There are a lot of new residents in Magoffin County that have a goal of homesteading on their new land, who request guidance on how to get started and what the options are for them to grow or raise. A lot of these clients have bought their property sight unseen and the lack of flat land to work with paired with taking on a brand new task can be overwhelming and discouraging. 

We hosted several "beginner" workshops covering a multitude of topics, including maple syrup production, safe cattle handling, beekeeping for beginners, and backyard poultry. 

The target audience was our new homesteader families and farmers, however some seasoned farmers joined us to learn new tips and tricks as well. We had 32 people attend the various workshops, 20 being female, and 4 children.  

Each workshop left participants with knowledge and tools to help get them started on their new journeys. For example, the Maple syrup workshop participants left with a starting kit of hoses and taps to make their very first collection system using a five gallon bucket or water jug, beekeepers left with a hive tool, and the safe cattle handling participants left with a sorting paddle to help them with safely working cattle. They all left feeling more confident in their abilities to properly care for livestock or make the jump to purchase poultry, bees, and cattle, and try to harvest maple syrup in the coming season.