Frederick County Homesteaders

11/07/2024

Join us for our Second Annual Homestead Harvest Gathering. Let’s celebrate all we have to be grateful for this Harvest season on Nov 18th at .

Join us for a night of community fellowship & discussion as we welcome back who will share with our group ways to get involved in the Food Freedom Movement here in Virginia during the 2025 House Session.

We can’t wait to reconnect with old friends, discover new ones, and learn how we can impact our local homesteading communities in the effort for interdependence, Monday Nov. 18th from 6:30PM-8:30PM. Bring a dish to share and don’t forget to invite a friend.

We’ll see you soon! 👋🏻

📍West Oaks Farm Market
4305 Middle RD Wi******er VA
🗓️ Nov 18th 6:30PM-8:30PM
RSVP to [email protected]

10/29/2024

Last nights elderberry syrup making class was a huge hit! 🫐

Seeing our community come together for these events always leaves us feeling inspired, refreshed, and energized for upcoming and future events. 💫

Our team did a marvelous job teaching on the many medicinal benefits of elderberry and sharing ways to implement it into your homestead apothecary! 🫙

We loved being able to demonstrate the entire process to our community with helpful tools like this stainless steel funnel set from we received during the event earlier this month. As well as sampling the final product before making our take home elderberry syrup kits.

Special thank you to our team: of and (for putting this class together), (for hosting us in your beautiful storefront), and for capturing the evening 📸, and to our lovely community who came out to learn together!

We can’t wait to unveil plans for next years meetings, classes, and workshops!

Stay tuned for the latest updates and don’t forget to save the date for our next meeting- Nov 18th for our Homestead Harvest Gathering featuring who will be sharing on Food Freedom legislation and how to get involved in the movement!

We’ll see you soon. 🫶🏻

10/26/2024

Happy Saturday Friends!
We’re trying something new on the homestead today. It’s ‘Wish’ Saturday. Name one thing you wish you had for your homestead. Maybe someone in our community can meet your need, trade, or barter for it. Share in the comments below!

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10/25/2024

“If you value the grass as your priority, then the livestock is the reward. The tug of war with the land occurs when you overgraze at the onset. Avoid this and you’ll be able to raise production sustainably, long term as a result.” - Back to Basics Farm

Join Caleb Fahnestock of for this interactive workshop on Nov 16th, where we’ll explore ancestral grazing practices for raising livestock for both small and large scale homestead operations. 🌾

This immersive workshop is designed for beginners to help you take back your land through soil healing practices along with proper fencing and corral techniques.

Threading together expert techniques such as those practiced by Jim Gerrish, Joel Salatin, and Temple Grandin we’ll unpack how to best steward the local landscape here in the Shenandoah Valley while developing systems for small and large scale homesteading operations. Discover what it takes to add organic matter and carbon back into the soil to produce long term results for thriving, healthy livestock and resilient pastures. 🌾

Reserve your spot at FrederickCountyHomesteaders.com/events

🗓️ Nov 16th
📍FredCo VA (Location TBA)
🍽️ Lunch & Dinner included
🔥 Bonfire & Fellowship to follow the event

10/21/2024

An absolute honor to share about our beginnings with the Homesteaders of America podcast. Thank you to HOA for the privilege to do so! How are you impacting the communities where you reside?

One question we get asked all the time at HOA is how to create a homesteading community in your own area.

Many of us are connected to other homesteaders all across the country via technology, but how do we build in-person relationships with our local homesteading community?

Samantha was asking this same question in her county, so she decided to become the solution she was looking for.

We hope this deep dive into the origin story of Frederick County Homesteaders is an inspiration to you as you think through what it looks like to link arms with your own neighbors in a collective homesteading movement.
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--> In this episode, we cover:⁠
• How Samantha started a movement in her county to connect homesteaders
• Why building strong in-person community is vital in our current day
• What is a farm crawl and why is it beneficial to a community?
• Overview of what kind of team it takes to create and run a local homesteading organization
• The personal growth that takes place as the leader of a community organization
• What does it take to start a homestead collective in your own community?
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🎙️Listen to the podcast and get the show notes here--> https://bit.ly/podcast-samantha-armel
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10/18/2024

The FredCo Homesteader’s Interactive Member Meetings are back! This Oct 28th you’re invited to join our community as we learn to cultivate healing in our homes with simple ingredients harvested around the homestead for a classic immune staple: Elderberry Syrup!

