Author: lowtechinstitute

We bring nonindustrial subsistence technology to (over)developed societies. We exist at the nexus of ancient, ethnographic, and modern subsistence. We aim to 1) identify ancient and contemporary nonindustrial technologies appropriate for use in modern, small-scale, self-sustaining infrastructure; 2) create do-it-yourself, resource-light solutions to sustainability problems; 3) provide our findings to the public for free use; and 4) create platforms to share information related to sustainability, especially solutions derived from ancient or ethnographic sources. We prize simple solutions over complex ones and eschew needless complication.

Upcoming Workshop — Gathering Prairie Seeds, Oct. 19, 1–4 p.m., Free (Space is Limited)

October 10, 2019

Just down the road from the institute is the Danky-Schelshorn Prairie. Until 2003, this land was under agricultural cultivation, but Jim and Christine decided to turn it back into a prairie habitat. The Danky-Schelshorn Prairie was established when Christine took a workshop at the UW Arboretum. Through their friendship with Steve Glass, they accelerated the … More Upcoming Workshop — Gathering Prairie Seeds, Oct. 19, 1–4 p.m., Free (Space is Limited)

The Institute is Getting Solar Panels — Part III: System Layout

October 3, 2019

We’ve been chronicling our addition of solar panels (see them all here). Today we’re going to go through the layout and electrical diagrams of the system. The Layout The panels will be mounted on the back of our garage. This is for a few reasons. First, our house’s roof slopes west–east while the garage is … More The Institute is Getting Solar Panels — Part III: System Layout

Upcoming Workshop — Installing Solar Panels, Oct. 5, 1–3 p.m., Free (Space is Limited)

September 25, 2019

We are installing solar panels on the institute and we’re doing it ourselves (see our blog posts on this topic here). If you’ve considered doing it yourself but want to get a little hands-on experience and an idea of the scope of the job before going forward, this workshop is for you. The federal tax … More Upcoming Workshop — Installing Solar Panels, Oct. 5, 1–3 p.m., Free (Space is Limited)

Adopt A Hive! — Partner with Us to Help Bee Research

September 23, 2019

We are expanding our work to develop mite-tolerant bees and strategies for other beekeepers to follow suit, and you can be part of it! We’ll be creating a bee yard with 60 hives, and each one costs about $150 to build. We’re looking for businesses, organizations, and individuals or groups who are interested in adopting … More Adopt A Hive! — Partner with Us to Help Bee Research

The Institute is Getting Solar Panels — Part II: Components

September 19, 2019

We’ve been chronicling our addition of solar panels in Part I and another post evaluating our solar resources. In this entry, we’ll go through the different components of the system and how we chose them. We have received no compensation from any of the companies mentioned. The Panels Many types of panels are out there … More The Institute is Getting Solar Panels — Part II: Components

Link Worth Following — Who Owns the Seeds?

September 17, 2019

The radio show To the Best of Our Knowledge recently spent an hour discussing agriculture and the commodification of seeds. The first act follows the story of wheat and our selection for more wheat of poorer quality. Act two discusses the social importance of corn to indigenous communities across North America. In Act Three, a … More Link Worth Following — Who Owns the Seeds?

Happy Birthday LTI!

September 16, 2019

This last Sunday was the third anniversary of the launching of the Low Technology Institute website and blog. It has been another busy year. We’ve added the first phase of a solar hot water system to our 1850s home in Cooksville, Wisconsin, a historic village 25 min south of Madison. We continued work on the … More Happy Birthday LTI!

Earth Island Journal Story About the Institute, From Matt Miles

September 12, 2019

A few months ago, contributor and writer Matt Miles came to visit us. The result was a story in Earth Island Journal about the institute and the ethos behind it. “Small is Beautiful: Seeking simple, human-scale solutions to the challenges of everyday living,” is available on the Earth Island Journal‘s website and print edition for … More Earth Island Journal Story About the Institute, From Matt Miles