Homesteading Women’s Group
Experience living farm to table in community
Are you already homesteading and looking for your people? Are you new and looking for direction? Either way, this Spangle-based group is for you. Let’s come together each month to cook, bake, craft, learn, and grow – both in homesteading skills and in friendships - working side by side with a small group of women who share the same interests as you.
Join the contact list to be the first to know when registration opens for the 2027 groups.
I’m an Associate Professor of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology by day and a homesteader by night … and early mornings, evenings, weekends, and whenever I can squeeze it into my schedule. I dream of retiring early and living off my land, but until then, I do what I can when I can. The abundance of information available makes it hard to know where to start and what to do in my limited time … until my sister introduced me to Amanda and Sunset Highway Farm. Her Homesteading Women’s Group looked perfect, but I couldn’t make the drive to her farm work, so I chose the “Homemade All Year” online version. Amanda’s video lessons and print coursebook were exactly what I needed to jump-start my homesteading - everything was of professional quality, well-researched, and actually worked unlike a few of my internet finds. (Did you know a whipped mayo-consistency laundry detergent seems fun, but doesn’t actually melt in the washing machine and just smears on your clothes?)
I was finishing my year of online homesteading lessons when Amanda announced that she was expanding her Homesteading Women’s Groups by allowing others to teach her content from their location. As I considered this opportunity, I realized what my homestead is really missing — a community. I basically homestead alone … until now! I am so excited to invite like-minded women into my home each month to do this life together.
How this group started
You do not need to be an experienced homesteader to join. Whether you’ve been doing this for decades or are brand new at it — this group is for you.
We are all about connecting dedicated women who are ready to commit to a full year of learning and sharing together, so real friendships have room to grow.
Common questions and concerns:
Is this group for you?
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Perfect — that is why these classes exist. While some may be familiar, many topics will be new to most of the group.
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Same! I am hosting these classes to help us all build a new community and connections.
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No problem; they aren’t required. Everything taught is something you can do in a small kitchen.
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Members with restrictions are welcome to eat what they can and/or bring some food of their own too. Don’t let this prevent you from participating.
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You’ll get the take-home materials and goodies at the next meeting, plus full access to the online video lesson for anything you missed.
Each group will meet from 11:30-2:30 OR 5:30-8:30 once a month, on the designated days (posted when registration opens).
I can accept up to 10 women in the group. When filled, registration will be closed for the year.
What to expect
Here is how a typical meeting will go:
Dinner: We will start by sharing a meal together. Whenever possible, ingredients will be grown on my farm or locally sourced, and organic. I will share recipes for everything so that you are able to reproduce these meals in your own home. I have different discussion topic for each session to facilitate building community.
Lesson: After eating, we will move on to the homesteading skill portion of the evening. These lessons mostly focus on the practical day to day application of preserving, cooking, baking, fermenting and eating seasonally year round. Specific topics for the year are under “curriculum” below.
Dessert: The lessons should be over around 2:15/8:15 and dessert will be served. You can eat and run if you need to get home, but you are always welcome to stay and continue visiting.
Take home supplies:
At the first meeting, members will receive a course binder. During every class, they will receive all of that month’s lesson notes and dinner recipes. By the end of the year, members will have over 200 pages of information that they can keep referring back to indefinitely. I love my binder and reference it often, and I’m confident that you will too.
At almost every meeting, members will also leave with something they crafted or something that pertains to the lesson learned. Some examples include tallow balm, soap, home canned jam, medicinal herb remedies, etc.
Video lessons:
Amanda has filmed video tutorials for every single lesson taught in the meetings. After each meeting, you will gain access to her corresponding video lessons that you can review at home. Having done the online-only version myself, I can confirm that the videos are exceptional and contain everything you need to reproduce our activities on your own afterward … but without the community. I definitely recommend joining the in-person classes and just referencing the videos as needed.
Join the Contact List
Navigate to the registration page by clicking the “join contact list” button throughout this page. Fill out the form to be notified when registration opens in November.
Complete the Registration Form
When registration opens in November, complete the registration form. I will review the applications promptly and notify you by December if there is a spot for you during your selected time.
Secure Your Spot
Follow the instructions in your acceptance notification email, including setting up your monthly payment plan, to secure your place in the group.
Attend the Meetings
No need to prepare anything. Everything will be ready for you - just show up and have fun!
How to join
The Homesteading Women’s Groups are expanding to become a 3-year program! Apply for your first year now. At the end of the year, you will have the option to apply for Year 2 and then Year 3. Each year's curriculum is designed to be taught in three 3-month long units with a month off in between each unit.
