What a Difference a Year Makes

The first day of the Ozarks Homesteading Expo marked exactly 51 weeks since Prep-Mart attended its very first vendor event.

At that first event, we had one 10-by-10 canopy with two sparse-looking tables. This year, we arrived at the Expo with a 10-by-20 space filled with tables, shelves, signs, products, educational resources, and Bigfoot paraphernalia everywhere.

What a difference a year makes.

From Attendees to Vendors

We had attended the Ozarks Homesteading Expo before, but this was our first time arriving as vendors. Walking into an event of this size and setting up alongside so many established businesses was exciting—but also a little intimidating.

Impostor syndrome runs strong in this kind of thing. You cannot help but wonder whether your booth is good enough, your products are good enough, or your business truly belongs in a space like this.

Then we began unpacking.

As our booth came together, we could see an entire year of growth displayed in front of us. Our original booth represented the beginning of something we were proud to build. This new booth showed just how far that beginning has carried us.

Over the past year, we have added four new herbal extracts, two new balms, two new rollers, all of our bundles, and a large assortment of preparedness and homesteading gear.

The growth has not stopped with our inventory. We started the Prep-Mart blog, expanded our website, created more resources for our customers, and taught three classes. Behind the scenes, the work has become much more involved as we have learned to manage inventory, develop products, design labels, create displays, maintain a website, plan events, and handle all the other details that come with a growing business.

Growth can be difficult to recognize when you are standing in the middle of the daily work. Sometimes it takes looking back at where you started to understand how far you have come.

Preparing for the Expo

Getting ready for the Expo required some very long days.

There were products to make, bottles to fill, labels to apply, signs and swag to design, and inventory to count. We had to decide what to bring, how much we might need, and how to pack everything strategically so it would travel safely and be accessible when it was time to build the booth.

Every table, shelf, sign, product, display piece, and Bigfoot had to be considered.

It was exhausting at times, but it was also exciting to see the work of the past year gathered together in one place.

A Hot but Memorable Weekend

It was hot over the weekend—and we mean hot. Thankfully, we had shade and fans to help us power through the long days.

The cooler morning hours brought especially curious attendees who were ready to explore, ask questions, and discover something new. We were told attendance was down this year, but from our side of the booth, it rarely felt quiet. There were very few times when no one was stopping to browse or talk with us.

Friday had a particular buzz in the air as homesteaders from across the Midwest arrived to learn, shop, and connect. The fairgrounds were filled with conversations, demonstrations, and families moving from tent to tent.

The smell of grilled onions from the food vendor across the way was tantalizing—especially after we had been working at the booth for hours.

We were also directly across from one of the teaching tents. Whenever a guest speaker was loud enough, we were able to listen and partake in some of the teaching while continuing to work.

The hog-butchering demonstration drew a particularly large crowd. We also had neighbors from Leasburg attend and come find us, which was such an encouraging reminder of the support we have close to home.

Even our vendor neighbors contributed to the experience. The vendors behind us would come over to borrow our shade during the first part of the day, giving us more opportunities to visit and learn about one another’s businesses.

Several vendors were excited by our products and commented on how beautiful and cohesive our branding was. We made connections with people we hope to contact about future opportunities to offer tools, seeds, jars, and other useful resources through Prep-Mart.

These Were Our People

All our products seemed to be big hits, but one thing stood out: we sold more herbal extract kits during the Expo than we had sold collectively in the entire previous year.

These were our people—people who do not simply want to purchase a finished product, but who want to learn, create, and become more self-reliant.

That response confirmed something important for us. People need the products we offer, but they are also looking for the knowledge and resources that will help them do more for themselves.

There is always a strong sense of community at the Ozarks Homesteading Expo. People from many different walks of life gather there with a shared purpose. You meet people from the live-off-the-land movement, preppers, homesteaders, military families, large homeschool families, and older couples finally beginning a dream they have carried for years.

Their lives may look different, but they are all working toward greater knowledge, capability, and resilience.

Our Greatest Preparedness Resource

Seeing Prep-Mart’s growth was wonderful, but the most important part of the weekend was seeing how deeply people need the skills and resources we have to share.

People are longing for community in a world that constantly tells us we are divided and surrounded by hostility. Events like the Ozarks Homesteading Expo remind us that this is not the whole story. People still want to gather, help one another, exchange knowledge, support small businesses, and work toward something meaningful together.

Community is one of our greatest preparedness resources.

“Peace through preparedness” is not only about the cans of food on the shelf or the equipment stored away for an emergency. It is also about the relationships we build, the knowledge we exchange, and the camaraderie we share with our neighbors.

True resilience is stronger when it is built together.

Stepping Into Year Two

We are incredibly grateful to Cheryl and the entire crew who work tirelessly to make the Ozarks Homesteading Expo possible.

We are grateful for every customer and supporter who came by our booth, every question you asked, and every conversation you shared with us. We are also grateful to each of you who has followed, encouraged, purchased from, learned with, and supported Prep-Mart throughout this first year.

What began beneath one 10-by-10 canopy with two sparse tables has grown into more than we could have imagined that day.

We cannot wait to see what year two brings, and we are glad to have you by our side as we walk into the next chapter.