I’m Alan Dewsnup, a 5th generation descendant from the original Pioneers of Deseret Utah, the first settlement in western Millard County. Deseret has always been tied to agriculture as am I to this date. I am a 1972 graduate of Delta High School where during my Senior year I served as President of the Delta Chapter of the FFA.  

After High School and a two year break for Mission work, I attended Southern Utah University then BYU heading towards a degree in Agricultural Economics. After some additional life experience I finished my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, which I used professionally.

I have always been involved with learning and improving my Agricultural practices whether on the farm, in the yard or garden, but also in my orchard. I have learned, first hand what works and what doesn’t work in our local weather and soil conditions.   It is very rewarding to grow quality produce or farm products and realize that I am not only feeding my family but contribute to the well being of others.

Email: alsfarms@hotmail.com

A lover of nature and its bounty.

I am originally from Caracas, Venezuela, where I have been trained as a translator and interpreter in Modern Languages.

I’ve spent the majority of my life in Curaçao, where I developed an interest in plants and began growing fruits and vegetables for my own consumption in 2014—following the phases of the moon—thereby achieving excellent results when combined with sound cultivation practices.

Now in Utah, I’m enthusiastically learning about the local vegetation.

Bobbi has been fascinated with first aid since the age of 12. She has raised four children and managed the complicated medical care of her mother-in-law for 11 years. She has trained in person with The Patriot Nurse and online with PESI and Healthy Preparedness.

email:  pinkbikemama@gmail.com

Cheryl has been homeschooling for two-full years. Cheryl has been a Sunday school teacher, working with young women and doing book presentations.

Email:  shadow.olson@icloud.com

Cindy Richards has several years of experience with horticulture and 7 years of commercial greenhouses. She has taught many classes regarding the many aspects of Gardening.

Email:  cindy.richintl@gmail.com

Coming soon…

• How to grow food as if your life depends on it:  (Keynote Address) Follow these simple six secrets to successful gardening and you will have consistent, plentiful yields every year!
• The fundamentals of emergency communications that really work:  Learn how to contact loved ones, when it really matters, when cell towers and the grid are down.
• Home security:  How to keep your family and property safe from intrusion.  Your home is your castle.  Is it protected like a castle?  These 5 simple steps will ensure it is.

Website: LDSPrepper.com

Hello! I am Ellen Pecchia. I have been homeschooling my seven children for 15 years. I’m so excited to share with you some tips, advice, and ideas to help you launch into the homeschool journey. Once you have decided to homeschool…. What’s next? Let’s fill in those blanks and create a custom plan for your family’s needs. Can’t wait to meet you at this year’s event! Ellen

Ellen’s founding principle is that all things are possible through Christ. She has a variety of experiences serving others: 4-H, Rotary Club, AmeriCorps VISTA, ESL certification, Life Leadership, Emmett Valley Friendship Coalition, community gardens, food pantries, and soup kitchens. She has been speaking and teaching with these organizations and people (from ages 0 to adult) for 35 years.

email:  ellenpecchia@gmail.com

Eric is an experienced builder, dirt worker, and family man. He loves projects. Two of his favorite projects are growing in a geothermal greenhouse and raising worms to help the soil! He is a continual learner!

I’m Eric Eades, and I have been a licensed amateur radio operator for 18 years, call sign KE7VNG. I have participated in the Salt Lake County ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) and Utah RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services). Most recently I was both Ward and Stake Emergency Preparedness Coordinator in Spanish Fork. My background is in computers and electronics. I am married to Shelly, and we have 4 girls, 3 of whom are out here at the Ranch with us. We have been shareholders of the Utah OSR Land Co-op since late 2019, but moved out to the Ranch full time at the end of April.

Email:  ke7vng@gmail.com
KE7VNG

Greg Hall, founder and owner of Khorasan Mills has researched and taught about ancient grains, breads and sourdough for the past 15 years. Sourdough may be the rave, but ancient grains like Khorasan, einkorn, emmer and spelt all help with better nutrition, each having more easily digestible gluten. Those who may be gluten intolerant or show allergies to gluten can almost always consume these ancient grains without negative affects.

Come learn about breads and ancient grains, how these grains are healthy and clean, and better for your overall health.