Because members often have a hard time making the meetings in April (Easter/Spring break), August (vacations/school starting) and December (Christmas), the schedule is arranged with those months off. We can still get together, but won’t have Amanda’s lessons/videos. I might make something more formal one day…
The 2027 curriculum is outlined below. Expand each section for more information.
Fun note: All photos on this page are from the director camp I attended in preparation to lead a group. That isn’t my house, but we’ll be doing all those activities this year.
Curriculum
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The most commonly consumed fats in America do more harm than good. This month, members learn about lard and tallow — how to source them, how to render them down, how to make tallow balm, and how to cook with fats in a way that’s both nourishing and delicious.
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Learn how to make natural soap with lard, tallow, clay and natural dyes. You’ll receive (and make) my favorite soap recipes that are loaded with benefits for your skin without any harsh chemicals. In March, members get to apply what they’ve learned in a friendly soap making competition. It is always a favorite!
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In May, members learn how to preserve fruits by water bath canning without sugar or artificial preservatives. In June, they learn how to preserve meats, beans, vegetables and meals by pressure canning. Then in July, members get to practice what they’ve learned with a canning day. We’ll divide into groups and can a variety of recipes. By the end of the unit, all members should be canning confidently!
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Learn to craft all of our most popular immune-boosting remedies that have become member favorites. Over the years, this community has consistently reported dramatic reductions in winter illness duration and frequency after incorporating these traditional remedies into their daily routine.
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Learn how to make your own laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, and other cleaners that actually work. By the end of the meeting, you’ll have all that you need to eliminate a lot of toxins from your home.
YEAR 2 PREVIEW: The currently planned curriculum for 2028 will cover baking with sourdough, using ancient grains, milling grains at home, making homestead crafts, fermenting your harvest, brewing kombucha and water kefir, and making homemade yogurts. Sound fun? Those who complete the 2027 program will get access to early registration for 2028.
YEAR 3: The 2029 curriculum is still being developed, but will be all new homesteading topics.
Payment Details
Cost includes:
A homemade mostly farm-to-table dinner, dessert, and beverage every month.
200+ page full color course binder filled with lesson notes and recipes for everything.
Take-home goodies like natural tallow soap & balm, jam, fire cider, homemade cleaning products, sourdough starter, kombucha starter & SCOBY, etc.
A different hands on lesson each month.
Video lessons so that you can keep referencing & rewatching the lessons; access continues as long as this program continues … hopefully for years.
If you need to miss a class, you will be able to pick up any materials and take-home goodies you missed at the following class. You will also be able to watch the online video lessons at home.
I have a subscription payment method for group members that automatically charges a credit or debit card on the same date each month. The cost per meeting is $180 + tax for 9 meetings. This needs to be paid in 12 monthly payments of $135 + tax, so the total will be $1620 + tax.
Please note: If you miss a payment and are unwilling to work with me on catching up, you will need to stop attending the meetings and you will no longer have access to the video lessons. With all that being said, I understand that life happens. If you’re in a tough spot, just let me know and we can work out a plan.
In appreciation of our law enforcement, firefighter, and military heroes, I offer a 20% discount for all women who are active duty or retired (and spouses). Thank you for your service and sacrifice!
Before you apply, a few things to know...
I am a Christian and my beliefs will be mentioned because they are the core of everything I do. You do not have to be a Christian to join, but you do need to be okay with the fact that I am and that I talk about it.
I pray over meals, including at our group meetings.
I believe that whether to mask or not to mask is a personal freedom that every individual has the right to choose. If you feel masking is necessary, I will honor that choice and I expect that you will honor my choice not to.
I am a Registered Dietitian and a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. However, I am not facilitating these classes as a healthcare professional. Topics of nutrition, exercise, and health will come up in our sessions, but any suggestions will be thoughts from my homesteading perspective, and not to be taken as medical advice.
Storms, sickness, and unforeseen circumstances happen, though rarely and hopefully not on class days. If they do, I will do my best to reschedule, reimburse, etc. to make it work for everyone.
Country life disclaimers…
I live at the end of a private road off a gravel road. The gravel road is always passable, but gets washboards when it is dry and potholes when it is wet. It is a school bus route, so it gets plowed early. My private road is maintained by neighbors who are usually quick to plow snow … but if they don’t, and it snows a lot on a class day, we might need to reschedule.
You’ll park alongside the private road in front of my house. I haven’t graveled there yet, but it is mowed and hard-packed, so it works fine for parking … except for the two days a year it floods … hopefully not on class days :)
If you have any questions that I haven’t addressed yet, please feel free to contact me at the email below.
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