About | The Boyce Homestead

Meet the Boyces

We’re a family of six living in North Carolina’s beautiful Catawba Valley, where our homestead is truly a family endeavor. We balance full-time careers outside of the farm while our homestead projects operate within our nonprofit organization. We currently have cattle, chickens, and gardens.

Although every member of our family contributes, Shelly serves as the primary voice of The Boyce Homestead, leading our educational opportunities, product line, and member communications.

Shelly has dedicated her career to helping others learn. With a graduate degree in Adult Learning Theory, a professional background in designing educational experiences, a doctorate in the study of alternative healing modalities, lactation credentials, ordination as a minister, and ongoing study of healing practices, she brings together lifelong learning, practical skills, and a passion for teaching.

Here on the homestead, we craft our organic skincare, home care, and wellness products by hand in small batches using ingredients we grow ourselves or source locally whenever possible. Every item we share is one that we make and use for our only family too. These products, along with our educational resources and community support, are offered exclusively to our members as part of our shared journey toward more resilient living.

What is a PMA?

The Boyce Homestead is a faith-based ministry organized as a Private Ministerial Association (PMA), also called a Private Member Association. Simply put, that means we are a private community of members who voluntarily come together because we share common beliefs, values, and a desire to learn, grow, and support one another.

Rather than operating as a public business, we serve our members through education, fellowship, handcrafted products, workshops, and other resources that further our ministry's mission. Membership allows us to cultivate a close-knit community centered on stewardship, personal responsibility, sustainable living, and faith.

We are supported exclusively through member donations and contributions rather than commercial sales. Donations made to support our ministry may be tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law, and all goods, educational materials, services, and member benefits are provided exclusively within our private association.

If you're new to the PMA concept, don't worry, many of our members are too. A public-facing business is regulated by laws, certifications, licenses, and codes with any disagreements settled through legal enforcement channels. A PMA is regulated by its board of directors, bylaws, and commitment to ethics, with any disagreements handled peacefully between its members. Public law does not have jurisdiction over the interactions within a PMA.

At its heart, a PMA is simply a private faith community where members voluntarily join together to share resources, education, and mutual support in pursuit of a common mission.