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.

“Low Technology Institute works to solve problems without chemicals” — Wisconsin State Journal — Institute in the News

July 8, 2020

A few weeks ago, Scott Johnson, director of the institute, chatted with Gena Kittner with the Wisconsin State Journal. The result was a Sunday feature article that you can read on the WSJ website: https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/low-technology-institute-works-to-solve-problems-without-chemicals/article_b80d64dd-e186-58b8-bcfd-daa9c5ae26a1.html Both the cover photo and the above photo are copyrighted material from the Wisconsin State Journal, John Hart, photographer.

Bee-Breeding Project: Information for our Fellow Beekeepers

July 3, 2020

We are carrying out a multiyear bee-breeding project as part of an effort to reduce the need for mite treatments in honeybee colonies. This short post is specifically directed towards our fellow beekeepers. We hope to 1) give you a summary of the study we’re carrying out and 2) tell you about the precautions we’re … More Bee-Breeding Project: Information for our Fellow Beekeepers

Homemade Plant Fertilizer: Urine + Ashes

June 23, 2020

Nitrogen is the biggest bottleneck in post-fossil-fuel food production. Before the advent of the Haber-Bosch process, which compresses atmospheric nitrogen (N2) and hydrogen (H2) into ammonia fertilizer (NH3), nitrogen was harvested everywhere it could be found, from remote islands covered in bird droppings (even leading to a war) to domestic dung heaps. Surprisingly enough, the … More Homemade Plant Fertilizer: Urine + Ashes

Upcoming Workshop — Hand-Harvesting Wheat, Jul. 25, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m., $20 (Space is Limited)

June 12, 2020

We’re trying to grow and harvest all of our food this year to simulate the collapse of fossil fuels. As part of that, we’ve purchased a tenth of an acre of organic wheat from a neighbor. In late July, we will harvest it using scythes and sickles.  Then it has to get tied into sheaves … More Upcoming Workshop — Hand-Harvesting Wheat, Jul. 25, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m., $20 (Space is Limited)

PRESS RELEASE: Bee-Breeding Research against Colony Collapse Disorder Funded by Blooming Prairie Foundation, Hosted by Agrecol

June 10, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 10 Jun 2020 The Low Technology Institute 608-886-9584 info@lowtechinstitute.org Bee-Breeding Research against Colony Collapse Disorder Funded by Blooming Prairie Foundation, Hosted by Agrecol A method that has succeeded in breeding mite-tolerant bees in Sweden, Wales, and Africa will be tested in southern Wisconsin; mites are the leading cause of colony collapse … More PRESS RELEASE: Bee-Breeding Research against Colony Collapse Disorder Funded by Blooming Prairie Foundation, Hosted by Agrecol