In June 2023, I had the opportunity to meet Joel Salatin. At the time, I had no idea that a few years later the National Ladies Homestead Gathering would be preparing to bring women and homesteaders from across the country together at Polyface Farm. Looking back now, it feels like the beginning of something I never could have imagined at the time.

That something will come to life May 21–22, 2027, when NLHG gathers at Polyface Farm in Virginia for two full days of learning, community, and connection.

The NLHG Executive Team and Board of Directors began working behind the scenes on this event in 2025. Since then, we have spent countless hours working through schedules, ideas, emails, phone calls, pricing, and all the little details that go into planning a National Gathering. Every decision was made with our attendees in mind.

We've worked hard to make the Gathering as affordable as possible while still creating a weekend that feels meaningful from beginning to end. Our goal was never to create an event where women simply sit through a few presentations and head home. We want this to be an experience that gives everyone the opportunity to visit Polyface Farm, learn something useful, meet people who share similar interests, and return home with new ideas for their own home, community, or homestead.

Most of all, we want every attendee to feel like she was part of something special.

Friday, May 21, will be a day created especially for women, with practical presentations covering many different areas of modern homesteading. Topics will include food storage, local food systems, permaculture, homestead businesses, off-grid living, and finding ways to homestead wherever you are.

Dr. Temple Grandin will also join us Friday for Dr. Temple Grandin: Her Story & Your Questions, allowing attendees to hear directly from her and take part in an audience question-and-answer session. There will also be hands-on community stations and plenty of opportunities to meet women from other NLHG Chapters and communities around the country.

Saturday, May 22, will be open to all adults and will focus on experiencing Polyface Farm. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the farming practices that have made Polyface known around the world, participate in farm-based learning opportunities, and hear more from Dr. Temple Grandin.

Each day will offer something different, which is why NLHG has chosen to describe this event as: One Gathering. Two Experiences.

What makes NLHG special is that our mission is not limited to teaching homesteading skills. Our mission is to: Share Knowledge. Build Community. Grow Friendships.

This Gathering allows us to put each part of that mission into action. Knowledge will be shared through presentations, workshops, conversations, and experiences at Polyface Farm. Community will be built by bringing together people from across the nation who may have different homes, backgrounds, and levels of experience but still have so much in common. Friendships will grow as women sit together, eat together, learn together, and finally meet people they may have only known from a distance.

Whether you live on a large farm, a few acres, a suburban lot, or in the middle of town, there's a place for you at this Gathering.

It's a little surreal to look at that photo from June 2023 and know that NLHG is now preparing to welcome VIPs and guests to Polyface Farm. By the time we gather in May 2027, we will have spent nearly two years planning this weekend.

We cannot wait to see everyone arrive, watch friendships form across Chapter and state lines, and finally experience the weekend we've spent so much time planning.

Join us for Two Days of NLHG at Polyface Farm. This is more than a trip to a farm. It is a chance to experience the NLHG mission in a real way and be part of a weekend we hope everyone will remember for years to come.