[quote=@Dinh AaronMk] To cover bases I had to do some more research and ask some questions to some folks. But the other thing being forgotten among all these machine talks is while larger fields still can be maintained with combines - cobbled together or not - there's a standing issue with a lack of fertilizer to issue to the communities to keep the soil maintained. They could soon after the bombs dropping afflicted with a deficit of fertilizers, particularly presently used artificial fertilizers to lay on the fields to restore soil condition. As a case study to hold the Hutterites here against they'd be facing the same cyclical problems as the English economy in the middle ages which underwent wheat famines through soil depletion. The English wheat economy finally collapsed in the 14th century after intensive agriculture when they depleted the richness of so much of the soil they had to change industry. Where-as Egypt at the time and even in antiquity could maintain constant agriculture because the Nile was continually replenished with fertile silt soil from up-stream Africa that they could plant their crops in and have a bountiful harvest each time. The modern answer to making anywhere Egypt was accessible artificial fertilizer which is often produced from petroleum or natural gas itself, further straining any hopes for a viable fuel economy. And beyond that there's the loss of modern fungicides and herbicides forcing every farming economy to go organic, which isn't a process of agriculture that can maintain modern populations anyways and would be more energy intensive (you'd be planting more than you need to begin with to expect to loose most of it) and probably triggering later calamity (See: Dust Bowl). Not to say you can't try, but it's not a golden safety gun or a long-term edge. You're going to have to write about it all withering away sooner or later and a seizing economy. [/quote] Details details. I appreciate the impute. It's a very good point to consider down the road into the RP. For now, however, I don't even know what I'm allowed to work with. Can I have coal? Steam power?