Marsha Waybright
 

Marsha Waybright is an entrepreneur, educator, conservation advocate, and nationally recognized speaker whose passion is helping people discover the possibilities that exist in rural communities. A native of Randolph County, West Virginia, she was raised on Middle Mountain and now calls the historic community of Jenningston home with her husband, Kendall. Together, they have transformed their family's property into a thriving destination where education, conservation, hospitality, and entrepreneurship come together.

Marsha is the founder of Laurel Fork Farm, a 400-acre regenerative educational farm and living classroom; founder of Mama Bear Protection, which provides firearms safety and personal preparedness training; founder and property manager of Laurel River Club Bed & Breakfast; and Executive Director of the West Virginia School of Traditional Skills, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving Appalachian heritage through hands-on education.
 

Throughout her career, Marsha has built businesses by combining innovation with tradition. What began as a family farm has evolved into an award-winning agritourism destination where visitors experience regenerative agriculture, forest farming, wildlife conservation, traditional Appalachian skills, farm-to-table dining, and authentic mountain hospitality. Every enterprise she leads shares a common mission: inspiring people to reconnect with the land, preserve cultural heritage, and build stronger communities.

A lifelong educator, Marsha believes that learning happens best through experience. Laurel Fork Farm serves as the foundation for immersive educational programming where guests, students, and organizations gain practical skills in agriculture, conservation, food production, outdoor recreation, and sustainable living. She is passionate about demonstrating that rural communities can thrive through creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.
 

Marsha's professional expertise spans an extraordinary range of disciplines. She is a Master Artisan soap maker, Master Gardener, herbalist, certified animal trainer, American Red Cross CPR/First Aid/AED instructor, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Hunter Education Instructor, and a certified firearms instructor through both the United States Concealed Carry Association and the National Rifle Association. She is also a Bible teacher and a proud homeschooling mother of three entrepreneurial children, whom she considers among her greatest accomplishments.
 

The Waybright family's businesses—including Laurel Fork Falconry, It's Kendra Paige, and Redhead n Mudboots—are integrated into the educational experiences offered at Laurel Fork Farm and Laurel River Club Bed & Breakfast, creating unique opportunities for guests to learn directly from a family committed to preserving Appalachian traditions while embracing innovation.

Marsha is deeply committed to conservation, historic preservation, and agricultural literacy. She works closely with local, regional, and national partners to promote regenerative agriculture, sustainable tourism, environmental stewardship, and traditional skills education. Her work demonstrates how preserving the past can create opportunities for the future.
 

Her leadership has earned statewide and national recognition. Laurel Fork Farm was recognized as the first farm to receive Naturally West Virginia Agritourism Certification and was named Tucker County Conservation Farm of the Year. Marsha has been featured in Countryside Magazine, Goldenseal Magazine, West Virginia Living Magazine, and numerous regional publications. She was also invited by Meta Platforms to Washington, D.C., to share insights on digital marketing and rural entrepreneurship.
 

Marsha was inducted into the West Virginia Women in Agriculture program, serves as a mentor for the Farm Fellows Program at Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College, and was named Tucker County Business Person of the Year. She is a frequent keynote speaker for conferences and organizations across the region, including the Governor's Conference on Tourism, the West Virginia Women in Agriculture Conference, the Homesteading-ish Conference, the WV FCCLA Conference, the Root to Table Conference, and many others.

In 2024, Marsha was selected as a member of the inaugural West Virginia cohort of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. She later participated in the 10,000 Small Businesses Rural Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C., meeting with national policymakers to advocate for rural entrepreneurship and small business growth. In 2025, she was appointed to the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices National Advocacy Advisory Board and returned to Washington as a featured speaker at the national 10,000 Small Businesses Summit.
 

Continuing her commitment to innovation, Marsha won $19,000 through the IgniteWV Pitch Competition to launch a new educational facility and commercial kitchen at Laurel Fork Farm. This expansion will support year-round programming, farm-to-table experiences, workforce development, and expanded educational opportunities for people of all ages.
 

Through speaking engagements, workshops, media appearances, and a vibrant online presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads, and YouTube, Marsha continues to inspire audiences with a message of hope, resilience, stewardship, and entrepreneurship. Her story demonstrates that with vision, determination, and a willingness to embrace both heritage and innovation, rural communities can become places where people don't just survive, they flourish.