Email: khorasanmills@gmail.com
Website: www.khorasanmills.com

Jenny has been involved in food preservation for over 30 years. She learned it from her mom when she was growing up. She has done water bath canning and pressure canning, which are what she has the most experience in. She has also done freeze-drying and has owned two freeze dryers that she had running back-to-back for a couple of years. She first got the freeze dryer for all her chicken eggs but then fell in love with all the things you can do with it, some of her favorites being sour cream, yogurt, grated cheese, cooked beans, and sandwich meat slices. She has done dehydrating, which she cut back on when she got her freeze dryers. However, dried apples with cinnamon are still one of her favorites to dry. She still prefers to do a few things, like greens and herbs, in a dehydrator.

Email:  jenny@tandura.com

Marketing Director for the Operation Self-Reliance initiative

Jesse is a 7th-generation Texan who married an Arizonan! He’s a long-term gardener and business owner and now a homesteader and staff writer for the Academy of Self-Reliance. He’s the author of the books, “Your Matrix Exit Plan” and “Champions For Zion: Remarkable Teachings on Building Zion by Early LDS Leaders”. He enjoys gardening, launching private schools and now off-grid, self-reliance communities. He serves on the founding board for the Arizona OSR Land Co-op. Happily married father of 5 and “Grandpa” to 5 more.

Email:  jesse@AcademyOSR.com

I have lived off-grid full-time for 4 years come June. I have learned a great deal about producing power for our needs and wants. My background is in construction and electronics.

I have been dabbling in different homesteading principles much of my life. I love having an official homestead and am working to incorporate all the different skills that I have learned and actively seeking opportunities to implement more.

Email:  bigadventurecc@aol.com

My kids would say I like helping people, that I work with remote control submarines with lots of different types of power, and say a few too many dad jokes.  My wife might say I overthink solutions and over complicate the process, but get there eventually.  

I would say that all the shock therapy I have experienced over the 30+ years has given me a good foundation of what can and shouldn’t be done when working with electrical systems.  And a few more energy related dad jokes to drive my kids crazy.  And maybe a specialized t-shirt or two.

Discover the Art of Food Preserving

Join us for an engaging exploration into the world of food preservation. Learn various methods to extend the shelf life of your produce and enjoy seasonal flavors year-round.

• Our presentation covers:
• Water Bath Canning: Perfect for preserving high-acid foods like fruits and pickles.
• Pressure Cooker Canning: Essential for low-acid foods such as vegetables and meats.
• Dehydrating: A simple way to remove moisture and store foods compactly.
• Freeze Drying: Retain the nutritional value and flavor of foods for long-term storage.
• Salting & Smoking: Traditional techniques to enhance flavors and preserve meats.
• Fermentation: Food fermentation is the process of creating food or changing the properties of food using microbes. Many cultures ferment food to preserve them.

We will discuss the pros and cons of each method and provide basic instructions to encourage you to experiment with different forms of food preservation. Whether you’re a novice or looking to refine your skills, this session will offer valuable insights and inspiration. Dust off those old talents or learn something entirely new to keep your pantry stocked with homemade goodness.

Join us to unlock the secrets of food preservation and take your homesteading skills to the next level!

Larry and his wife Jenny have been working on preparedness since they were married over 40 years ago. Their goal has been to have enough food and preps for them and their 5 children and now for their additional 10 grand children to survive for two years. They have food, clothing, emergency solar power, clothing, etc. to survive. They even put in a pool for their water storage along with a water purification system that could provide for their water needs for several months. But what if there is some calamity that lasted for more than two years?

Now Larry and Jenny live in the Utah OSR Land Cooperative community where they live on a self-reliant, off grid homestead. Instead of just two years of preps, they have a perpetual source of food, water and power.

Leon is the fourth of six siblings and was raised in Utah, where he began learning construction early from his father, a builder of houses, churches, and schools. His father often took his sons to work with him when they were not in school. He first gave them tasks such as sweeping and clean-up, then taught them carpentry, concrete forming and finishing, roofing, and other skills.

In his youth, Leon learned music, including piano and guitar, and enjoyed sports. He played Little League baseball like many boys, loved basketball and tennis, and participated in scouting. He was careful not to let “all the fun stuff” interfere with his goal of excelling academically. He finished high school a year early and won a General Construction scholarship to Utah Technical College at Provo (UTC later moved to Orem and is now UVU).

At Utah Tech, instructors noted that Leon already had basic building experience and named him crew chief, even though he was the youngest member of his team for a project building a custom home from start to finish during his second year of study. After graduating in May, he left immediately on a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in the Chile Santiago North Mission. The mission president took advantage of Leon’s construction experience by having him repair and shore up the dangerously sagging terracotta roof of an older rental house where members of the town of Melipilla met for worship.

