Factor e Farm

Factor e Farm is the land-based facility where we put the theory of Open Source Ecology into practice. Factor e Farm is not a factory farm. Why e? It is a transcendental number. We aim to transcend. We push towards open source. Factor 10 reduction in price. Or at least e. Ten times cheaper means ten times the freedom. It is Factor e improvement in quality of life. It is technology for ecology.

We started with 30 acres of raw land in rural Missouri - a former soybean field. We paid our last electricity bill three years ago. We are getting our power from waste vegetable oil and the sun. We drink pure free rain water. We grow most of our food. We are free. Welcome to our life. We want to help others do the same. Decentralization. Regain control of your life. Be your own boss. Evolve to freedom.

Click the arrows to see another video.

The Factor e Distillations are a review of Factor e Farm in 2008.

See a slide show presentation about the First Year at Factor e Farm, 2007.

See the latest presentation from 2009, given at the Oekonux 4 Conference in Manchester, UK.

More Information

See the weblog for the latest updates.

You can view videos from Factor e Farm on our Youtube Channel.

Pictures from Factor e Farm.

See Factor e Farm.org for discussion forums.

The core team members are the people at Factor e Farm who are engaged actively in the reserach and development program for the Resilient Community Construction Set (formerly called the Global Village Construction Set).

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What it's like at Factor e Farm

Learn about what it's like at Factor e Farm before you come.

Current as of April 6, 2009.

We are on 30 acres in rural Missouri. We aim to meet and transcend the needs of self-sufficient off grid basic survival.

Shelter

• We are totally off grid with solar panels to charge a forklift battery - buildings are wired
• We have wood stoves in all buildings, a chainsaw, and woods nearby for plenty of firewood in the cold months
• Buildings are waterproof, windproof, and some are insulated
• Buildings:
  • Earthbag hut
  • Cordwood hut - Usual visitor area.
  • Hexayurt - uninsulated
  • 2 Solar Cubicles - $380 insulated housing unit built in one day
  • CEB building and greenhouse - thermal mass retains heat
  • Army tent
  • We are building more to accommodate people.

Water

• Hand pumped water well
• Roof rain water catchment system on greenhouse, stored in barrels, manually siphoned out

Food

• 300 tree fruit, nut, and berry orchard
• Some canned food from the previous growing season
• Chickens - eggs, meat
• Goats - milk, meat
• We still have to buy some food
• Agricultural Permaculture tasks, landscaping, taking care of plants
• We try to eat together

Waste

• Humanure bucket with seat - emptied into compost
• Plants need water

Sanitation

• Will have hot water and shower soon with kitchen/workshop CEB building
• We have an indoors sink in the cordwood hut, with water from a container with spout.

Finances

• Finances are handled individually

Governance

• By priorities of the Global Village Construction Set

Learning

• DSL internet connection
• Wireless router
• We can train others to use tools, but the student must have demonstrated aptitude for such learning

Build technology for ecology to easily provide the above and replicate it at low cost for others

• The Global Village Construction Set

We are seeking interns for our research and development center to help develop open source self-sufficiency technology. This includes designing and implementing "permanent agriculture," agricultural machines, construction, and metalworking. We don't just make diagrams or theory, we make machines that help people achieve their dreams. Please consider volunteering at Factor e Farm.