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.
The next clip of our webseries, Foodmageddon, is out today. Have a watch. Comment, share, and let others know about the project. In this clip, we make applesauce and dehydrate apple rings. In order to get more short videos out and have more focused topics, we’ll be releasing clips that will later be put together … More Foodmageddon, Clip 24.2: Dehydrating and Saucing Apples
We are going to try and increase our planting density, thereby decreasing the overall area we have to maintain. To do that, we’re going to re-establish our beds, improve our propagation techniques, and be even more diligent this year on weed removal. … More Gardening 101: Establishing Beds
I try not to create a blog post on a single link, but in this case, it is worth it. As you know, we’re interested in ways to house, clothe, and feed ourselves with less reliance on fossil fuels. We’re always on the look out for new and old ways to preserve food without having … More Link Worth Following: Ash Tomato Preservation
In this episode, we take a walk through the garden to see what is producing heavily, what’s coming this fall, and a whole lot of weeds.ddd
#LowTechResilience
#Foodmageddon
#ResilienceGarden … More Foodmageddon, Clip 23.2: Wheat and Rye Planting
In this episode, we take a walk through the garden to see what is producing heavily, what’s coming this fall, and a whole lot of weeds.ddd
#LowTechResilience
#Foodmageddon
#ResilienceGarden … More Foodmageddon, Clip 23.2: Wheat and Rye Planting
This project tests the performance of a modular, scalable compost box that uses a composting chamber to support an attached growing bed with nitrogen, moisture, carbon dioxide, and heat to grow greens in the shoulder and off seasons; includes a series of controlled tests to determine best practices. … More Research Project No. 7 — Hot Box Compost: Modular Composting System that Heats, Waters, and Fertilizes Grow Bed for Off-Season Production
This year we harvested a tenth of an acre of modern red winter wheat from our neighbor’s field. I wrote up a few impressions soon after harvesting the wheat in a previous blog post, but here I hope to summarize more technical aspects of this process and suggestions for myself and others who hope to … More Lessons Learned in Small-Scale Wheat Harvest, Part II: Threshing, Storing, and Grinding
This year we harvested a tenth of an acre of modern red winter wheat from our neighbor’s field. I wrote up a few impressions soon after harvesting the wheat in a previous blog post, but here I hope to summarize more technical aspects of this process and suggestions for myself and others who hope to … More Lessons Learned in Small-Scale Wheat Harvest, Part I: Variety and Harvesting
We know it’s a tough year with COVID-19 keeping most of us at home or working under unusual conditions. Back on March 23, I wrote a blog post in which I said: This begs the question: are you prepared to “shelter in place” until 2021? Unfortunately, our concerns proved to be correct, as we are … More Support an Innovative Nonprofit on #GivingTuesday by Donating to the Low Technology Institute
In this video, we make our own cork-latex clogs, similar to Birkenstocks.We encourage you to buy Birkenstocks. They have the experience and equipment to make a better product, but it is a fun experiment. Please remember to subscribe to our YouTube Channel! You can find all of our videos under the tab above or on … More New Video: No. 22 — Cork Latex Clogs