After his mission, Leon married Becky Francom and soon formed Leon-Lewis Construction as a self-employed partnership, building houses. For his own family, he has built and lived in three ICF-structured homes, a couple of modular homes, and the typical stick-built type. When the economic recession slowed residential construction in 1980, his skills, including Spanish proficiency, led to an invitation to work for the Church while living in Guatemala, then Panama, the Dominican Republic, and eventually eight different countries as the Church proceeded with building rural chapels “by the dozens.”

In both Central and South America, he oversaw various types of projects while traveling from home-based offices into ten other adjoining countries, applying a variety of localized construction methods and often innovating to use only locally available materials. In time, directors at Church headquarters asked, “Would you like to have a temple project?” Leon’s response was a resounding “Yes.” By the time he retired in 2018, he had been privileged to manage a dozen such projects in locations throughout both Latin America and the USA.

Email: rowleylkr@gmail.com

Mariam Herrmann is an Educational Therapist holding a Masters from North Western University that provides diagnostic and redemedation services for those with learning and processing disorders. She also is a certified Master Gardiner. 

Mark Herrmann is a biologist and a self taught bio-engineer who has developed instrumentation for molecular diagnostics. They have 3 children and 2 grandchildren, a super cute assusie doodle and have enjoyed gardening. 

Hello, I’m Michelle Roberts, the owner of Roberts Ranch and Gardens, also known as Roberts Ranch Hoophouses (rrhoophouses.com). For over 15 years, we have specialized in building greenhouses (hoophouses, high tunnels) and assembling DIY Greenhouse Kits. We are one of the few USDA/NRCS approved providers of greenhouses and DIY kits in the West. Recently, we have expanded to 30’W Gothic Style Hightunnels, incorporated steel endwalls, and developed an 8’x10’ DIY Kit for the backyard gardener with very limited space.

With over 30 years of experience as a master gardener, I’ve worked with both traditional growing techniques and more sustainable, natural methods.

I have shared gardening techniques and information with gardeners at all levels—from beginners to seasoned growers, introducing them to the basics of how to successfully grow year-round in a Hoophouse. In our demonstration gardens, we run a vegetable co-op and have grown and harvested year round in our 24’x88’ hoophouse for 10 years.

While I’m trained in traditional gardening methods, I transitioned to organic, sustainable practices 25 years ago. Now, my focus is on working in harmony with nature by promoting healthy soils teaming with microbes, earthworms, and beneficial insects.

Because there is so much to know about success as a gardener, along with understanding how to grow “year round”, and the many different philosophies that abound, I have also created a guide for a more in depth understanding of gardening tips and techniques. This will soon be available on our website and is a free downloadable for those who buy our products. That document goes into more depth, shares proven techniques, recommends soil amendments, and connects you with trusted companies that offer excellent products to support your journey.

Our structures are designed and built by growers for growers. Through the years we have made improvements based on our own experiences in our gardens. While we want to sell our structures to growers in an effort to extend their season, protect crops, and have more control over nature, our biggest goal has always been to help promote food sustainable for all people.

Email: info@rrhoophouses.com

Michael obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design at BYU. The classes required for this degree provided him with valuable problem solving skills. Coralee obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Education at BYU. Coralee was a vocalist with the BYU Young Ambassadors. And, yes, we met and were married while attending the “Y”.

Neither Mike or Coralee have special certifications in horticulture/gardening. But, we do have degrees in the “gardening school of hard knocks”….38 years of hands-on experience.

Coralee’s four children and nine grandchildren know that if she is missing, she’s on the hillside gardening.

Thirty-eight years ago, when we bought our 1/2 acre on the east bench in Centerville, our hillside was scrub oak, wild almond trees and various natural grasses. It now consists of multiple terraced levels with 15 fruit trees, grape vineyards, berries, lilies, daisies and various ground cover plants. We have completed lots of gardening research online. But, we have discovered what works best for us is trial and error. Honestly, the best advice I can give you is “Just Do It”. Get basic information, then go plant and don’t be afraid of failure. Failure will happen, but successes will also.

We use cuttings propagation to grow additional grapes, berries, lavender and lilacs. We use our 10’x20’ polycarbonate greenhouse to protect our cuttings in a stable, warm, humid environment until their root systems are well established. Once the plants are thriving, we market/sell them.

Email: mike.carroll@sbdinc.com & carrollcoralee5@gmail.com

Mike Vezzani has had a lifelong relationship with plants, gardening, and soil. In his younger years his dad would wake him up early on weekends to assist him in the garden. After leaving home, Mike sought out opportunities to work on farms to gain first hand experience from professionals and enthusiasts alike. In October of 2020, Mike, his wife, and their 4 children took on the challenge of a lifetime; establish a thriving homestead in the desert of Utah. His life has been substantially influenced by the writings of Wendell Berry and what he learned at the Permaculture Certification Course he and his wife attended back in the summer of 2019.

