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Hey, I just got some land in N. California and I was wondering about building a robot like yours to work it. It looks like I might not be able to get up there

Hey, I just got some land in N. California and I was wondering about building a robot like yours to work it. It looks like I might not be able to get up there personally for a bit (family obligations) so a tele-operated robot might be the way to go. (Also, I'm a hobbyist robot maker, so... yeah. Robots!) - - - - edit to add: I just saw your comment https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35637541 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35637541 and yeah we are on the same page. Let's do this thing. The land I just got is for a mutual-benefit non-profit corp I started (Ariadne Systems) to do pretty much exactly what you describe! > ...you can ensure that everyone gets fed etc without paying for it by building an economy where everyone is part owner of the productive machinery they depend upon. Then no one is poor. Creating an economy where a preponderance of the firms are cooperatives is a good start. So this can be done in a traditionally libertarian way, without high taxes or strong government intervention. The corp I started is just such a cooperative firm (well, it will be once I find some people to cooperate with, eh?) to co-own the productive machinery and ecologically-harmoniously agriculturally-productive farm land, and provide goods and services (and eventually homes) to the members.

TaylorAlexander 4y ago
That is so wonderful to hear! We’re working steadily towards a system that would be perfect for you! I suppose you have found this? https://community.twistedfields.com/t/join-the-solar-farming-revolution-support-acorn-and-empower-farmers-worldwide/370 https://community.twistedfields.com/t/join-the-solar-farming...
- carapace 4y ago
  Oh wow. We are soooooo on the same page. I'll be in touch. Probably be one of your first customers, eh?
  - TaylorAlexander 4y ago
    Awesome! We would love to have your support on Open Collective in the meantime!
    - carapace 4y ago
      You got it. We just canceled Netflix and Hulu and I don't see why that money shouldn't be redirected to your project. My desire is to get productive on the land (as in make some money) ASAP. Ideally it can pay for itself starting now. Before I go off on a big ol' stream of consciousness brain dump, let me ask you, what about a scenario where you provide me with one of your kits (free or at cost maybe?) and I agree to give you, say, 15% of gross sales of produce raised with your machine? You would retain ownership of the machine, I would be responsible for maintenance and repair. Something like that? It just occurred to me so I haven't thought it through yet. (I can raise the question on your forums if you like? I just joined.) Anyway, like I said, I want to make money on this land. I very much want it to pay for itself, I really want to avoid getting another programming job (now that the machines can talk and program themselves my heart isn't in it anymore.) And it would be fantastic if I can make enough money to fund all my grand ideas (including robots.) I'm developing a plan (the purchase was kind of sudden) in roughly three phases: I) collect and sell stuff laying around. Rocks, wood, etc. I am jealous of that matériel but it's a quick and easy way to make a few grand to fund the next stage. II) SPIN (Small Plot INtensive) market gardens. ( https://spinfarming.com/ https://spinfarming.com/ ) If i give over an acre or two to SPIN plots and figure out how to reach markets I should be able to make $50k-$100k per year easily. Neither of the above are regenerative. The whole point is to fund: III) Food forest. I figure you're hip to that already, but I want to share a video I just saw last night "From a Dry Field to a Lush Food Forest in 18 Months" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icJx01VuV6I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icJx01VuV6I So there it is: if you have the resources you can do that in 18 months. (I have many of the species he mentions already in my seed box! Now I have room to germinate them! Que mad scientist laugh. I have about four hundred species of seeds ready to go.) Food forests not only produce, uh, produce, they also grow the seeds and cuttings etc. to make more food forest. (I've had people ask if regenerative ag is scalable. Yes, it is scalable. Life scales. That's like it's whole deal. That and being gorgeous!) Long-term I want to have a botanical garden, a tropical conservatory, ponds and water systems etc... It's gonna be great!
      - TaylorAlexander 4y ago
        > You got it. We just canceled Netflix and Hulu and I don't see why that money shouldn't be redirected to your project. I would love that thank you so much! This is all great stuff to post on the forum! It is hard for me to engage with everyone about the project because I am doing so much stuff, but I also want other people to see the enthusiasm our project generates. > what about a scenario where you provide me with one of your kits (free or at cost maybe?) and I agree to give you, say, 15% of gross sales of produce raised with your machine? Thank you for the suggestion. Our project is moving slowly. It will be some time before we are able to ship kits, and even when we do the plan is to ship them without tools. Its going to be a long but worthwhile road to profitable farming with these machines. I love everything you're saying tho. Welcome to the community!

