Conference Presenter

Daniel
Salatin

Polyface Farm

Daniel is multi-generational farmer. He’s grown up in the farming landscape in Swoope, VA. Farming right out of the gate has giving him a lifetime of experience, mastery and confidence that comes from a life’s work and passion. Today he leads an ever-growing team at Polyface Farm. Daniel finds the most joy in his family, teaching, team building, healing soil, farm design, a growing relationship with Jesus, working with livestock and hunting.

Managing the day-to-day flow of the farm, he works with cattle, hogs, meat birds, layers, turkeys, rabbits, sheep, and forestry, but most importantly- People. This keeps him learning something every day in a high energy, outdoor workplace. With over 30 years on hands on experience in the land healing, healthy food growing world, Daniel is practical in his approach and teaching.

Conference Presenter

Josh
Draper

Stoney Ridge Farmer

Josh Draper aka Stoney Ridge Farmer is a first generation regenerative farmer and homesteader from right here in North Carolina. Josh grew up on a small farm in southwest Virginia as a young man, learning life skills taught to him through 3 generations of “Old Timey Appalachain” experience. After high school Josh joined the US Air Force and served about 5 years as an electrician, working along side various other trades such as carpenters, plumbers and metal workers. After the Air Force Josh attended Nursing School and earned a Science degree. Science and soil had always been a passion for the Stoney Ridge Farmer and at the age of 32 Josh was piloting a small urban farm in Greensboro North Carolina, serving his local area with fresh honey, eggs and garden veggies.

At 36 years of age Josh decided to take the leap to start a first generation farm, so he moved out of the city and back to the country. Josh had saved up to purchase his land and began the first generation farming adventure with 60 acres over overgrown brushy abandoned tobacco fields. While embarking on this journey Josh started documenting his life on Youtube and thus the “Stoney Ridge Farmer” was created. Now he’s 8 years into the building of his first generation regenerative farm and continues to build, teach and grow the enterprise.

Conference Presenter

Chuck
Lewis

Sheraton Park Farm

Chuck Lewis and his wife Saundra are owners of Sheraton Park Farms in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
In 2018, after seeing the film “Food Inc.” Chuck and Saundra decided to try their hands at growing their own food.  With a move for his job on the horizon, they sold their acre lot home and bought 20 acres just outside of Greensboro, NC.  Their first venture into farming was 40 meat chickens and 6 pigs……all in the same week……..with 0 experience.  *Not on their recommendation list for beginning farmers*.
Over the course of the past 6 years they have bought a bigger farm, increased their operation to a couple thousand dozen eggs, over 1500 broilers per year, 60+ pigs per year, 30+ cattle per year growing into a 6 figure operation and feeding multiple families in the foothills and piedmont of North Carolina.

Conference Presenter

Troy
McClung

Red Tool House Farm

In 2000, Troy and his wife, Kelly, purchased 100 acres of land in rural, central West Virginia with the desire of being surrounded by the natural beauty of the West Virginia hills (and needing a break from humanity after living in Orlando, Florida for awhile). The natural beauty was challenged, however, by the fact the previous owners had neglected and abused the land allowing mountains of garbage to accumulate. It took Troy and Kelly nearly two years of strenuous work to clean up the land. After the birth of their two boys, they decided to focus on their quality of food and understanding more about the broken food system in the US.

Conference Presenter

Kaleb
Hanshaw

The Wild Country

Kaleb Hanshawis a permaculture designer, educator, and co-founder of The Wild Country, where he and his wife Christa help families pursue self-sufficiency through regenerative land design, homesteading, and faith-rooted community living. With a background in church ministry and a degree in psychology, Kaleb blends practical design skills with a deep understanding of people and place.

Kaleb also serves as the Director of Reclamation & Remediation at Coalfield Development in West Virginia, transforming former mine lands into regenerative farms and training hubs. He and Christa raise their six children with simplicity and intention, modeling the values they teach. Whether working with raw land, leading workshops, or walking alongside families starting their homesteading journey, Kaleb brings vision, empathy, and grounded expertise to every step.

Conference Presenter

Marsha
Waybright

Laurel River Club BnB and Laurel Fork Farm

A Randolph County, WV native from Middle Mountain, Marsha is happily married to Kendall Waybright a Tucker County native. She successfully runs four businesses in Jenningston, WV and now farms both Randolph and Tucker counties. The businesses are: Laurel River Club B&B, Laurel Fork Farm, Mama Bear Protection and the West Virginia School of Traditional Skills, Marsha is a motivational speaker who desires to educate others and teach them how to use natural resources while conserving the land. In 2023 Marsha was inducted into the West Virginia Women of Agriculture was a speaker for the West Virginia Governor’s Conference on Tourism, as well as the Women of Agriculture Conference. Marsha was named Business Person of the Year 2024, in Tucker County.

