Shawn and Beth Dougherty are the authors of The Independent Farmstead. They have been farming together since the 1980s, for the last 26 years in eastern Ohio, where they manage 27 acres designated by the state as "not suitable for agriculture," as well as a monastery farm of 100 acres. Using intensive grazing as the primary source of food energy, they raise dairy and beef cows, sheep, farm-fed hogs, and a variety of poultry, producing most of the food, and feed, on the farm. They have been featured main-stage speakers for major homesteading events including Homesteaders of America, Hardison Mills Homestead Festival, and the Modern Homesteading Conference. They often share a stage with legendary independent farmer Joel Salatin. Shawn and Beth have been featured in video series for The School of Traditional Skills and created online classes for the Homesteaders of America with Justin Rhodes.