The Homesteading Signature Experience
For Those of You Who Want to Take Your Health Into Your Own Hands and Reconnect With Forgotten Skills
Join us for our 2027 SMART CHIX:
Course 1:
January 8-10
February 26-28
Course 2:
July 23-25
July 30-August 1
At Von Holten Ranch
Three days. Two instructors. Ten homesteaders.
One unforgettable experience that could change how you live forever.
January 8-10, 2027
February 26-28, 2027
- Herbal Butter Making & Herbal Olive Oils
- Canning Meat and Whole Meals
- Ice Bath, Vibration Plate, & TheraPlate
- Soap Making: Kitchen & Body
- Water Bath & Pressure Canning
- Homemade Cottage Cheese, Yogurt, Mozzarella Cheese, Sour Cream, & Hard Cheese
- Microplastic Detox
- Indoor Cast Iron Cooking
- Gardening: Seed Saving and Heirloom
- Small Business Insights
- Intro to Parasite Cleanse
- Medicinal Herbs (5)
- Whipped Tallow Rendering with Essential Oil
- Sauerkraut
- Basic Self-Defense
- Fresh Milled Flour Bread Making: Bread, Pasta & English Muffins
July 23-25, 2027
July 30-August 1, 2027
- Butter Making
- Canning Tomatoes: Paste, Sauce, Salsa, Stewed, & Fire Roasted
- Ice Bath, Vibration Plate & TheraPlate
- Gardening
- Medicinal Herbs (5)
- Water Bath Canning
- Sauerkraut & Pickles
- Natural Cleaning Products
- Self Defense
- Whipped Tallow
- Needle Point a Tea Towel
- Cast Iron Cooking: Evening
- Fresh Milled Flour: Bread, Tortillas, Pizza Crust
- Jams and Jellies
- Eating for Your Blood Type
- Dry Mix: Ready to Eat
- Small Business Insights
- Fermentation
- Kombucha
- Stretching
Ready to live a life of self-sufficiency?
Farm to Table Meals Made with Love
Fresh Milled Flour Bread Making
Medicinal Herbs Made Easy
Indoor Herb Gardening
Food Preservation
Small Business Basics
Holistic Health & Parasite Knowledge
Tea Towel, Pot Holder, and Apron Sewing
Homemade Non-Toxic Cleaning Products
Cattle, Equine, and Chickens
Homemade Herbal Butter and Tallow
Fun Surprises!
Learn From the Experts
Brandy Von Holten
Owner and Founder of Country Tough Homesteading
2025 Missouri's Best Ranch & Homesteading
8X Magazine Cover Appearances
Former Elected Official for Pettis County Health Board
5X International Fighter & Mounted Archer
Biologist
Author
Mrs. Mary Ella Zimmerman
Master Gardener & Instructor
Mother of 7, Grandmother of 46
Country Tough Times Magazine Article Contributor
Mennonite Matriarch
Home Cooking Caterer
Cookbook Author
Welcome to Von Holten Ranch!
Home of the Country Tough Homesteading Expo and voted Missouri's Best Ranch. We are a fourth-generation working ranch started in 1906.
We are located just outside of Sedalia, Missouri. We are considered the gateway to the Ozarks and are conveniently located in the same county as the Missouri State Fair.
Event Information
2027 Dates: January 8-10, February 26-28, July 23-25, July 30-August 1
Course 1: January and February
Course 2: July and July/August
Start Time 10:00 AM on 1st day
Finish Time: 3:00 PM on 3rd day
What you'll get:
- 3 Immersive Days of Hands-on Learning
- Meals Included
- Electric Site Included
- Discount on Cabins (limited)
- Take Home Samples
- Smart Chix T-Shirt
You'll get all of this and more for just $165 per day.
We have four cabins and 32 electric sites. Your electric site is included, and cabins are discounted for this event.
This event is open to 10 homesteaders per event only and is selling out FAST!
Yes! I want to attend Smart ChixWhat is the cost of the event?
Can I bring a friend or family member?
Is lodging included?
What if I’ve never done any of this before?
Is this event only open to women?
Do I need to bring any food?
Mission
SMART CHIX is a hands-on learning event hosted at Von Holten Ranch, which is a 4th-generation family-owned century farm in Mora, Missouri. Brandy Von Holten and guest instructors are dedicated to providing in-person, hands-on, all-inclusive learning experiences.
This signature experience teaches homesteading skills to improve the lives of individuals and subsequent generations by becoming more self-sufficient, healthy, and financially sound.
Vision
SMART CHIX is a one-of-a-kind learning opportunity, and that's why we call it a signature experience.
We strive to be a sought-after learning environment, known for caring about people while creating a supportive community of people who share a common goal, breaking down fear barriers through the mastery of forgotten skills, and providing quality, hands-on homesteading education.
SMART CHIX Core Values
- Self Sufficiency
- Independence
- Holistic Healthy Living
- Simplicity
- Community
