Welcome
The Loop Farmstead is a small homestead in northern West Virginia's Appalachian Mountains. We're building resilience on 4.6 acres of south and east facing land through permaculture, agroecology, and traditional Appalachian wisdom.
This isn't a showplace or a business — it's a working homestead where we grow food, raise animals, preserve our harvest, and document what we learn. Everything here serves two purposes: feed our family, and share knowledge with others walking the same path.
Our Principles
Living Systems Over Dead Structures
We work with natural systems, not against them. Soil builds itself. Water cycles naturally. Diversity creates resilience. Our job is to observe, assist, and get out of the way.
Nothing Wasted
Every output becomes an input. Kitchen scraps feed chickens. Chicken manure feeds the garden. Garden waste becomes compost. The farm is a closed loop where nothing leaves without purpose.
Resilience Over Yield
We don't maximize production — we maximize stability. Diverse crops, heritage varieties, multiple water sources, stored food. A bad year shouldn't mean failure.
Ancient Wisdom + Modern Knowledge
Our grandparents knew things we forgot. We're relearning traditional skills — food preservation, seed saving, animal husbandry — and combining them with modern science.
Commons-Based, Not Extractive
We share what we learn freely. Knowledge hoarded dies with the keeper. The land isn't ours to exploit — we're temporary stewards building something for those who come after.
Rooted in Place
This isn't generic advice — it's what works here, in Appalachia, in Zone 6b/7a, on this specific piece of land. We write for our neighbors, our climate, our constraints.
WV Homesteaders Guide
We've written comprehensive, practical guides for West Virginia homesteaders. These aren't theory — they're what we actually do on our farm, tested in our climate, with our constraints.
Food Preservation
Canning, drying, freezing, root cellaring, smoking, seed saving
Planting Guide
What to plant, when, and how in Zone 6b/7a
Seasonal Calendar
Month-by-month tasks for WV homesteads
Animals
Chickens, pigs, bees — housing, care, harvesting
Soil & Compost
Building fertility naturally
Water Systems
Wells, springs, rainwater, irrigation
Learn More
Want to understand the thinking behind what we do?
- What is Permaculture? — The design system we use
- What is Solarpunk? — The future we're building toward
- Agroecology — Farming as ecology, not industry
- Our Farm — The land, the animals, the work
- Anti-Capitalist Articles — Thinking beyond extraction
Support The Loop
Help us keep growing. Your support funds seed saving, heritage breeds, and free knowledge for Appalachian homesteaders.