Self-Reliance, Prepping, Homesteading Expert
Tara Dodrill's 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.
Together with her husband Bobby, Tara hosts the Old School Survival Boot Camp, the United States' largest practical survival and homesteading event.
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.
Some of her other areas of expertise include growing and preserving food, prepping, homeschooling, and herbalism, with a particular focus on using herbs for health and healing, as showcased in her book, 'The Survival Apothecary Handbook.'
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.
