Mark D Thomas

Thanks a lot, Mark. Please contact John Robb. We are keeping track of any marketing at

http://openfarmtech.org/index.php?title=Marketing

and

http://openfarmtech.org/index.php?title=Talk:Marketing

If you do, please make a note on the wiki that you did so. You can sign up or log in and edit on the wiki. It's for everybody to use.

We will have a brochure to print for you, unless you beat us to that. Are you familiar with any drawing programs, and can you take the initiative to help us publish a brochure? When someone suggests something that we don't have, my practice is to ask that person to pursue the item in question.

When you say rednecks - you mean outside worker types, where the word comes from their forearms and necks being red from the sun? I've heard this term many times, and I think it has several definitions depending on who you talk to.

Marcin

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On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 9:09 PM, Mark D. Thomas <markt@swva.net> wrote:

Hi Marcin,

I'm a true fan! Sorry it took a while--I've been meaning to sign up since you announced the "true fans" project. I'm subscribed through paypal account 'factore@thomastechcon.com'.

I originally heard of your project through John Robb at Global Guerrillas (http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/). He has mentioned your work in relation to a book he is writing on Resilient Communities and ways to protect against terrorist attacks on global infrastructure. Have you been in contact with him about the 1000 true fans funding? I don't have an email address for him, but if you want me to try to contact him on your behalf, I will sign up for comments on his site and try to get the message through.

Floyd County (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_County,_Virginia) is also full of rednecks, back-to-the-earthers, and survivalists. If you have a flyer I can print, I'll leave it at food coops, coffee shops, and farmer supply stores around.

Good luck!

Mark

Marcin Jakubowski wrote:

Mark,

Here is a summary of our work and goals:

1. We have proven that we can do Factor 10 engineering - 10 fold cost reduction - with both the open source Compressed Earth Brick (CEB) press and tractor, with the first product, the CEB press, going into production on April 1, 2009.

2. We have produced a system design and have proven low-cost reflectors for a breakthrough solar thermal electric power generator system.

3. We are aiming to prove that we can 'recast new, prosperous civilization at the cost of scrap metal' by reinventing an industrial system based on personal fabrication.

4. We are aiming to prove that we can produce self-replicable low-maintenance, perennial agriculture and edible landscapes that will fill in the need for local food systems

5. We are assembling a package of 'buying out at the bottom' based on the above techniques - which allows people to generate independent wealth and move on with their lives to their true interests.

Is that worth supporting? Is that realistic? What would you need to see to be more convinced, point by point?

Is this enough for you to contribute 33 cents per day for the next 2 years, or to recomment someone else who could? See http://blog.opensourceecology.org/?p=462

Can you promote this in your groups? Where else do you think I should publicize this? Please let me know any other thoughts.

Marcin

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Mark D. Thomas <markt@swva.net> to Joseph.dolittle@gmail.com date Sat, Oct 25, 2008 at 5:02 P

Reply

Hi,

Thanks for posting this document. I had a read through and it increased my interest in the project.

I had trouble viewing the picture at the top of page 3. In both OpenOffice and Microsoft Word, it appeared as a black box. Fiddling with the background colors in Word, I found it had a few text boxes that said, "QuickTime? and a TIFF (LZW) decompressor are needed to see this picture."

We stay on a 40 acre small holding in Floyd County, VA--you can see some pictures at www.thomasphotos.wordpress.com. I'm hoping that we can get involved in testing some of your ideas as they develop. Money and time are tight enough that we have to be parsimonious about what we can offer, but I promise that I will be reviewing your products as we start each new project. I'm sure that at one point the risk and cost of your open source developments will be lower than the other alternatives, and we can get involved.

Thanks for all your efforts,