From the growing trials at the Rison Community Garden to the annual South Arkansas Homesteading Conference, Cleveland County embraces the self-sufficient, sustainable lifestyle that is behind the modern homesteading movement.
With an abundance of wildlife and forestland, Cleveland County is an ideal setting for anyone yearning for a simpler lifestyle that puts them close to nature and live off the land.
For generations, families in Cleveland County have relied on their small farms and gardens to provide food for the table and perhaps put a little extra money in their pockets. Agriculture remains crucial to the county as timber and poultry are the backbone of the local economy.
A new movement is underway to revive the old “truck patch” farms of our past with a network of local small farms using sustainable growing methods. It’s being called the Natural Agriculture Project (NAP). The goal is develop a series of small farms using natural growing methods that produce nutritious and great-tasting fruits and vegetables free of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.
And the great part of the movement is that this can be achieved on farms small as one acre.
If you’re looking to slow it down a notch, and live a real simple life close to nature, welcome to Cleveland County, Arkansas – America’s Homestead.