UMakers

Last week we had our final build day for the semester where we were able to secure the roof, install the front drying vents, wheels, and leg supports, along with continuing the installation of the drying shelf supports.

While there are still a few steps left in the build to be completed next semester, our team has been able to knock-out some incredible work in the short time we had together. Even though the build aspect of the project is winding down as the winter break approaches, our team will still be working on the logistical side of things like drafting signage for the Permaculture Garden site and figuring out the inclusion of a temperature gauge in the design, which will be a key aspect when it comes to testing the design!

Stay tuned for the final results!

Cutting the support for the drying shelves - all 22 to be exact! By the end of the week the supports will be installed and ready to hold drying trays!

PS - Check out the nifty placeholder we created on the table saw, seen in the first photo. The guide on the table saw couldn't be adjusted any closer to the blade (we were cutting 3/4-inch pieces) so we needed to extend the guide so that it would be snug and give us a clean 3/4-inch cut. We did this by using a piece of wood against the guide, fastened another piece of wood at the end with a clamp that would keep the first piece fixed and voilà!

When we began this project, it was important that we had a vision for the what the final product would produce (besides dehydrated fruits and veggies 🍎🥕). It only made sense that we partner with the UMass Permaculture Garden. The Garden will not only provide the dehydrator with a demonstration site but also provide the opportunity for others to learn about food preservation and peer-to-peer production at UMass Amherst.

One of the next steps the team is going to tackle is developing signage that will go with the dehydrator in the Permaculture Garden. What do you want to know about the solar dehydrator?

Permaculture The UMass Permaculture Initiative is changing the way students interact with their food and surroundings with the creation of on-campus permaculture gardens. As part of the Healthy and Sustainable...

You might’ve noticed the term ‘commoning’ popping up on our posts and wondering what does commoning even mean? While commoning can be seen and practiced in a variety of ways, boiled down it can be explained as the collective practice of individuals collaborating and sharing resources (or ‘commons’) to achieve needs and maintain the well-being of individuals, communities, and environments.

Here’s a video that gives a great overview of commons and commoning. Mentioned in the video is an Amherst local and commons guru, David Bollier, click the link below to visit his website to learn more!
http://www.bollier.org/

How Does the Commons Work? How can we use "commoning" as a process to transform the social paradigm of our current system? In his paper for our "New Systems: Possibilities and Proposal...