A new kind of homesteading festival is taking root in the region. Farmstead Fest 2025, a three-day outdoor gathering at Moonrise Farmstead in Aylett, debuts this weekend with a blend of live music, practical workshops, artisan vendors, and farm-fresh food—designed for those passionate about growing their own food, raising animals, and reclaiming traditional skills.

“No one has ever done this before,” said Natalie Green, one of the organizers. “There are a lot of homesteading and agriculture conferences, but not like this.”

Homesteading is a lifestyle focused on self-sufficiency through growing food, raising animals and practicing traditional skills. The festival highlights the growing interest in self-sufficiency and rural skills while offering a space for education and connection. Workshop topics range from hog raising and goat hoof-trimming to urban gardening, homeschooling, health and wellness.

For organizers, it’s more than a weekend of learning — it’s a platform for community-building and celebration. Green co-founded the event with Meg Oberhand and Eryn Alloway after the three met at various homesteading events and realized they shared a vision: an outdoor, hands-on conference set in an actual farming environment.

That vision is now coming to life at Oberhand’s own farm.

“A lot of the conferences are in the winter,” Green said. “Also, you don’t see yourself represented in these environments, but Farmstead Fest will have a lot of diversity.”

Although the broader homesteading movement has been gaining momentum, Black homesteaders often face additional barriers. Limited access to land due to the persistent Black homeownership gap has hindered wider participation, even as the desire for food sovereignty and self-reliance remains strong. There’s also a deeper historical and cultural connection for many.

Green and her husband embarked on their homesteading journey six years ago when they purchased their first farm. Their success and confidence in managing their one-acre farm led them to acquire 60 acres in Varina last year, which they named Feral Ridge Ranch.

She organizes workshops there, such as animal husbandry and soap-making, to help other homesteaders in their quest for sustainability.

While Green admits it took her a while to accept the homesteader label, she loves the lifestyle and the community-building homesteading offers. She’s focusing on hunting now, and she’s content getting back to the simplest things.

“We have 15 chicks and two pigs to clear the land. “We want to have cows, ducks and turkeys soon,” she said.

Farmstead Fest 2025 is Friday through Sunday, May 24 to 26, at Moonrise Farmstead, 6111 Liberty Hall Road in Aylett. Programming runs daily, with on-site camping options. Tickets start at $25. For more information, visit farmsteadfest.com.