Conference Presenter

Bob
Gregory

Berea Gardens Agriculture Center

Bob is the owner and Director of Berea Gardens Agriculture Center in Minnora, WV. Berea is an organic market farm, agriculture training center and seed bank. Bob has been growing crops professionally for over 40 years and has a wealth of knowledge and expertise. He has served as an agronomist and professional agriculture consultant in both North and South America. Having managed thousands of acres of orchard and field crops, serving as production manager for the fourth largest greenhouse operation in the country, and teaching agriculture at the college level for over a decade, Bob uses all of this experience to help you understand the core principles for nutritious, high quality food production. From beginner to experienced market farmer, Bob can help you achieve the results you seek. He lives, farms, and teaches on his 120-acre farm and school facility with his wife, Lynnita.

Conference Presenter

Lacy
Davidson-Ferguson

WVDA Agriculture & Business Development

Lacy is a mom of two kiddos, co-owner of Elmcrest Farm with husband Park, cattle, pigs and chickens on pasture. Co-founder of the Twelvepole Trading Post, a farm to table cafe, farm market and community project in Wayne, WV. Lacy has a background in biomedical, human nutrition & food science, registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator. She’s trained in herbalism, recovery, wellness and business coaching.

Conference Presenter

Ed & Carol
Daniels

Shady Grove Botanicals

Ed and Carole Daniels are forest and market farmers in the heart of the Appalachian mountains. Both born and raised in West Virginia, they began planting wild harvested American ginseng on their farm in the mid-1990’s. They incorporated other forest medicinals, like goldenseal, ramps, and black cohosh, and continue adding other native plants to their properties. In 2016, they started a small business, named Shady Grove Botanicals, where they grow and sell starter kits to beginning forest farmers, as well as produce several value-added products. They attend and present at forest farming conferences to increase and share their knowledge. Since 2016, Ed has been teaching the youth how to grow at-risk medicinals using sustainable and organic methods. Shortly thereafter, they incorporated vegetables into their program to teach kids how to grow their own food. With the help of staff, parents, volunteers, and community members, they have been building raised garden beds and high tunnels at several of their county schools. This is how their non-profit, Plant the Seed Project, began.

Conference Presenter

Paul
Ronk

Ronk Family Farm

Paul has been the president of the West Virginia Maple Syrup Producers Association for 3 years and is always eager to lead and encourage new producers in our state. He and his family are often seen at festivals and shows spinning maple cotton candy, and selling their pure maple syrup as well as infused syrups, maple barbecue, maple mustard, and other innovative maple products.

Conference Presenter

Jamie
Miles

7 Stands Farm

Jamie Miles has been raising goats since 2017 and is the proud owner of 7 Stands Farm Kikos in Hays, North Carolina. Jamie’s goat journey has included many breeds of meat goats, including Boer, Myotonic, and Kiko. The farm currently breeds and sells registered New Zealand Kiko goats. Jamie is a teaching medical professional by trade and has transferred his medical knowledge to enhance the farm; he performs his own AI, routine vaccinations, and wellness exams. The farm’s current herd includes 75 goats that are registered with the National Kiko Registry and he sells herd stock at invitational goat sales annually.

Conference Presenter

Simon & Amanda
Shingleton

Hammer & Faith Farm and Marriage For Real

Simon and Amanda Shingleton have been married for 19 years and live in north central West Virginia where they raise and homeschool their 5 children. They have a small farm and produce their own pork, chicken, & honey. They are health conscious and try to live a natural lifestyle. These two know from experience that homesteading and life in general can be tough, and sometimes to make it, you just need grit and a sense of humor!

Simon & Amanda have a marriage ministry called Marriage For Real where they teach that marriage is the cornerstone of the family. God has given them a passion to see marriages and families grow and flourish. In today’s society marriage and gender roles are often overlooked. These two things should be nurtured and celebrated, especially on a farm/homestead.

Conference Presenter

Julie
Schaer

Food & Farm Coalition, Organic Specialist

I have a “postage stamp” farm in Putnam County where I raise vegetables, mushrooms and honeybees. I love food and I love growing it, preserving it, and tinkering with it both at the farm and in the kitchen. At any given time I have just a few more projects than I have time to complete and I am nearly always game to add a new one.

Conference Presenter

Kathy
Talley

Food Preservation Specialist, Master Gardener

Kathy has been in education as a Home Economics teacher, Nutrition Ed and Training coordinator for WV Dept of Ed. Upon retirement, she has continued to work with school children, school nutrition staff, Fairmont University and WVU Institute of Technology. She earned her undergrad degree from WV State College and a Master’s degree from Marshall University. She is a Master gardener and artisan basket weaver.