NATIONAL HOMESTEADERS DAY

Fast Facts

WHEN
Celebrated each year on August 15
WHAT
Celebrates the everyday journey toward self-reliance and promotes the revival of hands-on heritage.
FOUNDER
Dani Murphy, Founder of Preppin Mama™
ORIGIN
Approved the Registrar at National Day Calendar® in 2026.

NATIONAL HOMESTEADERS DAY

National Homesteaders Day on August 15 honors the dedicated individuals, families, and communities intentionally reclaiming practical life skills, producing products from home, and strengthening stronger local communities. This national observance celebrates the everyday journey toward self-reliance and promotes the revival of hands-on heritage. It also invites people everywhere--whether they live on an acreage, in a small town, or in an apartment--to reclaim one’s lost skill and help preserve practical knowledge for future generations.

#NationalHomesteadersDay

Many foundational household and trade skills have quietly faded from daily life in the past few generations. Common skills, such as sewing, food preservation, tool repair, animal care, and small-scale gardening, have declined significantly in our society. Yet, their disappearance didn't happen overnight, nor was it accidental. It happened slowly with a mix of economic incentives, educational shifts, and societal values.

Do you know what "Homesteading" means?

A homesteader is anyone who intentionally reclaims practical skills, builds greater self-reliance, and invests in a resilient local community by supporting and learning from the people around them—regardless of where they live.

Homesteading isn’t a place—it’s a mindset.

You don’t have to own land to be a homesteader. You simply have to choose the journey.

For decades, many schools and communities placed a greater emphasis on higher education while practical household and trade skills became less common in everyday life. Add in the convenience of getting consumer goods quicker and the overuse of digital devices, and knowledge that used to be common sense is now a skill set too many people lack. It's time to get back to our roots and reclaim practical skills, producing from home, and strengthening local communities.

Today, many younger generations are rediscovering the value of baking from scratch, woodworking, sewing, gardening, raising animals, and small-scale entrepreneurship. They recognize that true security isn't found only in convenience, but also in the confidence that comes from knowing how to provide, create, repair, and care for themselves and others. National Homesteaders Day organizes these practical life skills into seven Heritage Skills, making it easier for everyone to reclaim one lost skill at a time.

7 Heritage Skills

  1. GROW: Raising plants and animals to nourish ourselves and others.

  2. PRESERVE: Protecting harvests and reducing waste.

  3. MAKE: Creating useful things with our hands.

  4. MEND: Repairing instead of replacing.

  5. BUILD: Hands-on practical skills that create independence.

  6. GATHER: Bringing people together to share knowledge, stories, traditions, and practical skills.

  7. COMMUNITY: Supporting one another and strengthening relationships that build resilient communities.

Practical life skills and the spirit of self-reliance are making a comeback. Today, there is a new generation actively seeking tangible, hands-on competence. In a highly digital world, rural, suburban, and urban families are choosing participation over convenience, proving that you don't need hundreds of acres to step into self-reliance.

August 15 lands perfectly during the late-summer harvest season, making it the ideal time to gather, learn, and share knowledge. We've compiled a few ideas on how you can bring your own homestead skills to life:

5 WAYS TO CELEBRATE #NationalHomesteadersDay

  1. Learn One New Skill: National Homesteaders Day is the perfect day to learn something new. Start a sourdough culture, attempt a fermentation recipe, try your hand at basic sewing, or research backyard beekeeping.

  2. Support Your Local Farmers Market: Artisans, farmers, and tradespeople pour craftsmanship, integrity, and heart into everything they create. Supporting local producers strengthens families, small businesses, and the communities they serve.

  3. Host a Skill-Share: Gather your neighbors, family, or friends for a backyard workshop. Have an elder pass down a traditional recipe or let a handy friend demonstrate basic tool maintenance.

  4. Pass It Down: Take time to intentionally teach a child or a young adult practical life skill. Children especially love to learn, and teaching them a life skill will not only encourage them to learn something new, but it will also show them they have the ability to continue the skill for future generations.

  5. Share Your Progress: Whether you are a seasoned homesteader or someone just beginning, share your steps on social media! Post your gardens, baked goods, handmade projects, and tips about homesteading using the hashtag #NationalHomesteadersDay.

HISTORY BEHIND NATIONAL HOMESTEADERS DAY

National Homesteaders Day was submitted by Preppin Mama™ in 2026 and approved by the National Day Calendar Registrar to be celebrated each year on August 15. The observance also serves as the public launch of the Lost Skills Revival, a year-round initiative encouraging individuals, families, and communities to reclaim one lost skill at a time.

Today we honor the dedicated individuals, families, and communities intentionally reclaiming practical life skills, producing products from home, and strengthening local stability in the community.

About the Founder: Preppin Mama™

Preppin Mama™ was founded by Dani Murphy, whose journey began out of necessity as a single mother raising four daughters. What started as a personal pursuit of healthier, simpler, and more self-reliant living gradually became a calling to help others rediscover practical life skills, strengthen their homes, and build resilient communities.

Homesteaders Hub Logo

Today, alongside her supportive husband and family, Dani continues that mission through Preppin Mama™, proving that strong homes are built not only through practical skills, but through faith, family, and community. Together they encourage others to reclaim one lost skill and pass it on to the next generation.

Preppin Mama™ is more than a movement. ~Dani Murphy, Founder, Preppin Mama™

This ​Southeast Iowa company serves as a living model that hosts hands-on workshops in quilting, kefir fermentation, home remedies, and food preservation. Their innovative Sweeties Program provides a three-month mentorship and leadership experience twice a year for young women, connecting them directly with entrepreneurial pathways, local farmers, and business leaders. By retailing products from over 20 local high-integrity makers, they prove that community stability always thrives when we look out for one another.

Preppin Mama™ has grown into an educational company and community dedicated to preserving practical life skills. This Southeast Iowa company hosts hands-on workshops in quilting, kefir fermentation, home remedies, and food preservation.

National Homesteaders Day serves as a lasting reminder that every household—regardless of where it lives or where it begins—can reclaim practical skills, strengthen community, and help preserve the knowledge that has sustained generations. Through the Lost Skills Revival, everyone is invited to reclaim one lost skill and pass it on.