Learn to build community food systems
Free online workshops where we walk through the real landscape of automated local food production, what exists, what it costs, and how a community can actually start.
Request a workshopNo fixed public calendar yet, sessions run when a group requests one
Tell us about your group and we'll set a time. Public, drop-in sessions are planned once there's a regular cadence, follow the newsletter to hear when those open up.
What we cover
Each workshop is 60–90 minutes, free, and open to anyone curious.
- 01 The landscape
What exists today in automated food production, FarmBot, robotics arms, computer-vision irrigation, and what is still a research project.
- 02 The real economics
What these systems cost to build and operate, and how a community-owned model stacks up against conventional grocery delivery.
- 03 The food access angle
How automated local sourcing can address food deserts, and what the honest barriers are in your zip code.
- 04 How to start
Practical pilot ideas: a FarmBot bed, a neighborhood CSA, a co-op structure. How to test demand before committing capital.
- 05 The pollinator option
How the same turf-replacement rebate that funds food gardens can fund California-native pollinator habitat instead, or alongside it, and why the state's plant rules make natives the easiest path to approval.
Local Resiliency Systems: a 3-part series
A hands-on series for people who want practical self-sufficiency skills, not just theory. Take one part or all three.
- 01 How to build a cyberdeck for beginners
Build a rugged, portable, open-source computing rig from repurposed and off-the-shelf parts, no electronics background required.
- 02 Equipment reclamation & restoration
How to find, evaluate, and bring old tools, electronics, and equipment back to life instead of buying new, what's worth saving and what isn't.
- 03 Hyper-local regenerative supply chains
Mapping and building resilient, community-scale supply loops for food, materials, and tools, the same closed-loop thinking behind Johnny Autoseed itself.
Who these workshops are for
Community organizers
Neighborhood groups exploring local food access solutions.
Schools & educators
Programs covering agriculture, robotics, food systems, or community design.
Co-ops & food organizations
Worker co-ops, food banks, CSA operators evaluating new models.
Planners & policymakers
Local government and economic developers mapping food-system infrastructure.