Real skills. Real community. Real food.
Step into the rhythm of the homestead and feel the seasons come alive. From spring’s first sprouts to autumn’s golden harvest and winter’s quiet preparation, you’ll raise animals, tend and preserve the gardens, and learn to work with nature at every turn.
Hands-on, immersive, and unforgettable—this is the homestead lifestyle, experienced season by season.
Step onto the homestead and feel the seasons change around you. In spring, seeds sprout beneath your hands, the soil warm and alive. You watch chicks take their first steps, learn their personalities, and care for them as they grow. Summer brings gardens bursting with life—tomatoes ripening in the sun, herbs releasing their scent as you learn when and how to harvest them, and long days filled with tending, watering, and watching everything flourish.
As autumn arrives, the pace shifts. You preserve the harvest, prepare the homestead for colder days, and notice how every action you’ve taken over the months affects the land, the animals, and yourself. Winter teaches patience and reflection, showing you how to plan, prepare, and respect the natural cycles that guide life here.
In the Heritage Club, you’re not just observing—you’re part of it. You raise animals from start to finish, plant and harvest gardens, preserve food, and learn to read the signs of nature. You gain hands-on skills, a deep understanding of seasonal rhythms, and an intimate connection to the land. Over three seasons, you don’t just see the changes—you feel them, learn from them, and live them. This is the homestead lifestyle in its fullest form, experienced up close, season by season.
Homesteading isn’t about perfection — it’s about belonging, learning together, and gaining confidence that you can truly feed and care for your home.
This space is where hands-on experience meets community support, connection, and the rhythms of real homestead life — without overwhelm.
The Heritage Legacy Club is a small, in-person homestead program where we gather once a month to:
🌿 Build foundational and advanced homesteading skills
🍲 Learn by doing, not just watching
🤝 Grow in community with other learners
🌱 Practice at a comfortable pace — grounded, not rushed
Each month includes:
- 3 hours of in-person hands-on learning
- Practical homestead skills you can use right away
- Time for fellowship, questions, and reflection
- Seasonal skill focus tailored to what you need most this month
Members also receive:
✔ One year of access to our membership content (tutorials, seasonal guidance, community support) $240 value
✔ A copy of From Seed to Plate $55 value
✔ Mentorship, materials, and shared snacks at each session Priceless
📍 Held at Laura’s homestead in Vanderbilt, Michigan (2nd Saturday each month — May through October)
Club Only $850, or $142/month for 6 months
Club + All 6 Workshops $1050 $175/month for 6 months
Heritage Legacy is for people committed to slow, steady learning and deep community. It isn’t a one-time workshop — it’s a rhythm of skill, confidence, and connection.
Continue reading more about the Heritage Legacy Club below the New Hands on Signature Skill Classes!
Heritage Club members do not need to register separately for individual classes at this time.
How We Learn
Every gathering includes:
- Hands-on skill building (gardening, preserving, animals, herbs, home skills, etc.)
- Revisiting foundational skills so no one falls behind
- Flexibility — skills may pivot based on seasonal needs or what the group needs most
- Health woven into everything — food, movement, rest, rhythms, and nervous system care
- Time for fellowship and conversation, not rushing from task to task
You’re not just hearing what’s possible.
You’re seeing it in action—the rhythms of a real homestead and real life.
Skills We Explore (and Revisit)
Over the 6 months, we may cover:
- Gardening & seed starting
- Food preservation & fermenting
- Raising animals & daily care rhythms
- Bees & pollinators
- Herbs for home and health
- Homemaking skills & self-sufficiency
- Homeschooling rhythms & family life integration
- In the kitchen skills with baking, cooking and beinre prepared
This is a living curriculum. We adapt based on season, experience level, and what the group truly needs.
Heritage Legacy Club 2026 – Monthly Gatherings (2nd Saturday of each month May thru October.
- Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Dates: May 9, June 13, July 11, August 8, September 12, October 10
- Location: Vanderbilt Michigan
The Heart of the Club
The Heritage Legacy Club is about:
- Connecting to what’s real
- Remembering what’s possible
- Gaining confidence in what you can actually do
- Learning from a proven homesteader in real time, not theory
It’s about building a life of stewardship—of land, home, body, family, and community.
Group Size & Atmosphere
To keep this deeply personal and hands-on, the group is intentionally small:
- Limited to 3–8 people
- Plenty of space for questions, guidance, and connection
- You are seen, known, and supported
This is slow learning, done well.
Heritage Legacy Club 2026 – Monthly Gatherings (2nd Saturday of each month May thru October.
- Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Dates: May 9, June 13, July 11, August 8, September 12, October 10
- Location: Laura’s homestead, Vanderbilt Michigan
Heritage Legacy Club Investment
$850 total for the full 6-month experience
✔ 6 in-person gatherings (3 hours each)
✔ Limited to 3–8 participants
✔ 1 full year of membership access
✔ Copy of Seed to Plate
✔ Materials, snacks, mentorship, and land access
Club Only $850, or $142/month for 6 months
Club + All 6 Workshops $1050 $175/month for 6 months
Because this is a small, in-person experience with limited capacity:
- All sales are final
- No refunds, cancellations, or transfers
- Missed sessions are not refunded
Please enroll only if you are confident you can commit to the full experience.
In addition to the Heritage Legacy Club, we’re now offering stand-alone skill classes designed to be:
✨ Practical
✨ Hands-on
✨ Confidence-building
✨ Perfect complements to your seasonal learning
These take place the same days as Heritage Legacy so you’re already gathering in a familiar space — community, skills, and fellowship together.
New Hands-On Signature Skill Classes
May 9th 1pm – 4pm
Cooking from scratch doesn’t have to mean spending all day in the kitchen or starting over every night.
In this hands-on class, we’ll be working with real food, in real time — cooking, baking, tasting, and building meals the way they actually happen in a lived-in kitchen.
This is about learning how to feed yourself and your people well, week after week, without stress, burnout, or decision fatigue.
What We’ll Be Doing Together
This is not a sit-and-listen class.
You’ll be:
- Cooking and assembling meals together
- Baking simple, dependable staples
- Learning how to reuse leftovers on purpose
- Practicing how to turn one cooking session into several meals
You’ll see how a from-scratch kitchen actually functions — not perfectly, but sustainably.
You’ll Learn:
- How to stock a practical, flexible from-scratch kitchen
- How to build simple meals without rigid recipes
- How to cook once and intentionally stretch it into multiple meals
- How to use leftovers creatively (so they don’t die in the fridge)
- How to create a weekly meal rhythm that works for real life
Students Leave With:
- A clear, realistic kitchen setup guide
- A simple framework for weekly meals
- Confidence to cook without relying on recipes or takeout
- A deeper understanding of how food flows from prep → meal → leftovers
This class is especially helpful if you:
- Feel overwhelmed by meal planning
- Want to cook more from scratch but don’t know how to start
- Are tired of wasting food or reinventing dinner every night
- Want food to feel nourishing instead of stressful
Pricing:
- Heritage Members: $45
- Non-Members: $95
(Guest Instructor- Michelle Miller) June 13th at 1pm – 4pm
Foraging mushrooms is an ancient skill — and one that must be learned carefully.
This class focuses on foundational mushroom knowledge, safety, and discernment. You will not be sent off to forage blindly. Instead, you’ll learn how to observe, identify, and understand mushrooms in a way that builds long-term confidence and respect for the land.
This is an introduction rooted in education, caution, and tradition, taught by an experienced guide.
You’ll Learn:
- Basic mushroom identification principles
- Why tools like Google Lens are not reliable for mushroom ID
- Mushroom seasons and growth cycles
- Common habitats and where mushrooms tend to appear
- How mushrooms have traditionally been used for food and wellness
- Health benefits of mushrooms
- Different ways mushrooms are used and taken (fresh, dried, powdered, teas, tinctures, culinary use)
Important Note:
This class emphasizes safety first. Identification skills take time and practice, and this workshop is designed to give you a strong foundation — not shortcuts.
