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March 16, 2026 • 5 min read

Proposal v1.5: The Public Draft Is Here

ProposalMilestoneOpen Research

The Johnny Autoseed Proposal v1.5 is now public.

This is the document we’ve been working toward since the project began — a comprehensive proposal that lays out the full vision, the technical approach, the budget math, and the community model for automated local food systems.

What’s in the Proposal

The v1.5 draft covers the complete picture:

  • System Architecture — How the hardware, software, and growing systems fit together. From soil sensors to harvest automation, every layer is mapped.
  • Budget Pathways — Three tiers of implementation (starter, community, and full-scale) with real cost breakdowns and ROI projections.
  • Community Impact Model — How a single installation can serve a neighborhood, and how the model scales from one backyard to a network of sites.
  • Technology Foundations — The open-source stack we’re building on: FarmBot for precision planting, Mobile ALOHA–style manipulation (research lineage + today’s Trossen AI ecosystem) for harvest and processing, and modular software connecting it all.
  • Implementation Roadmap — Phased rollout from proof-of-concept through pilot deployment, with clear milestones and decision gates.

Why v1.5?

The first draft (v1.0) was an internal working document. This version incorporates feedback from early collaborators, updated cost estimates based on 2026 component pricing, and a more realistic timeline informed by our prototype work.

Key changes from v1.0:

  1. Revised budget estimates reflecting current hardware costs and supply chain realities
  2. Expanded community model with cooperative ownership structures
  3. Clearer technical specifications for each subsystem
  4. Added implementation phases with go/no-go criteria at each stage

What “Public Draft” Means

This is not a finished product. It’s a working document released in the open because we believe the best way to build something like this is transparently. We’re inviting review, criticism, and collaboration.

If you spot something wrong, tell us. If you see a gap, point it out. If you want to build with us, the proposal is your entry point.

Read the Full Proposal

The complete v1.5 proposal is available as a PDF on the Resources page, or you can view it directly through the site’s built-in PDF viewer.

This is the foundation everything else builds on. The engine simulations, the budget calculators, the plant quiz — they all trace back to the systems described in this document.

What’s Next

With the proposal public, we’re moving into the next phase:

  • Community feedback period — We want eyes on this from growers, engineers, urban planners, and anyone who cares about food access
  • Pilot site selection — Identifying locations for the first proof-of-concept installations
  • Hardware prototyping — Building and testing the first physical subsystems documented in the hardware build log

The proposal is the map. Now we start walking the territory.