Crash course on OSE

Overview for New People
Start with our Main OSE Website. To see what we do, see the video. Open Source Ecology was founded in 2004 by Marcin Jakubowski. We are a network of farmers, engineers, and supporters that for the last three years has been creating the, an open-source, low-cost, high performance technological platform that allows for the easy, DIY fabrication of the 50 different Industrial Machines that it takes to build a sustainable civilization with modern comforts. The GVCS lowers the barriers to entry into farming, building, and manufacturing and can be seen as a life-size lego-like set of modular tools that can create entire economies, whether in rural Missouri, where the project was founded, in urban redevelopment, or in the heart of Africa.

'''We have an ambitious program for product release of the 49 remaining technologies within 2 years and a 2.4M dollars budget - which we abbreviate as our 50/2/2 program. The period for this is 2011-2012.''' 

Key Features of the GVCS
These are the, and if you want to see the full set of values, see.

Current Status
last updated: February 1, 2012.

See Status Brief (last updated 4/11/12) for latest technology development, and check the XM_Project_Page_Prototype_2 Platform for overall steps on organizational issues.

The following prototypes and products are developed until end of 2011:

In 2011, Marcin gave a TED Talk. We had product orders of the Power Cube, CEB Press, Tractor and Soil Pulverizer and we started with the construction of the HabLab and Workshop. Replications of the GVCS machines started.

We had a successful Kickstarter campaign and received grants from the Kauffman Foundation and Shuttleworth Foundation. Now we are expanding our Resource Development.

We are finishing the Civilization Starter Kit DVD containing full documentation of the Power Cube, CEB Press, Tractor and Soil Pulverizer

We are working now on 13 machines. You can see the current status and needs in the Status Brief.

You can preorder the GVCS machines.

Future Plans
2012 is rapid parallel development for the completion of the 50 machines. We are scaling our Organizational Development and recruiting a Co-Founder to join the team at Factor e Farm.

First we are planning to open source full beta products in three main groupings:
 * The open source Microfactory package - Ironworker machine, CNC Torch Table, CNC Multimachine and Induction Furnace.
 * Power Infrastructure Package - Modern Steam Engine, Pelletizer, Solar Concentrator, Heat Exchanger, Power Inverter.
 * Construction Package - Well Drilling Rig, Sawmill, Backhoe, Bulldozer.

We are looking for active collaboration in all projects. Our current needs are:


 * Fabrication Manager - finish the existing and continue new production runs, produce further construction equipment necessary for infrastructure buildout.
 * Construction Project Manager- leading the building new of infrastructure as new people come on site, focusing on natural building techniques such as CEB, local lumber, and local biomass for superinsulation, and bioplastic for greenhouses (see last blog post for details)
 * Project Managers – overall global/local project management and integration– utilizing the assistance of a global development team to move forward the creation and testing of the GVCS infrastructure at Factor e Farm
 * Machine Designer/CAD – feeds technical design (CAD) into the prototyping process for the GVCS – by providing fabrication drawings to the fabrication team
 * OSE Fabricators – custom fabricators and prototypers who convert technical design drawings into physical prototypes – creating the physical substance of the project
 * CAM Expert – contributes to the CAM (fabrication automation) aspect of the prototyping process by developing CAM files and by using CNC machines – while streamlining the fabrication process
 * Power Engineer – develops the electrical power grid for the community and develops the workshop power supplies – including developing the welder, plasma cutter, induction furnace, inverter, charge controller, and other power electric devices that are included in the GVCS
 * Remote Collaboration Support – organizing remote contributor teams for design/CAD/prototyping assistance to Factor e Farm
 * CAD/CAM Programmer – A robust, integrated, open source, professional-quality tool chain for CAD/CAM is currently not available. We will put effort into developing such a tool chain to promote the replicability of GVCS tools, by building on and integrating existing tools.
 * Land Regeneration Manager – Factor e Farm suffers from serious erosion and fertility issues caused by decades of prior commercial row-cropping. To ameliorate this, our program calls for building berms, ponds, and other earthworks to address erosion directly, plus, extensive mulching, as well as intensive rotational grazing as a rapid way to improve the soil food web. The primary tools that are to be used in these tasks are bulldozers, ruminants, and hay-bales.
 * Farmer – or more specifically – the open source agroecologist – the pivotal person in the community who provides nutrition to the FeF team and thereby is the primary contibutor to the good health of the community. The open source agroecologist is responsible for food production – from garden and orchard to field crops, animal husbandry, fishery, and forestry – and for food storage and processing, such as seed cleaning, seed saving, and oil expression. The farmer is responsible for producing food, fuel, and fiber crops (both wood and clothing) – while maintaining a diverse and integrated ecosystem and soil food web that improves in quality over time.
 * Cook – feeds the FeF population; engages in crop planning, harvest, and organization of food processing activities

Marcin will give a TED talk on TED Global.

after 2013
After the GVCS completion the first OSE Community will be built and Education and Training in 2-year immersion program are planned.

A Documentary Film about Factory E Farm may come in the future.

and collaborate with us to help us make this happen.

Getting Involved
If you want to join quickly some of the project, then check the Guide to OSE Projects.

Media and Interviews
For Interviews, please check our. Here you can find High Resolution GVCS Media.

Required Reading for Developers

 * Product Template
 * Development Team
 * Product Template
 * Development Team
 * Development Team

Other

 * Preorder the GVCS machines.
 * Media Development
 * 50 Icons from Isaiah Saxon
 * 50 Icons from Isaiah Saxon

FAQs

 * http://openfarmtech.org/community/faq

To Do Items
See and.