Our Story
The Handy Village Institute primarily offers workshops for adults seeking to gain knowledge about and experience in:
Handy Village Institute was founded in 2014 after a brief 2013 visit by Deborah and Christopher to the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) in Machynlleth, Wales. We returned there for a longer stay during November and December 2014, during which we took courses in hydropower, wind power, and environmental economics and policy. We each also worked as volunteers on several different tasks that enabled us to peer inside and learn more about running a school like CAT. We returned committed to interpret their work in our time and place. We are also inspired by the many courses we have taken in blacksmithing and weaving at the John C. Campbell Folk School, in Brasstown, NC, and embrace the folk school model of learning.
June 2015 found Jack, Deborah and Christopher at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, building our own wind turbines in the Homebrew Wind Turbine workshop they offer each year before the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair. Dan Bartmann, from Otherpower, was our instructor, and we purchased the turbines that we built in this workshop, installing the larger one at our site in North Carolina. It has powered our off-grid system on those cloudy days and any nights when the wind blows. We realized that the experience we had of using simple, often salvaged, parts and hand tools to fabricate a sturdy and reliable power generating machine teaches many different types of lessons that we were eager to share.
We are fortunate that Dan came to the Handy Village Institute in March 2016 to offer his Homebrew Wind Turbine Workshop here, and that many of the workshop participants were members of our local farming community. Dan has returned in March 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 to offer the Homebrew Wind Turbine workshop at the Handy Village Institute. Due to health and safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, workshops at Handy Village have been suspended since 2020. We currently plan to offer the Homebrew Wind Turbine Workshop, led by Dan in October 2022, specific dates to be determined.
The future of wind power, and distributed power generation, in our region is uncertain. Our hope is that by showing people what small wind turbines on farms look and sound like, and by building them and maintaining the turbines we build together, we can demonstrate their potential contribution to farm-, and homestead-scale community power generation in our part of the world.
It is our intention to find a permanent physical home for the Handy Village Institute, and to begin offering workshops about food, fiber, landscapes, and community resilience, as well as local energy systems. Local practitioners are reaching out to us about the prospect of leading Handy Village Institute workshops focused on making spoons, nutrition and herbal medicines, growing and using natural dyes, preserving food, and more. We hope that you will join us as we pursue these opportunities for shared learning.
- practicing small-scale energy generation and storage,
- managing and using water, soil, and vegetation resources on their landscapes,
- engaging in working relationships with like-minded individuals that will ensure transmission of essential aspects of human culture related to food, shelter, and furnishings.
Handy Village Institute was founded in 2014 after a brief 2013 visit by Deborah and Christopher to the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) in Machynlleth, Wales. We returned there for a longer stay during November and December 2014, during which we took courses in hydropower, wind power, and environmental economics and policy. We each also worked as volunteers on several different tasks that enabled us to peer inside and learn more about running a school like CAT. We returned committed to interpret their work in our time and place. We are also inspired by the many courses we have taken in blacksmithing and weaving at the John C. Campbell Folk School, in Brasstown, NC, and embrace the folk school model of learning.
June 2015 found Jack, Deborah and Christopher at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, building our own wind turbines in the Homebrew Wind Turbine workshop they offer each year before the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair. Dan Bartmann, from Otherpower, was our instructor, and we purchased the turbines that we built in this workshop, installing the larger one at our site in North Carolina. It has powered our off-grid system on those cloudy days and any nights when the wind blows. We realized that the experience we had of using simple, often salvaged, parts and hand tools to fabricate a sturdy and reliable power generating machine teaches many different types of lessons that we were eager to share.
We are fortunate that Dan came to the Handy Village Institute in March 2016 to offer his Homebrew Wind Turbine Workshop here, and that many of the workshop participants were members of our local farming community. Dan has returned in March 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 to offer the Homebrew Wind Turbine workshop at the Handy Village Institute. Due to health and safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, workshops at Handy Village have been suspended since 2020. We currently plan to offer the Homebrew Wind Turbine Workshop, led by Dan in October 2022, specific dates to be determined.
The future of wind power, and distributed power generation, in our region is uncertain. Our hope is that by showing people what small wind turbines on farms look and sound like, and by building them and maintaining the turbines we build together, we can demonstrate their potential contribution to farm-, and homestead-scale community power generation in our part of the world.
It is our intention to find a permanent physical home for the Handy Village Institute, and to begin offering workshops about food, fiber, landscapes, and community resilience, as well as local energy systems. Local practitioners are reaching out to us about the prospect of leading Handy Village Institute workshops focused on making spoons, nutrition and herbal medicines, growing and using natural dyes, preserving food, and more. We hope that you will join us as we pursue these opportunities for shared learning.
Celebration of Enduring Culture and Technology
We facilitate gatherings of small groups of adults to discuss, learn about, and gain skills in ancient and modern practices relevant to independent and interdependent living in communities. Our focus is on conversion of energy, application of materials, and cultivation of relationships within a community.
WorkshopsWe host hands-on workshops in which participants have fun while gaining experience working as a team and practice in skills that use tools to make useful objects.
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EventsWe host, as well as teach and participate in events at other locations to bring practical examples of our work to schools and community gatherings such as conferences and fairs.
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CommunityWe bring people together to share skills, stories, and experience, with a focus on building connections and community resilience.
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