[quote=@ClocktowerEchos] The rule on oil and oil refineries is that at best its been hit by several cruise missiles or something like that and at worse got a nuke to the face. Alberta would have been a massive target because of its fuel reserves and most likely got its face imploded at the end of the world. Any major refinery and oil field would have been targeted and blown to bits; sure there are primitive or salvaged refineries and pump jacks, but they work no where near close to modern machines. Even if you did manage to make some, it'd most likely be pretty shit quality as the machines and methods of purification would be something like a lost art or just incapable of being reproduced. There are still machines in America, its just that its highly recommended that people keep the more advanced goodies to themselves. Think of it this way: you have a nice high tech piece of machinery like a harvester, what would you trade it for? You can't just build another one so raw materials is out, a sum of food wouldn't do much since now you have just traded something that could assist food production for a lump sum which isn't a good investment, sure you could just spend it on riches and gold and that stuff, but what use is that? While I do see your point about zealots, how many of those zealots would know how an engine works? How a truck fits together? How gun mechanisms work in detail? Manpower means little if you don't have the resources or knowledge to use it. Look at China's Great Leap Forward, almost the entire country got on board with "backyard steel forges" but no one knew how to really make steel outside of the villages who had a history of metal working meaning just about all the metal was too poor quality to be used. But horses and other pack animals still exist so you don't have to worry too much about that. [/quote] Okay, well all I'm asking for are a couple crappy pump jacks, producing just enough oil to run a few scrap-hobbled tractors, just to give the country a slight edge in food-production, relative to the norm. The majority of work can still be done with horses and simple plows. The idea is that the country sacrifices military manpower (mainly devout pacifists, no hope of general conscription, only useful in self-defense, very little knowledge of military strategy), for an economic advantage. You make a good point about what people would be willing to trade. It could instead be the case that parts and materials are gathered by scavengers, from the ruins of the old world. The real Hutterites are nothing but tradition, and their entire culture is based around farming and farming technology. Surely, knowledge of how to maintain farm equipment would be the most common attribute of the average citizen. They'd know nothing about how to make guns. That would be something handled by the Albertasleut, if at all. If you'd like, it could be the case that their military is mainly armed with flint-locks and such, and doesn't have much in the way of artillery. I feel like that would be more realistic, than a post-war Hutterite nation that wasn't leading the way (in even the slightest way) in farming technology. What Hutterite tech and daily activity looks like today (yes, they have a website): http://www.hutterites.org/galleries/work-and-agriculture/ If not, could you propose some other way to better balance the nation?