Annual Report Editing

Marcin Jakubowski was born in Poland, where his early experiences were shaped by his family’s history. His grandfather participated in the Polish underground, derailing German trains in WWII, and his grandmother is a concentration camp survivor. When he was seven, tanks rolled down the streets of his neighborhood (and not for a parade). These were times of martial law behind the Iron Curtain, and a clear state of material scarcity, where Marcin and his family waited in line for staples like butter and meat. His life would be transformed when his family was able to come to America, but he never forgot the terrible things that happen when resources are scarce and people fight over opportunity.

Marcin thrived in the United States, graduating with honors from Princeton, and earning his Ph.D. in fusion physics from the University of Wisconsin. Marcin continued to believe that the most essential type of freedom starts with one’s individual ability to use natural resources, and to free oneself from material constraints.

With these convictions Marcin moved to Missouri, purchased 30 acres of land and began to farm. He bought a tractor, which soon broke down. Marcin paid to get it repaired, and it continued to break, requiring more costly repairs. Soon it became apparent that the economics and upkeep of tractors were a formidable challenge to running any farm - new tractors were expensive, and broke frequently, but remained the centerpiece of any farm. Realizing this, Marcin set out to design and test a tractor of his own. Over years of trial and error, he hit upon a model that worked. Wanting to share his innovation, he published the designs openly on the Internet. People all over the world began responding, fueling further innovation and more machines, and the rest is history - Open Source Ecology was born.

Wherever material scarcity exists in the world, we see impoverished, isolated beings powerless to take care of themselves and live the healthy, productive lives they desire. Open Source Economy is building a solution, where information flows freely and openly so that everyone has access to information on how to process raw materials into the products that underlie the modern way of life. We believe that together, individuals will be able to achieve material security, autonomy and abundance.

At Open Source Ecology (OSE), we find it paradoxical that vast populations living in poverty are surrounded by the absolute abundance of natural resources - namely sunlight, rocks, plants, soil, water - from which all the wealth of the economy is built. We are convinced that the big challenge to producing true freedom is bypassing the artificial roadblocks of scarcity, to give as many people as possible access to know-how and the right tools so they can convert their environment’s abundant raw resources into personal good and freedom.

OSE’s primary project is the Global Village Construction Set (GVCS); an open platform of the 50 industrial machines that it takes to build a small civilization with modern comforts. The GVCS provides open solutions for housing, food, energy, transportation, and industrial manufacturing: everything needed to build vibrant, sustainable economies. This is freedom. This is progress. Going back to the land and the workshop is really going forward into a richer, more just and sustainable future. We’re excited to build a bright, new, more equitable and abundant future, and we’re grateful for your support.