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

eOrganic: the National…… Information Training Networking………………….System for

Organic Agriculture

Science-based

information

Science-based

information

Experience-based

information

Experience-based

information

Regulation-based

information

FAQs

Public ContentIn addition:• 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 CheckOrganic 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

eOrganic: the National…… Information Training Networking………………….System for

Organic Agriculture

eOrganic - as Training System• New initiative: online public webinars for ag

professionals and farmerso Organic fundamentals (e.g. soil and pest

management)o 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

eOrganic: the National…… Information Training Networking………………….System for

Organic Agriculture

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

II. 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

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 GroupsManage, 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)

is about…Research/Outreach Project-based Group Networking

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

• eXtension content development group

• University/state organic working group

• Participatory research group

• Organic variety trialing group

• Coordinate a webinar series• Publish eXtension content

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