Technology – Low Technology Institute

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)

Another Chicken Coop Update

October 17, 2018

The timber-frame chicken coop saga is coming to an end. The last update showed much of the work through plastering. This can also be seen in video form here. Since then, the plaster has been finished, clapboards wainscoting went on the bottom, and the whole structure has been coated in whitewash or linseed oil. Yakisugi … More Another Chicken Coop Update

Field Day: Varroa-Tolerant Bee Breeding Program, Sept. 22, 3–5 p.m., Free

August 15, 2018

The Low Technology Institute is running a breeding program to establish varroa-tolerant colonies in a semi-isolated area. The essence of the process is to split hives aggressively to have as many reasonably strong colonies as possible going into winter and then heavily splitting those that survive. Without treatment, colonies with poor tolerance will succumb to … More Field Day: Varroa-Tolerant Bee Breeding Program, Sept. 22, 3–5 p.m., Free

Chicken Coop Update

July 23, 2018

Many of you will remember that I’m building a timber-frame chicken coop from dying spruce trees downed on the institute grounds, shown in the video below. After felling, these trees were turned into timbers and put together into a boxy 6-×-6-ft coop. The roof was covered with scavenged cedar shingles. Right after getting the structure … More Chicken Coop Update

Small-Scale Silage for Chickens

June 20, 2018

One of the biggest costs of keeping chickens is the feed. Most people buy bags of the stuff at feed stores. These 50-lb bags come in a variety of forms, usually pellets or crumbles. In my experience, the crumbles make a big mess as the chickens hunt for larger chunks to eat, spilling the smaller … More Small-Scale Silage for Chickens

Tool Library Grand Opening — Saturday, June 23, 9 a.m.–noon

June 19, 2018

Just in time for all your summer projects, we’re opening the tool library this-coming Saturday. The Low Tech Tool Library works just like a book library, but instead of Poe and Austen, we have hammers and saws. This Saturday morning, we’ll officially open the library with some light refreshments and an open house from 9 … More Tool Library Grand Opening — Saturday, June 23, 9 a.m.–noon

Ancient Technology: Reinvent the Wheel?

April 11, 2018

It’s a common trope in cartoons that the wheel was the first major invention of humankind (I would put a Far Side cartoon here, but they are notoriously litigious about internet use, so follow this link to see the image). Nevermind that most of these depictions show some “caveman”-type person using a hammer and chisel … More Ancient Technology: Reinvent the Wheel?

Fun with Google’s Ngram Viewer

March 1, 2018

Google has a fun tool called Ngram Viewer, which counts and compares the relative frequency of words in books they have digitized. This can be a fun way to look at how language changes over time. For example, when did “United States” change from being treated as a plural noun to a singular one? If … More Fun with Google’s Ngram Viewer

Folk Schools in the News

October 24, 2017

While the Low Technology Institute is not a folk school, many of its classes follow in that tradition. A folk school is a place people can go to learn preindustrial skills, from timber framing and woodworking to fiber arts and blacksmithing. The Wisconsin State Journal recently had an article about the resurgence of folk schools … More Folk Schools in the News

Pressing Cider — Part I

September 18, 2017

It’s time for picking apples and making cider. We don’t have apple-producing trees at the institute yet. We have two ornamental, non-bearing apple trees, but it will take a few years until we have newly planted trees bearing fruit. Many farms in the area have big apple trees in their yards. In some cases these … More Pressing Cider — Part I

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