TaylorAlexander 4y ago

That is so wonderful to hear! We’re working steadily towards a system that would be perfect for you! I suppose you have found this? https://community.twistedfields.com/t/join-the-solar-farming-revolution-support-acorn-and-empower-farmers-worldwide/370 https://community.twistedfields.com/t/join-the-solar-farming...

carapace 4y ago
Oh wow. We are soooooo on the same page. I'll be in touch. Probably be one of your first customers, eh?
- TaylorAlexander 4y ago
  Awesome! We would love to have your support on Open Collective in the meantime!
  - carapace 4y ago
    You got it. We just canceled Netflix and Hulu and I don't see why that money shouldn't be redirected to your project. My desire is to get productive on the land (as in make some money) ASAP. Ideally it can pay for itself starting now. Before I go off on a big ol' stream of consciousness brain dump, let me ask you, what about a scenario where you provide me with one of your kits (free or at cost maybe?) and I agree to give you, say, 15% of gross sales of produce raised with your machine? You would retain ownership of the machine, I would be responsible for maintenance and repair. Something like that? It just occurred to me so I haven't thought it through yet. (I can raise the question on your forums if you like? I just joined.) Anyway, like I said, I want to make money on this land. I very much want it to pay for itself, I really want to avoid getting another programming job (now that the machines can talk and program themselves my heart isn't in it anymore.) And it would be fantastic if I can make enough money to fund all my grand ideas (including robots.) I'm developing a plan (the purchase was kind of sudden) in roughly three phases: I) collect and sell stuff laying around. Rocks, wood, etc. I am jealous of that matériel but it's a quick and easy way to make a few grand to fund the next stage. II) SPIN (Small Plot INtensive) market gardens. ( https://spinfarming.com/ https://spinfarming.com/ ) If i give over an acre or two to SPIN plots and figure out how to reach markets I should be able to make $50k-$100k per year easily. Neither of the above are regenerative. The whole point is to fund: III) Food forest. I figure you're hip to that already, but I want to share a video I just saw last night "From a Dry Field to a Lush Food Forest in 18 Months" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icJx01VuV6I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icJx01VuV6I So there it is: if you have the resources you can do that in 18 months. (I have many of the species he mentions already in my seed box! Now I have room to germinate them! Que mad scientist laugh. I have about four hundred species of seeds ready to go.) Food forests not only produce, uh, produce, they also grow the seeds and cuttings etc. to make more food forest. (I've had people ask if regenerative ag is scalable. Yes, it is scalable. Life scales. That's like it's whole deal. That and being gorgeous!) Long-term I want to have a botanical garden, a tropical conservatory, ponds and water systems etc... It's gonna be great!
    - TaylorAlexander 4y ago
      > You got it. We just canceled Netflix and Hulu and I don't see why that money shouldn't be redirected to your project. I would love that thank you so much! This is all great stuff to post on the forum! It is hard for me to engage with everyone about the project because I am doing so much stuff, but I also want other people to see the enthusiasm our project generates. > what about a scenario where you provide me with one of your kits (free or at cost maybe?) and I agree to give you, say, 15% of gross sales of produce raised with your machine? Thank you for the suggestion. Our project is moving slowly. It will be some time before we are able to ship kits, and even when we do the plan is to ship them without tools. Its going to be a long but worthwhile road to profitable farming with these machines. I love everything you're saying tho. Welcome to the community!