Our group will learn how to identify elderberries, where to source elderberries locally, have the option to purchase established elderberry plants for transplant to their medicinal 2025 gardens, as well as participate in making a fresh batch of elderberry syrup to take home. Even better! For those interested extra ingredients may be purchased on sight to add to your medicinal pantry for the winter. 🥳

Our sweet friends from will be hosting us. Oma’s delicious Crunchies, lattes, and wine will also be available and are a great way to support our wonderful hostesses!

Our knowledgeable pals and seasoned homesteaders Sara Hazard of Cloud 9 Acres and Kristin Tesdall of will be walking us through the process of making elderberry syrup step by step! 🫙

We can’t wait for you to join us for another evening of community building and skill sharing Oct 28th at Patti’s Place from 7-8:30PM. We’ll see you soon! 👋🏻

📍3178 Laurel Grove RD Wi******er, VA 22602 (Patti’s Place)
🗓️ Monday Oct 28th | 7PM-8:30PM
🫐 Elderberry Syrup Making Meet Up

10/15/2024

Did you check out our recipes for FredCo Apples and canning tips in the latest Shop Local Guide? Our content team had so much fun baking, canning, and preserving the harvest to share with locals in our Fall Edition this season.

Let us know by commenting below if you’ve tried our recipe for Apple Cake adapted by or implemented any of the canning tips from . 🫙

In need of local organic apples this season? 🍎Check out these trusted sources below:



Other great options for locally sourced apples include:



📸by

10/15/2024

Fire cider check in!🔥

I’m loving the cinnamon citrus smell I’ve recently started to notice with mine. One of my favorite things about our recent FCH Fire Cider Interactive Meeting was the ability to tailor your fire cider for personal preference while still enjoying the benefits of learning a new skill in our shared community.

We are gearing up for our next interactive meeting taking place this October where we’ll be making Elderberry Syrup as a group! We can’t wait to explore the flavors and benefits of elderberry together with you.

Until then- how’s your brew brewin’? 🫙

10/14/2024

The FredCo Homesteaders had a BLAST meeting so many new faces during the conference this past weekend. 🌻 We got to share with many folks about our passion for creating community while revitalizing agriculture in FredCo and how we will be helping YOU to sow the seeds of interdependence in your own communities this coming Jan 2025 with our new e-courses! To sign up for details and get the latest updates on course launches visit frederickcountyhomesteaders.com/courses 🚀

We look forward to helping you take back your communities through shared reliance, self-sufficiency, and good clean fun!

See you soon! 👋🏻

10/13/2024

Did you attend the Fall Farm Crawl last weekend? What were some of your favorite finds?!

10/12/2024

FCH had such a blast connecting with the homesteading community of ! We were floored by the amount of interest we had in our upcoming e-courses and podcast. We can’t wait to help you all sow the seeds of shared reliance in your own communities beginning Jan 2025. ⭐️

Special thank you to our wonderful content committee for taking time out of their busy schedules to be a part of this amazing event.
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Don’t forget to sign up for our local newsletter to learn more about upcoming e-courses, farm crawls, workshops, and meet ups! 🌾

10/05/2024

It’s the perfect day for a FALL FARM CRAWL!! And not too late to come by and get your tickets. See you soon!

10/05/2024

✨FARM CRAWL SPOTLIGHT✨
Old Cedar Farmstead
From sourdough to homesteading our friends at Old Cedar Farmstead have mastered it all! Ross and Whitney Wisecarver are no strangers to hard work. Having grown up around agriculture, they decided to take a leap of faith in 2021 when opportunity presented itself in the form of an old farmhouse. Their dedication, strength, and tenacity are evidenced in their now thriving farm, the Old Cedar Farmstead.

🌻AT THE FARM CRAWL🌻
Enjoy stocking up on goodies at the farm shed, learn about the ins and outs of running a mid sized homesteading operation, and discover the high tunnel. Meet our friendly animals, hear about how we got our start, enjoy some delicious sourdough, and possibly a goat milking demo!

