Self-Reliance, Prepping, Homesteading Expert
Tara Dodrill lives on a 50+ acres survival homestead with her family in the hills of Appalachia.
Tara's journey in the survival and homesteading world is rooted in her passion for self-reliance. She has been a survival and homesteading journalist for nearly 15 years, providing valuable insights through platforms like the Survival Blog, Homesteading.com, preparedness radio shows, and her publication, the Old School Survival Magazine.
For years with her husband Bobby they have hosted the
Old School Survival Boot Camp, the United States' largest practical survival and homesteading event. Be sure to check out their event
which is held in Vinton, Ohio.
Hands-On Homesteading Experience Tara has a wealth of experience keeping animals for their utility: eggs, meat, milk, fiber, companionship for other animals, and more.
She is busy raising chickens, ducks, cattle, hogs, goats, mini donkeys, and horses on her homestead. Currently, her goats are dairy and fiber breeds; she has kept meat goats in recent years as well. In prior years, she has also raised guineas and quail. She's also experienced with sheep and turkeys.
As a flock owner, she's
DIY-ed chicken coops using 2x4s, decking screws, furring strips, pressure treated plywood, staples, hinges, and hardware cloth. She educates on
chicken parasites and keeping flocks healthy as well as
ways to sex ducklings.
Additional areas of expertise include:
One of Tara's many passions is herbalism, with a particular focus on using herbs for health and healing, as showcased in her book,
'The Survival Apothecary Handbook.' She's experienced
foraging for plants such as horsetail and other beneficial plants;
poisonous plants to avoid; and
trees preppers should know how to use.
She's someone focused on getting back to the basics and involving kids in preparedness by
having them help with gardening, helping with animals, and more.
Tara
explains ways to get started prepping and along with more advanced skills. On her homestead, she harvests rainwater and knows how to
use PVC pipes to store water. She's knows about
important tools for a homestead and why they are useful.
She's experienced in ways to
make money from a homestead, including ideas such as beekeeping, breeding livestock, training dogs, boarding horses, herd sharing (sharing a share in a goat, cow, etc.), and more.
Author, Speaker and Educator
A respected author, Tara Dodrill has published 10 books covering topics like survival homesteading, livestock husbandry, and herbalism. She is the creator of 'The Homestead Homeschool' curriculum, tailored for families pursuing a self-reliant lifestyle.
Dodrill actively shares her knowledge through prepping tips, hands-on training at survival camps, and speaking engagements at various expos.
Highlighted works by Tara include:
- Power Grid Down: How To Prepare, Survive & Thrive After The Lights Go Out
- Old School Survival Boot Camp: Survival Apothecary Handbook
- Chicken Record Keeping Log Book
- Goat Record Keeping Log Book
Beyond her writing, she is active in sharing her knowledge by offering prepping tips and hands-on training at survival camps, speaking at expos, and as a host and guest on preparedness shows.
Tara has been featured on the following podcasts:
- The Resistance Chicks
- Doom and Bloom Hour with Doctor Bones and Nurse Amy
- The Doctor Prepper
- The Survivalist Gardener
Professional Affiliations
- Old School Survival Boot Camp owner/operator
- The Homestead Homeschool Curriculum Creator
- Heritage Explorers Homeschool Co-Op Leader
- Vinton County Farmer’s Market Co-Founding Organizer
- Livestock Conservancy member
- Dirty Boots Gang 4-H Club Leader
- Former editor of the Vinton County Courier newspaper
Tara earned a Bachelor's degree at Ohio University in Journalism.
