The Ozarks Homesteading Expo will return to Marshfield Sept. 4-5, bringing together homesteaders, farmers, gardeners, families and others interested in becoming more self-reliant.
The two-day event will feature hands-on education, demonstrations, speakers and vendors, along with plenty of opportunities for people to share ideas and learn practical skills.
Founded in 2019 by Cheryl Franklin, the Ozarks Homesteading Expo was created to bring together people who want to learn new skills, connect with others and become more capable of providing for themselves and their families.
What began as an experiment has grown into one of the region’s largest gatherings focused on homesteading and self-sufficiency.
“This has always been a labor of love,” Franklin said. “We want people to come to the Expo and learn something they can take home and actually use. But just as importantly, we want them to find community.”
Franklin said there is something special about bringing together people who want to grow their own food, raise animals, preserve what they grow and learn traditional skills.
The 2026 Expo will feature more than 120 homesteading-themed vendors. Educational sessions will cover gardening, livestock, food preservation, food freedom, off-grid living, foraging, mushrooms, homesteading skills, and hog and poultry processing.
Attendees will also have opportunities to watch demonstrations and learn from experienced homesteaders, farmers, authors and educators.
The speaker lineup will include nationally recognized voices as well as experienced people from the Ozarks and surrounding region. Organizers say the goal is to give visitors practical information from people who have spent years putting these skills to work.
The Expo has also become a meeting place for a growing community interested in food independence, gardening, livestock, preservation, traditional skills and rural living.
And homesteading doesn't necessarily mean owning a large farm.
For some people, it means acreage and livestock. For others, it might be growing a backyard garden, learning to can food, raising a few chickens, installing an off-grid water system or simply becoming better prepared and more self-sufficient.
Franklin said that variety is part of what makes the event special.
“You don't have to have 40 acres to be a homesteader,” she said. “You don't even have to call yourself a homesteader. If you want to learn how to grow something, preserve something, make something or provide something for your family, there is something here for you.”
Because the Expo falls on Labor Day weekend, organizers are encouraging visitors from outside the area to make a weekend of the trip and spend some time exploring the Ozarks.
And before heading home, Franklin is inviting visitors to stay for church.
An old-fashioned tent church service will be held at 9 a.m. Sunday at the fairgrounds.
The Ozarks Homesteading Expo will be held Friday, Sept. 4, and Saturday, Sept. 5, at the Webster County Fairgrounds in Marshfield. Gates open at 7 a.m., with educational sessions beginning at 8 a.m.
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