You’ll Leave With:
- A clearer understanding of mushroom identification basics
- Seasonal awareness of local mushroom growth
- Confidence in what not to do
- Respectful, informed next steps for learning more
- Printed reference materials (if provided by instructor)
This class is educational and observational in nature.
🍄Pricing
- Heritage Legacy Members: $20
- Non-Members: $50
July 11th 1pm – 4pm
Step into the living world of the honeybee at the height of summer.
In July, the hive is active, thriving, and full of life. This immersive workshop goes beyond theory — you’ll suit up and step directly into a working hive to see firsthand how a healthy colony functions.
This is your opportunity to understand bees not just from books, but from experience.
🌼 In This Hands-On Workshop You’ll Learn:
• How a summer hive operates during peak season
• The roles of the queen, workers, and drones
• How to identify brood, honey, pollen, and capped frames
• Essential beekeeping equipment (what’s necessary vs. optional)
• How to safely inspect a hive
• Signs of a healthy vs. struggling colony
• Responsible honey harvesting basics
• What to expect your first year as a beekeeper
🐝 Live Hive Experience
Weather permitting, participants will:
• Suit up in protective gear
• Observe an active hive inspection
• See brood frames and honey stores up close
• Learn how to move calmly and confidently around bees
This portion is guided and supervised.
Who This Workshop Is For:
• Beginners considering starting bees
• Gardeners wanting stronger pollination
• Homesteaders expanding their skills
• Curious learners wanting real, hands-on experience
No prior experience required.
What To Bring:
• Long pants
• Closed-toe shoes (boots recommended)
• Hair tied back
• Notebook
Extra suit will be available
Pricing:
🍄Pricing Non-Members: 75 Heritage Legacy Members: $40
This is a standalone workshop and is not included in Heritage Club membership.
Spots are intentionally limited to allow safe, meaningful instruction.
August 8th 1pm – 4pm
Learn to Grow, Harvest, and Use Herbs with Wisdom and Care
Herbal medicine is one of the oldest forms of home care — but it’s also a skill that must be learned slowly, carefully, and with respect.
This class focuses on the foundations of medicinal herb use: understanding common herbs, how they’re traditionally used, how to grow and harvest them properly, and how to prepare simple herbal remedies safely at home.
This is not about replacing modern medicine or doing everything yourself. It’s about building knowledge, discernment, and confidence in a skill that has supported homes for generations.
What You’ll Learn
- An introduction to common medicinal herbs and their traditional uses
- How to grow medicinal herbs in gardens, beds, or containers
- When and how to harvest herbs for medicinal potency
- Safe methods for drying, storing, and preserving herbs
- The basics of preparing herbal teas, tinctures, oils, and salves
- Understanding gentle herbs vs. stronger plants and when caution is needed
What This Class Is (and Isn’t)
This class is:
- 🌱 Educational and foundational
- 🌱 Rooted in tradition and safety
- 🌱 Designed for home use and everyday wellness
This class is not:
- A certification program
- A replacement for medical care
- A shortcut to advanced herbalism
The goal is respectful learning, not rushing.
Hands-On Experience
- Identifying and handling fresh medicinal herbs
- Harvesting and preparing herbs for drying
- Creating a simple herbal preparation (tea blend, tinctures, oil, or salve) to take home
What You’ll Leave With
- A clear understanding of medicinal herb basics
- Confidence in safe harvesting and preparation
- Knowledge of how herbs have traditionally supported the body
- A small handmade herbal preparation
- Printed reference materials for continued study
Who This Class Is For
- Anyone curious about herbal medicine but unsure where to begin
- Homesteaders and homekeepers wanting gentle, natural options
- People who value slow, intentional skill-building
- Those interested in learning herbs responsibly
No prior experience required.
Pricing
- Heritage Legacy Members: $45
- Non-Members: $95
Heritage members receive priority booking and small-group support.
