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.
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The Factor e Distillations are a review of Factor e Farm in 2008.
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See a slide show presentation about the First Year at Factor e Farm, 2007.
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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
Definitions: Core Team or Factor e Farm Core Team or Factor e Core Team refers to the full time people at Factor e Farm, who are also involved in the research and development program.
Learn about what it's like at Factor e Farm before you come.
Current as of April 25, 2009.
We are on 30 acres in rural Missouri.
Shelter
- We are totally off grid with solar panels that charge a forklift battery. Buildings are wired, including the new CEB workshop addition. We need to wire the two workshop silos, and install an electric fence charger for the goat pen.
- We have wood stoves in the cordwood, earthbag, and CEB workshop buildings. We have 4 acres of wooded area, but this is not sufficient to sustain all stoves without upgrading to efficient stoves, proper solar design, Babington burner option, and central hydronic heating. We aim to address these points by end of 2009.
- Solar Cubicles are insulated, the CEB workshop is partly insulated, while earthbag and cordwood structures feature only thermal mass.
- 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
- Solar Village planned for 2009.
Water
- Hand pumped water well
- Roof rain water catchment system on greenhouse, with about 1000 gallon storage capacity. Pressure tank provides water to sink in earthbag structure, CEB addition sink and shower, plus greenhouse irrigation. Hose can be extended to water the garden. Well pumping can be automated via 3" submersible pump (not available) or a manual-to-motorized handpump converter (available). On-demand electric heater is installed for kitchen sink and shower.
- Next improvement will be a deep well - beneath bedrock at 100 feet - after we build an open source Well Rig
Electricity, Internet, and Fuel
- We presently have 1.4 kW of solar panels installed. This is sufficient to run lights, internet, appliances, and workshop tools without problems. It is not sufficient for extensive electricity usage, such as electric heaters, welders, or items left on when not needed. As such, people need to be conscious of energy usage. Battery voltage should be checked regularly (readout on inverter) to make sure there is no unaccounted energy usage or leakage. As a general rule, voltage should not go below 12.0 volts, and charging should not exceed 14.0 volts. The inverter shuts off automatically below 11 volts and above 15 volts. The overcharge condition can degrade the battery rapidly from its 20 year rated life.
- Higher power items, such as welder, are run off the tractor generator, which can produce 20 kW of electric power.
- Internet is provided. It can be supported easily all day by our available power, but it should be turned off whenever not in use.
- We make our own biodiesel for the LifeTrac tractor and Suburban farm truck.
Food
- 400 tree fruit, nut, and berry orchard
- Garden with many raised beds planted out in 2009
- Asparagus and raspberries are presently available in abundance
- Orchard was planted 2 years ago from small trees.
- Chickens - eggs; Incubator recently open-sourced, and in testing. Abundant eggs and chicken meat expected later in 2009.
- Goats - milk; meat reserve if needed; present population of 7, with 2 males.
- We buy food that we don't grow on the farm
- Agricultural Permaculture tasks, landscaping, taking care of plants
- We try to eat together
Waste
- 2 composting toilets as described at Composting Toilet.
- 3 compost bins
- Need to reestablish redworm population for vermiposting, as these have died out over winter.
Sanitation
- Installed hot water, dish washing sink, and shower in CEB addition
- We have an indoors sink in the earthbag structure; pressure tank froze last winter, and this winter we aim to have the pressure tank in a heated space.
Finances
- Finances are handled individually. Factor e Farm provides electricity, internet, and Core Team members are responsible for their foo. Project See Transparency
- 1000 True Fans campaign provides ongoing funding. Currently 38 subscribers.
- Project-based crowd funding is deployed via ChipIn and PayPal.
- Need to set up donation handling via Revolution Money Exchange.
- We (by Core Team principled consensus) will negotiate the level of financial responsibility and joining costs for prospective Core Team members based on the interests and resources of the applicant
Governance
- Priorities of the Resilient Community Construction Set (formerly called Global Village Construction Set) determine direction and funding allocation. Director of Research and Development is responsible for setting research and development priorities, as well as for determining necessary infrastructure improvements.
- Council of Elders settles disputes by mediation. Council of Elders is presently being recruited. Core Team selects Councils of Elders by principled consensus. Anyone may bring up a topic for mediation, and in case of any objections, the decision to enter mediation will be determined by 'principled consensus' of all core team members.
- Board of Academic Advisors is currently being recruited.
- Rules of Conduct
- Core Team members are required to study consensus techniques and conflict resolution techniques. We expect all participants to accept the responsibility for effective conflict resolution.
Legal
- Legal structure and land tenure is discussed at Transparency
Learning
- DSL internet connection
- Wireless router
- We are not set up well for training Core Team members in various skills for living, research, and development work. We typically require prospective members to come with skills, and this point is negotiable.
- We are a learning community, and we are all expected to help each other grow in practical, mental, emotional, and spiritual techniques.
Tool Use
- People may use tools either:
- by bringing their own
- demonstrating proficiency in using and maintaining Factor e Farm tools
- We are also building various tools, and whoever builds one may also use it and teach others to use it
Build technology for ecology to easily provide the above and replicate it at low cost for others
We are seeking interns for our research and development program to help develop open source technology for building resilient communities. This includes designing and building "permanent agriculture," agricultural machines, infrastructure buildings, and metalworking products. We don't just make diagrams or theory, we make machines that help people achieve their dreams. Please consider volunteering at Factor e Farm.