Sustainable and Regenerative Development of Water Mills as an Example of Agricultural Technologies for Small Farms

Abstract

Nowadays, the reuse of built agricultural/industrial heritage has been a common practice worldwide. These structures represent excellent symbols of the great agricultural/industrial past. These agricultural/hydro-technologies also serve as monuments of socio-cultural identities, especially in rural areas and on small farms. One example of a successful application of agricultural technologies for small farms is the water mill. By harnessing the water energy, they were used for traditional flour and other goods production (e.g., olive oil) and works requiring energy, with the main role in the evolution of the traditional/cultural landscape. Water mills have been used to drive a mechanical process of milling, hammering, and rolling and are a portion of the agricultural, cultural, and industrial heritage. For approximately two millennia, the vertical mill water wheel prepared the initial source of mechanical power in many regions of the world. Water mills were the first device that converted natural resources of energy into mechanical energy in order to operate some form of machinery. The preservation/management of water mills is challenging due to their long-term abandonment and the lack of information/knowledge about their value. The other obstacles that are faced in their retrofitting and/or preservation are the lack of sufficient economic incentives and complex authorizations/legislations. Sustainability and regeneration of water mills through the centuries are then reviewed for history and agricultural/industrial “archaeology”. The history of water-powered mills in prehistoric and historic times, including ancient Persia/Iran, ancient China, ancient India, the Islamic world, Venetian Crete, medieval Europe, America, and finally present times, is discussed. The outcome of this review allows the understanding of the importance of conservation, optimization, and development of water mills. It will help to know more and achieve sustainable/regenerative development for small farms with respect to water and energy crises at present and in the future.

Soil Nutrient Status and Morphometric Responses of Guava under Drip Irrigation and High-Tech Horticultural Techniques for Sustainable Farming

“…Associated with the low production of trees and small fruits of little commercial value, they have forced the abandonment of orchards as they are considered unproductive, reducing the area planted with guava [53,54]. This is why the results of our study represent the initial basis of scientific evidence that raises the need to evaluate technology to optimize irrigation and fertilization water, particularly with respect to climate change and water crisis [56][57][58].…”

Evolution of Water Technologies and Corresponding Philosophy and Sciences Focusing on the Hellenic World through the Millennia

“…One of the major agents in this development was the new political order of Roman Greece, where the old political borders between city-states no longer prevented the expansion of hydrological technology. In addition, the water mill now caught the attention of Vitruvius (80-15 BC), and Plinius the Elder (23/24-79 AD) recognized it as a new device [69] (Figure 12). Moreover, the Romans widely adopted the water mill and continued to be so throughout the European medieval period [70,71].…”

“…However, the basic technological paradigm of the mill attributed to Heron needed more time and refinement to become a primary mover. In that respect, the history of the water mill should also include its development in the Roman and Medieval periods [69].…”

Strategies for the adoption of innovation processes in agricultural productive units of the Department of La Guajira -Colombia: Literary review and systemic approach

“…Approaching the Common Era, in 180 BC, the first fishing treaty was developed in Greece by Opiano de Apamea (Costa-Pierce, 2022). During the early and high Middle Ages (700-1250 AD) the first exchanges of crops between the Far East and Europe occurred (Angelakis et al, 2022;Quiros-Castillo et al, 2020;Jarret, 2019) and for the late Middle Ages (1300-1400 AD) the advances in agriculture generate surpluses that allow the growth of cities and the population increases (Poirier, 2022).…”