Appropriate Technology, Open Source Blueprints

Using wikis and digital fabrication tools, Missouri farmer Marcin Jakubowski is open-sourcing the blueprints for 50 farm machines, allowing anyone to build their own tractor or harvester from scratch. And that's only the first step he's taking to write instruction sets for an entire self-sustaining farm operation with equipment costs of under $10,000.

Jakubowski's work has gotten a number of local farmers, mostly organic vegetable and poultry operators, very excited. Jane Pille, President of the Board of Carroll County Fresh (CCF) a local and sustainable agriculture advocacy organization, has made providing open-source blueprints a major goal for the work that CCF will do in 2012-13...