HOMESTEADING LIFE CONFERENCE!!

We got to go to the Homesteading Life Conference in Hannibal, Missouri. It was hosted by Off-Grid with Doug and Stacy.
They are a YouTube family that lives off grid. They have inspired me in so many ways. Though we don't live off-grid they offer so much more in almost all of their videos they put out.

We are driving over the bridge of the Mississippi River.

Our wonderful daughters (Skylar and Kaitlin) stayed back on the homestead to take care of the animals. This allowed Tim and I to come to the conference. We left Saturday afternoon. It was only a 3 hour drive. Alone time for hubby and I. 

(((((Thank you girls for all you do on the farm.)))))

The bridge we drove over.

Tim and I see the boat we will take later Sunday night.

💕💕💕💕💕💕

We stayed at Comfort Inn and Suites.

The room did pass my room inspection.

I was really happy with how clean the room was.

Driving around downtown Hannibal. It has such neat buildings and architecture.

We saw these doll houses while we were driving.

The one on the right side is one that we are helping Kaitlin build. Those doll houses get pretty detailed and look so pretty.

This is a pay phone. They used to be placed everywhere. Most of our younger generation doesn't know what one is. I was actually surprised it was in an antique shop. 

Does that mean I am really old!?!

I was thinking of making one of these.

Sure would come in handy when hanging the clothes on the line.

OUCH!

Tim and I walked around the downtown area and looked at antique shops. We asked what restaurants they had in the area. 

They told us The Brick Oven was around the corner.

I really liked the decor.

I have never seen a beer can with such a wide opening before.

Maybe I really do live in a shell.

BTW its not my beer can.

The food at this Italian restaurant was really good.

We even saved room for dessert. Nobody can pass up tiramisu!

After that wonderful meal and dessert we needed to walk some of it off. 

So full of rich history. I wish the buildings could talk.

I like old trucks!

Mark Twain's father's law office.

Becky Thatcher's home.

Sunday morning at the hotel having breakfast.

We are so excited to be attending the conference.

 

It was held at the Star Theater in historic downtown Hannibal.

Rumor had it someone came to save this building from being torn down.

We really liked having the tables setup like this.

This allowed us to get to know the people around us.

Sunday's schedule

Doug made announcements.

Cultivating Elderberry with Terry

This is where I bought my elderberry plants from. Here is the website:

River Hills Harvest

Dr. Don Huber

 a Professor Emeritus of Plant Pathology at Purdue University

Topic was:

What We Know About Glyphosate and GMOs 

with Dr. Don Huber

Tim and I ate lunch at Finn's Food and Spirits Restaurant.

The food was great!

There were several vendors there.

This is River Hills Harvest AKA the Elderberry Guy!

There was taste testing and demonstrations.

Paul Munsen with American Sun Oven was giving lots of info and demonstrations.

His link can be found here

Cooking up some baked beans - Yum!!!

Looks like we just bought a sun oven.

I have been wanting one for awhile.

This guy had add on wood furnaces.

The vendors were setup across the street from Star Theater.

Not much traffic coming through, which made crossing the street easier.

Stacy has been giving her demonstrations in the front lobby area.

I was excited to get to meet Stacy.

She is very knowledgeable in healthy eating and getting the most from your food. Other stuff too!

Off Grid with Doug and Stacy

Can be found here

 Homesteaders Medicine Chest with Flower Toomey

Flower is a Master Herbalist with a Phd in Holistic Health and owner of Mother Nature's Mountain. Her and her husband live off grid and have a healing retreat in the mountains of northern Vermont.

Her FaceBook page can be found here

Why Homesteading? with Mike

Mike and his family live in a yurt on a farm called Big Pond Farm.

He has a YouTube Channel called The Fit Farmer

(Farm F.I.T. = Farmers in training)

He put out a video from the conference and it can be found here

Natural Bee Keeping with Dr. Leo

The first time I heard of Dr. Leo was when Doug interviewed him at the Bass Pro Conference I think early spring of this year. I don't remember the exact name of the conference. Dr. Leo knows about bees. It really sparked an interest in trying his method.