🎟️frederickcountyhomesteaders.com/farmcrawl
📌Check In at Solenberger’s Hardware from 9-10AM with our pal’s from Donut Dive
🎻Music from High Mountain Bluegrass and BBQ from our Pit Master and local Back Creek Supervisor John Jewell during Evening on the Farm from 5-7PM. Dinner tickets required for BBQ!

See you tomorrow! 👋🏻

10/05/2024

✨FARM CRAWL SPOTLIGHT✨
Shenandoah Seasonal
After discovering a passion for sustainable farming during their time as social workers in Cambodia, Dan and Ali Haney returned home to Virginia with renewed purpose. With only $15,000, two dogs, and a handful of seeds, they went to work building their small-farm business. Twelve growing seasons later, was birthed during an exciting nation- wide movement toward consuming local organically sourced food options. With a flourishing base of CSA customers in the community and D.C. metro area, Dan and Ali continue to inspire the community towards sustainable farming practices.

🌻AT THE FARM CRAWL🌻
Enjoy an assortment of veggies grown right here in the heart of FredCo freshly picked and ready for purchase at the Little Red Shed Farm Store. You’ll also enjoy picking up a premade & delicious GF pizza from Bethlehem Farms. Learn about our organic growing practices, get the skinny on our upcoming CSA sign ups and take a tour of the farm at 1PM!

Don’t forget to get your Farm Crawl Passport stamped while you’re there!🌟

🎟️frederickcountyhomesteaders.com/farmcrawl
📌Check In at Solenberger’s Hardware from 9-10AM with our pal’s from Donut Dive
🎻Music from High Mountain Bluegrass and BBQ from our Pit Master and local Back Creek Supervisor John Jewell during Evening on the Farm from 5-7PM. Dinner tickets required for BBQ!

See you tomorrow! 👋🏻

10/04/2024

✨FARM CRAWL SPOTLIGHT✨
SWEET TO THE SOUL HONEY

There’s something sweet about living in Frederick County, and it’s made even sweeter at Sweet to the Soul Honey! Annette, Seth, & Jaime are long-time Frederick County locals-turned-beekeepers who discovered the success that comes with hard work and a little practice. They began Sweet to the Soul Honey at Meadowbrook Farm to provide local honey for their family and community. Sweet to the Soul harvests honey three times a season, and there’s typically a “bring your own jar” honey sale at the farm a week after the honey harvest. They are incredibly fascinated by the workings of a beehive! Bees are intricate and complex creatures that prove intelligent design is undeniable. Though there are other pollinators, honeybees are the only ones that produce honey and pollen in such abundance that we can collect it for our use and still leave them all they need.
Buy Your Own Sweet to the Soul Honey
Their honey is available locally through their page, at Solenberger’s True Value Hardware, and Shaffer’s BBQ. BYOJ dates are typically the end of May, end of June, and end of August.
🌻AT THE FARM CRAWL🌻
Beekeepers Seth and Annette will share some of their favorite tips for aspiring beekeepers as well as delicious seasonal honey flavors. Be sure to stop by before noon for a delicious honey latte that we’re sure will create a buzz. 🐝

🎟️frederickcountyhomesteaders.com/farmcrawl
📌Check In at Solenberger’s Hardware from 9-10AM with our pal’s from Donut Dive
🎻Music from High Mountain Bluegrass and BBQ from our Pit Master and local Back Creek Supervisor John Jewell during Evening on the Farm from 5-7PM. Dinner tickets required for BBQ!

See you tomorrow! 👋🏻

10/04/2024

✨FARM CRAWL SPOTLIGHT✨
Amelia’s Farmette

Newcomer and passionate regenerative homesteader Amelia of Amelia’s Farmette will be debuting her soy and chemical free chicken options for the Farm Crawl circuit this Saturday Oct 5th. As a family with food sensetivities Amelia’s Farmette is keenly aware of the importance of high quality meat raised without any chemical inputs. Their desire to raise nutrient dense food options for our community means they also uphold regenerative farming practices to nourish and build healthy soil for their flock to roam. In addition to high quality meat Amelia’s also offers pastured chicken and duck eggs for sale.

🌻AT THE CRAWL🌻
You’ll get to meet the animals, visit the farm stand pop up shop, and learn about naturally fertilized soil while also viewing a scything demo!

