Arkansas Urban Homesteading Conference

St. Joseph Center of Arkansas' tag line says it all..."Farm life. City living." Located in the heart of North Little Rock, this historic property is the perfect site for the first Arkansas Urban Homesteading Conference.

On Saturday, November 4, the Arkansas Homesteading Conference will host a day long event featuring speakers and hands-on demonstrations of subjects related to practicing homesteading skills in an urban or suburban setting. Britt Talent, organizer of the Arkansas Homesteading Conference says that, “While many of the topics will be tailored for small-scale practices, just about any of these ideas can be implemented on a larger scale for those living out in the country.”

St. Joseph Center, at 6800 Camp Robinson Road in North Little Rock is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and 100% volunteer based. The 56,000 sq. ft. building was designed by Charles Thompson and completed in 1910 to serve as an orphanage which it did until the 1970's. This beautiful structure sits on 63 acres of land that has been farmed for more than a century. St. Joseph Center is on the National Register of Historic Places and is recognized as an Arkansas Century Farm.

Conference topics include everything from beekeeping to backyard poultry and raised bed gardens to high-tunnel greenhouses. Sessions will be scheduled throughout the day! A full list of presentation topics is included on this registration form so that participants can list their preference.

The St. Joseph Farm Stand will be open throughout the day offering fresh bakery items for breakfast along with locally grown produce and artisan products. Other highlights include a hot homemade lunch served in the old dining hall, hayride tours of the property, and a variety of vendor booths. [Note: Vendors interested in having a booth click here.]

“This is an ideal setting for a homesteading conference because the folks at St. Joseph have already implemented a lot of the hot homesteading practices into the development of their grounds,” Talent said.

So...come to the city and spend a day in the country! Stroll through the gardens, hang out with the chickens, ducks, bees, cows, and learn how to create your own Urban Homestead.

For more information go to www.arkansashomesteader.com or www.stjosephcenter.org.