine.  Both studied under “Mushroom Man” Skip Talifaerro and carry on that unique fun of fungi.

 

In 2019, Stephen created the “One-Page Field Guide” to focus on 20 specific and abundant mushrooms in our area. Instead of teaching the entirety of mushrooms from a wide field of view, the one-page creates a laser on a small list of mushrooms and wider introduction to mushroom anatomy. They are a fun family and joyful communicators not to be missed.

Dr. Cody Kost is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine and the owner of Kost Acupuncture & Herbal Healing in Salem, Virginia. With over six years of clinical experience, Dr. Kost helps patients find relief from a wide range of issues including chronic pain, anxiety, digestive disorders and many others through acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

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Dr. Kost takes a holistic, patient-centered approach, focusing on treating the root cause of illness while supporting long-term wellness. In addition to his private practice, he volunteers his time with Calm Clinic and Caravan.

Jake Raven recently retired from the U.S. Army after 24 years of dedicated service. Throughout his military career, he served in diverse and specialized roles, including Military Police Officer, Infantryman, Sniper, Infantry/Military Police Instructor, and Ammunition Warrant Officer (890A). His deployments included securing the Pentagon after 9/11, two tours in Afghanistan, and one tour in Iraq. At the time of his retirement, he was the State Ammunition Manager for Georgia.

In 2011, he launched the Georgia State Marksmanship Program and served as the State Marksmanship Coordinator for 10 years. During this time, he and his teams developed comprehensive lethality programs focused on combat marksmanship, pistol and rifle proficiency, sniper training, heavy weapons tactics, anti-armor systems, range operations, and less-lethal munitions. His mission was to ensure training was relevant, engaging, and adaptable to individual needs.

Jake is a lifelong hunter and combines that knowledge with his long career in marksmanship in this one-of-a-kind course designed to get you comfortable with hunting safely, while giving tips and tricks for ensuring a full freezer for your family each year!

Ms. Toni Stump is a lifelong resident of Callaway, Virginia, with more than 25 years of hands-on experience in canning and food preservation. For the past decade, she has served as the manager of the Callaway Community Cannery, where she helps individuals and families learn how to safely preserve their harvest and make the most of their food year-round.

 

Toni brings a practical, experience-based approach to everything she teaches, with expertise in pressure canning, water bath canning, gardening, food preparation, and dehydrating. She is passionate about sharing these skills with others and helping people build confidence in their ability to provide for themselves and their families.