Our Speakers

Founder

Shelby Frazier is a regenerative homesteader and Hoof Care Professional dedicated to self-sufficiency and traditional skills. She and her husband, Evan Frazier, run Wisteria Springs Farm in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where they embrace sustainable farming and species appropriate animal care.

Shelby’s love for homesteading began in childhood—at just 10 years old, she was begging her parents to let her tan a deer hide! Her passion for learning has only grown since, leading her to study with experts like Joel Salatin, the Doughertys, Billy Bond of Perma Pastures Farm, John Kempf, Ida Hammer, Justin Rhodes, and many more through both in-person mentorships and online webinars.

An avid learner and teacher, Shelby enjoys sharing the joys of self-sufficiency, whether through hands-on workshops, speaking events, or the occasional magazine article. She is also deeply committed to reviving old-fashioned community values, fostering connections through shared knowledge and traditional skills.

When she isn’t baking, canning, gardening, or trimming hooves, you can find her trail riding her horses or lost in a good book.

Water Management on the Homestead

Austin Cox is a 33 year old former professional baseball player and instructor who graduated from Francis Marion University with a degree in science.

Like many others, Austin and his wife found themselves trying to get out of the big city in 2020. They bought a house in a small subdivision and said goodbye to the apartment life, hopefully forever. Since then, Austin has been furiously studying homesteading, composting, permaculture, and soil science. Learning from some of the best published minds of our time, Austin credits the majority of his knowledge to teachers such as: Joel Salatin, Jack Spirko, Billy and William Bond, Stephan Sobkowiak, Tj Morris, Dr. Elaine Ingham, and Shawn and Beth Dougherty. With nearly 4 years of experience "homesteading" on a ¼ acre lot, Austin has narrowed down the basics and designed a system that works for his property and busy schedule. He hopes to move his family to a larger piece of land one day and scale up his operation to fit the needs of his growing family.

You can find Austin on his Facebook and Instagram under “Set Apart Home Services, LLC.”

Medicinal Uses for Culinary Herbs

Jessica Evans is a Christian, wife, mother, grandmother, goat mama and owner of Eat the Leaf. Most days you can find her in the greenhouse hanging out with the herbs and heirloom veggies she grows or in the kitchen whipping up a salve. She loves to learn and share that knowledge with those she is blessed to cross paths with.

Eat the Leaf offers local, fresh culinary herbs, hand-crafted herbal products, and an assortment of plants including culinary and medicinal herbs and heirloom vegetables. The herbs they use in their products are grown and harvested by them, on their farm. All of their herbal products are made in small batches, which allows them to provide the freshest product possible.

The greenhouse allows Jessica to know her plants from seed to harvest and offer others a large selection of herbs for their garden.  Eat the Leaf has a monthly blog and newsletter available that shares a little about what we are learning along our journey that hopefully helps others on their journey as well. Find them at EatTheLeafHerbs.com

The Importance Of Building Community

Harry is the youngest of eight children, born in 1967 in Baltimore, MD and raised in Western Maryland. He graduated from Williamsport High School in 1984. Growing up, Harry remembers his family relying on gardening and hard work to make ends meet—values that deeply shaped his approach to life.

He spent over 30 years working in facilities management, providing for his family and gaining firsthand insight into the growing financial strain on families and their increasing dependency on social programs.

In 2020, during the pandemic, Harry understood the need to become as food independent as possible. That’s when his homesteading journey began.

After a few initial challenges—including trying to homestead on the side of a mountain—Harry was able to expand his dream. While he still considers himself a novice, he’s built a rich network of experienced homesteaders, farmers, veterinarians, and friends, all of whom have helped him grow in his journey.

Harry credits much of his success, both in his career and in homesteading, to the timeless wisdom found in books like How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, and to his favorite motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar. These mentors taught him how to build friendships, form strong teams, and stay focused on what matters most—family.