eOrganic: the National Organic Agriculture Information, Training and Networking System

the National Organic Agriculture Information, Training & Networking System funded by: CSREES Organic Research and Extension Initiative and eXtension

the eXtension Community of Practice and Resource Area for Organic Agriculture

What is ?

Why ?

There is limited, credible organic agriculture information available on the web

Extension personnel are increasingly asked for information on organic agriculture

Many Extension and other LGU personnel have had limited experience with organic agricultural systems

eOrganic’s Community of Interest (CoI) includes farmers and other practitioners, educators and agricultural professionals (including Extension personnel), and researchers

is new!

eOrganic Visioning Meeting, February 2007

eOrganic CSREES Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OAREI) funding initiated: September 2007

Drupal-based collaborative workspace initiated: August, 2007

Developed CoP and content for launch

Public launch at eXtension.org: January, 2009

: three missions

eOrganic: the National……

Information

Training

Networking

………………… .System for Organic Agriculture

: three missions

Information

Training

Networking

Science-based information

Experience-based information

Regulation-based information

FAQs

Public Content

In additio n:

News

Calendar Events

Ask an Expert

Workspace - http://eOrganic.info

Workspace - http://eOrganic.info Members login

Workspace - http://eOrganic.info

Articles are written at eOrganic.info

and ‘fed’ to eXtension.org for publication

Authorship

Full Citations with Links Required

Review - anonymous peer review Each article is reviewed by two anonymous content reviewers before publication.

Review - Cert Check Organic agriculture is legally defined by the federal government. To ensure that content is compliant with the National Organic Program, all content is reviewed by organic certification experts after peer review and before publication

: three missions

Information

Training

Networking

eOrganic - as Training System

New initiative: online public webinars for ag professionals and farmers

Organic fundamentals (e.g. soil and pest management)

Critical Issues (e.g. late blight)

Series and single webinars

The public can participate in live webinars or watch them online as recordings.

Webinars will also be worked up into articles as appropriate.

In the future: short courses

: three missions

Information

Training

Networking

eOrganic.info

A web community where organic agriculture practitioners (farmers and others), researchers, educators and agricultural professionals (including Extension professionals), and regulators can network, exchange information, work and learn together, and communicate nationally.

eOrganic strives to provide SCIENCE- EXPERIENCE-, and REGULATION- based information on organic agriculture to eXtension.

We need to bring scientists, farmers and regulators together to create the content

Why .info?

web community farmers Other ag professionals researchers Extension professionals certifiers

Why .info?

eOrganic must deliver SCIENCE-based information:

I. Science-based information derived from research conducted in conventionally-managed farming systems that is applicable to organic farming systems.

Pest diagnostics and phenology (life cycles)

Cultural pest management

Science-based information derived from research conducted in organically-managed farming systems (on-farm or on organically managed research lands).

Nutrient management

Pest management (weeds, insects and diseases)

Plant breeding and variety evaluation

Why .info?

Only recently have LGU researchers conducted research in and for organic agricultural systems; our science-based understanding is limited

To facilitate learning, researchers need to network and learn collectively

There is no professional society for organic agriculture (no forum for shared learning)

eOrganic is developing eOrganic.info as a place where the organic research community can network, learn, work, collaborate, and develop eXtension content – the goal is to improve research quality and speed up translation of research findings into information useful to farmers.

web community farmers Other ag professionals researchers Extension professionals certifiers

How can foster a research/outreach community?

is about…

You …

Create your personal page

let others know who you are and what you do

become nationally recognized for your expertise

is about… Community and collaboration …join and form Research/Outreach Project -based Groups Manage, document and report on your project in one location. Discuss research results, outreach ideas, and experiences Store all images, reports, and presentations for 24-7 access Discuss pressing questions. Stay on top of what your group members are thinking. Make decisions. Work on group projects, including eXtension content, proposals, articles, presentations, problem-solving Federal funding programs increasingly ask for integration of research and extension and publication to eXtension. eOrganic is working to foster integration and facilitate publication to eXtension.

Public content (project description)

Private content (project management)

We ask these groups to:

Fully describe their project in their public wiki pages

Join relevant discipline and interest groups

Give a webinar describing the project to the eOrganic community

Coordinate a webinar series on a related topic

Publish articles to eXtension

Participate in eOrganic committees

is about… Research/Outreach Project -based Group Networking

eXtension content development group

University/state organic working group

Participatory research group

Organic variety trialing group

Coordinate a webinar series

Publish eXtension content

is about… Community and collaboration …join and form Interest -based Groups Find and network with people with similar interests Discuss research, outreach and participatory experiences Find the images you need Work on personal and group projects, including eXtension content, proposals, articles, presentations, problem-solving

Join us!

Become a member of eOrganic! Sign up at eXtension and indicate your interest in eOrganic…..

Create your personal page – let people know who you are and what you do.

Join one or more groups.

Answer questions (Ask-an-Expert)

Write an FAQ.

Write a new article – by yourself or with others.

Contribute to an existing article.

Develop and deliver a webinar for the CoP or for the CoI.

Coordinate a webinar series.

Review articles.

Shoot a video.

Start and lead a new group!

Manage your research/outreach project on eOrganic.

the National Organic Agriculture Information, Training & Networking System Thank You! Questions? funded by: CSREES Organic Research and Extension Initiative and eXtension