Don’t forget to get your Farm Crawl Passport stamped as our pal’s from Amelia’s Farmette will be donating a special prize for one lucky winner! 🌟

🎟️frederickcountyhomesteaders.com/farmcrawl
📌Check In at Solenberger’s Hardware from 9-10AM with our pal’s from Donut Dive
🎻Music from High Mountain Bluegrass and BBQ from our Pit Master and local Back Creek Supervisor John Jewell during Evening on the Farm from 5-7PM. Dinner tickets required for BBQ!

See you tomorrow! 👋🏻

10/04/2024

✨FARM CRAWL SPOTLIGHT✨

The Homestead Farm at Fruit Hill Orchard
When great-great-grandfather James Thwaite began growing apples here in the mid 1800’s, perhaps he imagined his family continuing his tradition of farming the land and tending family roots in FredCo. That legacy is just what owners, Katherine Solenberger and her daughter, Emily Warren, preserve at The Homestead Farm at Fruit Hill Orchard. They opened in 2016 to offer healthy, homegrown, and local produce to their neighbors or folks passing through. The farm has been in the Solenberger family for five generations.
Garden produce is grown on the farm without the use of chemicals, and the market store carries a variety of organic and locally sourced meat, wine, cheese, raw honey, tea & coffee, bath & body products, and much more. Baked goods are made daily from scratch, using organic and local ingredients and are free from seed oils and soy.
Locals can enjoy life’s events at The Homestead Market—whether attending a wedding at the historic Wright-Barton Farm or enjoying simple Sunday afternoon at the Sugar Shack Ice Cream parlor. Other offerings, like Bluegrass on the Farm, the Sunflower Festival, and vendor markets help make The Homestead a hub of local activity.
🍎At the Market🍎
Pick up a bundle of seasonal produce and store goods for $29. Bundle items change weekly and vary depending on season. No registration required. Apples, pumpkins, and mums are in and ready to take home!
The Sugar Shack offers soft-serve & hand-dipped ice cream, organic smoothies (no sugar), milkshakes, farm specials, banana splits, floats, and much more!
🌻AT THE CRAWL🌻
Enjoy fresh-baked treats and pick up your seasonal produce—including homegrown apples! Or bring home locally raised meats, crafts, pumpkins, and mums. Visit local vendors, enjoy some local ice cream, and maybe even catch the last sunflowers from their popular Sunflower Festival!

✨Farm Crawler Specials✨
Sunflowers will be available for picking (see the cashier for details), delicious apple samples for tasting, Crawlers will also receive an exclusive discount (25% off) with their wristband for the Sugar Shack!
🎟️ frederickcountyhomesteaders.com/farmcrawl

10/04/2024

✨Farm Crawl Spotlight✨

Russell Ridge Farm Market
For three generations, the Russell family has been farming corn, soybeans, and other crops in the local area. This year, brothers Travis and Brad Russell are excited to add a Fall Fest to their farm, and it’s specifically designed with families and kids in mind! Visitors can explore the 12-acre corn maze, take a hayride, meet the farm animals, and bring home freshly baked seasonal treats. There’s a whole play zone for kids and all sorts of other fall fun at a day on their farm.

And there are new events throughout October, including an Amazing Corn Maze Race and
Paint-a-Pumpkin. The market offers apples, pumpkins, homemade bread and cookies, and
more. Pick up some barbeque or coffee while you’re there. Local vendors and food trucks will
be on hand to make it a fall to remember!

Visit the Fall Fest & Market
The Fall Fest is open every Saturday & Sunday from 10:00 AM-6:00PM from Sept. 14-Nov. 3.
Baked goods and produce are also available in the market.
🌻At the Crawl🌻
Combine your day out on the farm with the Russell Ridge attractions, and it’ll be the perfect FredCo. farm experience! Hayrides, corn mazes, baked goods, farm animals—it’s all there! Don’t forget to show your Farm Crawl bracelet. Adults and children 3 & up are just $5 with our special discount while 2 & under are free. We’ll see you there!

🎟️ Get your farm crawl tickets at frederickcountyhomesteaders.com/farmcrawl
📍Check in at Solenbergers Hardware from 9-10AM
🍽️ Evening on the Farm from 5-7PM (get your BBQ Dinner ticket before they are gone)