September 12th 1pm-4pm
Imagine walking into the kitchen with baskets full of fresh produce from your garden or local market. The scent of herbs and ripe vegetables fills the air. You’re ready to preserve your bounty—but instead of feeling overwhelmed, you feel confident, guided, and excited.
In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn practical, safe methods that you’ll actually use—turning your harvest into delicious, shelf-stable meals. We’ll cover the full spectrum: water bath canning, freezing, dehydrating, and storing, so you can choose the right method for every food you have.
What You’ll Experience:
- Step-by-step guidance on water bath canning and freezing basics
- Dehydrating and storing techniques for everything you grow or buy
- How to match the best preservation method to each type of food
- Real-time, hands-on practice with guidance at every step
You’ll Leave With:
- A Preservation Decision Guide to make future preserving easy
- A printed reference workbook you’ll actually use
- Confidence and skills to safely preserve food all year round
This isn’t just a class—it’s an experience. You’ll leave feeling empowered to preserve your harvest, reduce waste, and enjoy the taste of your garden or market bounty all year long.
Pricing:
- Heritage Club Members: $45
- Non-Members: $95
Step into the kitchen, roll up your sleeves, and let’s make your harvest last.
October 10th 1pm-4pm
As the growing season winds down, many people are left wondering how to actually use what they’ve stored.
This workshop is designed to help you take stock of your pantry and turn it into real, nourishing meals for winter — without complicated systems or rigid meal plans.
We’ll focus on building a simple, flexible approach to winter meals using what you already have, so food feels supportive instead of stressful during the colder months.
What This Workshop Is About
This is not about perfect pantries or color-coded spreadsheets.
It’s about:
- Understanding what’s already on your shelves
- Learning how to build meals from stored food
- Creating rhythms that work when energy is lower and days are shorter
This workshop meets you where you are — whether your pantry is full of jars, half-full, or somewhere in between.
What We’ll Work Through Together
- How to assess your pantry honestly (what you have, what you’ll actually use)
- Building winter meals from preserved, frozen, and stored foods
- Creating a realistic winter meal rotation
- How to reduce decision fatigue when cooking during winter
- Filling gaps simply without overbuying or wasting food
We’ll talk through examples and walk step-by-step through how meals come together over a winter week.
You’ll Learn:
- How to turn pantry staples into complete meals
- How to plan winter meals that are flexible, not rigid
- How to work with stored foods instead of fighting them
- How to simplify cooking when time and energy are limited
Students Leave With:
- A clear framework for winter pantry meals
- A simple winter meal rhythm you can reuse each year
- Confidence in using preserved and stored foods
- Less overwhelm and more clarity heading into winter
Who This Workshop Is For
- Anyone feeling unsure how to use what they’ve preserved
- Homesteaders and home cooks planning for winter
- People who want food to feel nourishing, not stressful
- Anyone tired of reinventing dinner all winter long
No gardening experience required.
Pricing:
Heritage Club Members: $44
Non-Members: $95
This class is about using what you’ve already done — the garden you grew, the food you preserved, and the reality of cold, busy days.
What This Class Covers
🥣 Winter Cooking Systems
- Crockpot & slow-cooker meals that work on autopilot
- Soups, stews, and one-pot meals that stretch ingredients
- Cooking once → eating multiple times
🥕 Using Preserved Foods in Real Meals
- How to build meals around frozen, canned, dried, or fermented foods
- When preserved foods shine — and when fresh/bulk pantry items fill the gaps
- Making preserved food feel useful, not precious
🛒 Smart Stocking for Winter
- What to buy in bulk for winter meals
- Which items are worth stocking vs buying as needed
- How to avoid pantry overwhelm
🏠 Pantry & Storage Basics
- Organizing a functional winter pantry (not Pinterest-perfect)
- Storage ideas for cold months: shelves, freezers, root-style storage
- Keeping food visible and usable
🗓️ Gentle Winter Meal Planning
- Simple weekly rhythm (not rigid plans)
- Planning around energy, weather, and leftovers
- Reducing decision fatigue in winter