His website can be found here

Tiny House Living While Homesteading

With Derek and Ariel

I have never heard of either of them before. Ariel lives in the Wyoming mountains in a tiny home off grid by herself. Derek lives in Tucson Az. with his wife Hannah. They are building a tiny home.

They both are YouTubers. 

Derek is at Handeeman and can be found here

Ariel is at Fy Nyth and can be found here

Mother Nature's Mountain Soap.

This stuff smells really good.

 Doug and Stacy rented out the top floor on the

 Mark Twain River Boat. 

Our dinner cruise on the Mark Twain awaits.

We got to enjoy a dinner cruise with live music.

Before me, Tim used to play the saxophone.

I bought him a used one several years ago. I still haven't heard him play.
(It is missing a piece -Tim)

 The buffet line.

We were told to load up our plates because it was a one time thru.

 We had views from every angle.

 This food was really good. It sure beat out breakfast that was served at our hotel.

 Tim was enjoying his dinner too.

 We got to watch a really large barge going through.

 The next several pictures are views walking around on the river boat.

 The captain.

 What a beautiful evening and the sun was setting.

We couldn't of asked for a better evening.

 After our evening riverboat cruise we chatted in the parking lot with another homesteading family we met at the conference.

~~~~ DAY 2 OF THE HOMESTEADING CONFERENCE ~~~~~

Another day with Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher.

They did another skit.

 Doug and Stacy with Off Grid with Doug and Stacy.

They are so wonderful for putting this conference together with other like minded people. To grow and learn together. 

Monday's schedule.

Stacy is the queen of making Kombucha and making all things fermented. Today we are getting a ton of info not just what she said she would teach. Today Stacy went over the making and flavoring of Kombucha. She gave us tidbits of how to make fermented garlic and honey, fermented ketchup, thieves vinegar, homemade ACV, homemade brandy and some tinctures. Her classes weren't long enough.

12 Medicinal Plants to Keep You Out of the Doctors Office with Flower Toomey

I will list all 12, if you want more info regarding them let me know.

1. Garlic
2. Hawthorne Berries
3. Turmeric
4. Stinging Nettles
5. Elderberry
6. American Ginseng
7. Burdock Root
8. Dandelion
9. Peppermint
10. Lavender
11. Red Clover
12. Ginger

Tim and I took a lunch break with new friends Joyce and Chris.

We ate at the Rumor Has It Bar and Grill.

It was pretty good food. Only thing was it's a cash only place and there wasn't any signs posted. Waitress didn't inform us until she brought us the check. No biggie, but it would of been nice to notify before ordering.

Stacy demonstrating how to make Kimchi.

I have never had it before. I am usually game to try new things.

And share it with my family.

Funny story with this picture. We thought this was funny. Someone bought a sun oven and had it on their bike. Thinking they should of brought a bigger vehicle. After the conference we found out it was some friends we were sitting with. They won one of the raffles and they made a comment how will they put that on their bike. I showed them the picture that I took earlier. They laughed and said it was theirs. They ended up getting everything strapped up good and tight. Safe journey my friends!

There was another class before this one but neither Tim or I was in it.

This one is with Doug and Stacy, Holistic Animal Care

Lots of great information given here.

We got our picture with Doug.

I had to have one with this wonderful lady Flower.

The conference is winding down with the speaker panel.

Tim and I got so much out of this conference. Not just the info you write down from what the speakers are saying. We got much more. We met some wonderful people. Like minded people. The setting was in such a way to meet each other. We weren't there just for a class but a friendship in a homestead family. We don't have many like us. It's nice to know we are weird and so many are just like us. We live a little different but that's okay.

We got to meet and talk with Eric from Life in Farmland. What a wonderful family they are.

If you want to check out his YouTube channel it can be found here

Also Teresa with Stringfield Ridge Farm. I didn't get to talk with her but did see her there. She is another one I follow on YouTube. A wonderful lady.

You can find her here