Founder of the OSR Initiative and the Utah OSR Land Cooperative. Currently CEO of OSR Green,LLC and the Arizona OSR Land Co-op known as Coslor Cove, a 2nd off-grid agricultural land co-op. In addition a board member of the Academy of Self-Reliance. Currently resides on his 2 acre off-grid homestead at Riverbed Ranch.

Robin has been homesteading since around 2010 and started making soap when she found out the body washes and bar “soaps”  we are being sold and using are NOT really soap; they are detergents and they are much too harsh and full of chemicals that are harmful.
Since then she had a bath and body business and has continued to refine soap recipes to make healthier choices for her family.

Email:  robincoltharp@yahoo.com

Sarah Vezzani has lived at the Riverbed Ranch for almost 4 years, practicing what she teaches. Her education includes a B.S. Chemical Engineer, Permaculture Design Certificate, Master of Herbology from Dr. Christopher’;s School of Natural Healing. In addition to her busy schedule, she is a Mother of 4 children. Want to get a sneak peek of Sarah? Watch her YouTube video at: https://youtu.be/SMF0bJmrQfk.

Business: Vezzani Agricultural Ventures, LLC, DBA Herbal Embrace
Email:  loftium4@gmail.com
Website:  herbalembrace.com
Instagram: @herbpoweredpregnancy and @aplacetocometofarmstead

Silverback Custom is a US Army veteran owned and operated company.  The owner Spencer Heiner has 20+ years of experience delivering quality custom/artistic woodworking products all over the USA.  He has been blacksmithing, primarily forging Knives for 7 years.  See Instagram @spencerheiner for many examples of his work.

Come to Spencer’s booth where he will be giving mini-presentations with Q&A to learn more about knife making.

Instagram: instagram.com/spencerheiner

1. The Fifteen Most Important Herbs in my Herb Garden and Why:  Learn how to know which herbs you should grow in your garden by following these simple but important steps.
2. The Twenty Essential Herbs for Pain Relief:  Relieving pain is simple and straightforward if you understand how herbs work on the body. Wrong herb, no relief. Right herb big relief!
3. The Three Secrets to Choosing the Best Herbal Remedy:  Learn why some herbs work on some people and not others and which ones will work with your body.

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Sue Gillmore, aka The Back Yard Herbalist, is a Certified Nutritional Herbalist, Master Herbalist, and the author of five Herbal Resource Manuals, which are available at LDSPrepperStore.com. She is also a Master Gardener and Master Mittleider Gardener.

After moving from Texas to Shelley, Idaho, in 2014, she discovered there is a treasure trove of medicinal weeds and plants in Southeastern Idaho, as well as all along the Arizona-Utah-Idaho corridor. So, she began a quest to identify what grows locally and to learn how to cultivate and use these plants to support health and wellness, as well as help the body heal itself.

She has taught a variety of herbal classes and remedy-making workshops and conducts monthly plant walks during the growing season. She enjoys helping others learn to identify and use local herbs and hopes doing so will create a network of Back Yard Herbalists who share their herbal knowledge, experience, plants, and remedies to help others become more self-sufficient and enjoy a better quality of life.

She and her husband live in Shelley, Idaho, where they live off-grid on their 2.3-acre property along with their chickens, quail, dog, and cat. Sue has an extensive herb garden, and David grows food year-round in his two geothermal greenhouses.

They have four children and six grandchildren.

Website:  LDSPrepper.com

We both started in our youth, at about age 10, to garden and take care of animals. We have a large family and were able to supplement our food needs by growing, storing, and preserving large quantities of home-grown food. We also have had a 400-tree organic Granny Smith orchard, a 400-tree kumquat orchard, a 120-tree sweet cherry orchard, a 50-tree apple orchard, and a 50-tree permaculture orchard. Additionally, we have had the following trees: apples, apricots, plums, all kinds of citrus trees, peaches, pears, almonds, avocados, and more plums.

We have also bred dogs and are now raising chickens, turkeys, pigs, and goats for meat and milk. We have been living a self-reliant lifestyle for over 50 years. We have been stake emergency preparedness specialists and served as missionaries for 24 months in the Africa Southeast Area as employment and welfare missionaries, and we also had the opportunity to teach members how to become more self-reliant.

Email:  osrhomesteadingfestival@gmail.com