2025 Speakers
Joshua Sutton - NPN National Director
Joshua Sutton, National Director of the National Preparedness Network, Author, Educator, and Prepper is a dedicated advocate for common-sense education on disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. With a strong background in homesteading, self-sufficiency, and survival, Joshua brings practical experience and valuable insights to his teachings.
At this year's events, he will be presenting 'The Four Pillars of Preparedness,' a foundational approach to readiness, and 'Survival Sips: Homemade Winemaking,' where attendees will learn the art of crafting wine from simple, accessible ingredients. His engaging, hands-on teaching style ensures that participants walk away with real-world knowledge they can apply immediately.
His Courses: The Four Pillars of Preparedness
Survival Sips: Homemade Winemaking
Bill Stormfeather -
Bill Stormfeather is a military member with nearly 30 years of service in the special operations community. He also serves as a technical advisor on several extreme survival shows. He comes from a generational prepping family and carries that tradition forward with his family today.
His talk, "The First 30 Days" (including a Q&A) will be held:
Angi Shinaver- NPN Vice President
Angi Shinaver, Vice President of the National Preparedness Network, is an author, animal advocate, and Certified Herbalist with a deep commitment to sustainable living and holistic health.
She brings her expertise to the National Preparedness Network's events through classes like 'Pawsitive Preparedness,' which focuses on emergency planning for pets, 'Resilient Apothecary,' where she teaches the art of creating natural, healing remedies, and 'Long-Term Provisions: Food Storage for Preppers & Homesteaders,' a hands-on guide to building a sustainable food supply. With her practical, down-to-earth approach, Angi empowers participants with the knowledge and skills they need for resilience in all areas of life.
Her Courses: Pawsitive Preparedness
Resilient Apothecary
Long-Term Provisions: Food Storage
Rory Scoles
Joining us again is Rory Scoles. Rory moved out onto a remote 40-acre parcel in Northeast Minnesota 18 years ago with his then young family and began to homestead like the apocalypse had already happened. His experiences include building remote cabins with hand tools only and minimum imported materials, becoming proficient at traditional calorie rich food skills such as sugar making, Wild ricing and processing, practical small-scale farming and animal husbandry, hunting, trapping, unassisted homebirths, wilderness travel and traversing and more.
His talk: Beyond Collapse & Calamity. What 18 years of remote, off grid living has illuminated for me and my family. Tools and tips on how to analyze your current living situation for life after SHTF, how to start transitioning to a more independent, land-based way of life and how doing so will enrich your life, feed your soul, and make you resilient and healthy. Q&A and 15-minute skill share at the end.
Jim Broadwine
Nestled in the picturesque southern Appalachian Mountains lies Saltville, Virginia—a region steeped in history due to its abundant salt marshes, which once attracted prehistoric megafauna and Paleoamericans. As European settlers arrived, they quickly recognized the immense value of these salt deposits, transforming Saltville into one of America’s premier salt-making centers by the seventeenth century.
During the Civil War, Saltville played a critical role in the South’s survival, producing a significant portion of the Confederacy’s salt supply—an essential resource for preserving food and maintaining an army. The town became a battleground in 1864, witnessing two bloody conflicts that left a lasting imprint on its history.
Jim Bordwine’s roots in Saltville stretch back to the 1770s, with ancestors who lived through and fought in these defining moments. His dedication to preserving Saltville’s legacy goes beyond education—he is an active practitioner of traditional salt-making techniques, ensuring that this invaluable craft is passed down to future generations. By apprenticing his son, Baron Bordwine, Jim continues the time-honored traditions that sustained his ancestors for centuries.
Jim’s deep-rooted connection to Saltville, Virginia, one of America’s most important historical salt-making centers, has fueled his dedication to reviving and teaching this lost art of food preservation. In a time before refrigeration, salt was the key to ensuring survival—preserving meat, curing hides, and sustaining entire communities.
His talk:
Preservation with Salt
In this hands-on session, Jim will cover:
The critical role salt played in food preservation for centuries
How early settlers and soldiers relied on salt to store meat long-term
Traditional methods of curing and preserving food without refrigeration
Practical applications for modern preppers and homesteaders