There are some places you read about for years, study from afar, and hope that someday you’ll have the opportunity to experience it for yourself. For my husband and me, Polyface Farm was one of those places.

When we lived and traveled full-time in our RV, we spent more than a year doing a deep dive into homesteading and permaculture. We read books, studied different methods, and became especially familiar with Joel Salatin and the regenerative farming practices he put into action at Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia.

So when our travels took us toward the Blue Ridge Mountains to enjoy the fall colors, we strategically planned our route so we could spend some time in the area and finally visit Polyface.

It was an early October morning when we pulled into the farm with our Boxer along for the adventure. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and the farm was remarkably quiet. Most everyone was attending a national homesteading conference nearby, which made it feel as though we had arrived on this beautiful piece of Virginia farmland at exactly the right moment.

Almost immediately, we spotted Joel filming with fellow homesteader Justin Rhodes. Nearby, the Polyface staff was busy processing meat birds while cattle grazed peacefully on the lush green grass.

And then we began to walk.

One of the things that makes Polyface so unique is its openness. This is a working farm, and nothing is hidden away from visitors. You are invited to walk around, observe, and see for yourself how the farm operates.

For me, seeing Joel’s methods actually working was the part I will never forget.

We had read about rotational grazing, soil health, permaculture, and working with nature rather than against it. We understood the principles on paper. But standing there and looking across those rolling hills was something entirely different.

Chicken tractors dotted the landscape. Beehives sat among fields covered in fresh, dew-covered grass. Cattle grazed on pasture that was so green, healthy, and prolific that I remember being struck by just how alive everything looked.

It was one of the healthiest fields I had ever seen.

Here, right in front of us, was the evidence that these practices work. The ideas we had spent so much time learning about weren't theories in a book anymore. We were standing in the middle of them.

As we continued exploring, there was even more to see. A high tunnel housed chickens and rabbits living harmoniously in a remarkably clean environment managed with the deep-litter method. The on-site farm store was stocked with books and apparel along with fresh eggs, chicken, and beef produced right there on the farm.

Everywhere we looked, there was another opportunity to connect something we had learned with what it looked like in real life.

That is why I’m so excited that the next NLHG National Gathering will give women in our community the opportunity to experience Polyface Farm for themselves.

For two days, women from across our community will gather at this remarkable farm to learn, connect, and be inspired. The National Gathering will include educational talks, experienced speakers—including Dr. Temple Grandin—and plenty of opportunities to spend time with other women who share an interest in homesteading and a desire to keep learning.

A lot will happen over those two days, but I hope you’ll also take time to really experience the place itself.

Walk the farm. Look across those pastures. Pay attention to the soil, the grass, the animals, and the way everything works together. See firsthand the regenerative farming practices many of us have read about, watched, and tried to incorporate in our own way at home.

My husband and I visited Polyface because we had spent so much time learning about Joel Salatin’s methods and wanted to see them for ourselves. Years later, I can still picture that crisp October morning, the dew on the grass, the animals moving across the land, and those incredibly green Virginia hills.

There is something different about seeing it with your own eyes.

And there is something even more special about getting to experience a place like this alongside women who understand why it matters to you.

Share Knowledge. Build Community. Grow Friendships.

Next May, you won’t simply be reading about Polyface Farm or watching someone else walk those fields. You’ll have the opportunity to walk them yourself—and do it as part of two days filled with learning, community, and new friendships.

If Polyface Farm has ever been on your list of places you’d love to visit, this is your opportunity to experience it for yourself.