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Re: Farm community database software?
Dear Saneters,
Some time ago I sent the following message. Beyond it are the replies.
Thak you all very much for responding. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner
but I've snowed under (as perhaps many of you are).
Regards,
Chris (cdean1@cs.amc.edu.au)
PS we don't quite have our own computer yet nor our own connection to email.
But almost!
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>Dear Saneters,
>I would like to know if there is software already already available
>for storing and retrieving information about groups of farms.
>
>I will post the answers to sanet-mg.
>
>Our group presently has about 35 holistic farms in Tasmania and plans to store
>information such as locality, crops, rainfall, pests, people, delights,
>maps, photographs, bills, profits etc for each farm. Our group is a
>certification and marketing group run by the farmers and a few helpers.
>
>Presently we have access to a standalone PC running MS-windows but hope
>to get a modem in a few months time. We would like to be better able to serve
>our members and support queries. Also, with an analysis of our community we
>should be able to submit something to gain recognition by the government.
>
>Regards,
>Chris (cdean1@cs.amc.edu.au)
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Date: Sun, 11 Sep 1994 18:37:17 -0500
To: Chris.Dean@mariner.amc.edu.au (cdean1@cs.amc.edu.au)
>From: d.richardson@mail.utexas.edu (Dick Richardson)
Subject: Re: Farm community database software?
Hi, Chris, I'm curious about what the management process for the farms
you're talking about in your comment:
>Our group presently has about 35 holistic farms in Tasmania and plans to store
>information such as locality, crops, rainfall, pests, people, delights,
>maps, photographs, bills, profits etc for each farm. Our group is a
>certification and marketing group run by the farmers and a few helpers.
We are using "Holistic Resource Management" for much of our work, although
I prefer to describe it as collaborative holism. I know of ranchers in
Australia practicing this kind of management from a friend, Roger Bowe, who
recently was over there. Maybe you met him.
I'm not sure what your database requirements are in detail. We use Excel
for normal information, and MapiX for a GIS system. Both work well in
their particular areas.
Cheers,
R. H. (Dick) Richardson * (512) 471-4128 (w)
Zoology Department * (512) 471-9651 (FAX)
University of Texas * (512) 476-5131 (h)
Austin, TX 78712 * d.richardson@mail.utexas.edu
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To: cdean1@cs.amc.edu.au
Subject: Re Farm database info request, and I have a
>From: dayspr@mookie.sbay.org (Dayspring Consulting)
Comments: Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day....
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 94 18:22:31 PDT
Organization: Los Altos SDA Church BBS
Dear Chris, I am a Sanetter - saw your post this evening regarding a
farmers database for windows etc. I develop databases for farmers and
would be willing to work with you to develop a custom one for your group
of farms. I have a spare 2400 baud modem also. Please let me know if you
are interested. This work - supporting farmers with technological tools
for maintaining information on their farms is my life's passion and I
would jump at the chance to help you guys. I grew up on a very small
vegetable farm in Southern Oregon and now live in the heart of Silicon
Valley but do most of my work in the country with small family owned and
operated farms. I don't enjoy living in the city, but at this stage in my
life - this is where I need to be. You might be familiar with some of my
work, I publish the Organic Market News & Information Service's Organic
Wholesale Market Report every other week - we call it OMNIS for short.
This is how you can reach me, if you're interested, otherwise if not, I
am happy to have heard of your work and I encourage to keep going in that
direction - it is a wonderful pursuit.....
I am Cecile Glassy my company is:
Dayspring Consulting
PO Box 3230
Santa Clara, CA. 95055-3230
Ph ( 408 ) 247-6778 ext 2
Fax( 408 ) 247-5823
and my alternative email address is: organicrpt@aol.com
Best wishes to you and your colleagues.
--
dayspr@mookie.sbay.org (Dayspring Consulting)
Mookie's Place BBS +1.408.942.1984 Milpitas, Ca
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>From: barth@ncatfyv.uark.edu (Bart Hall-Beyer)
Subject: Re: Farm community database software?
To: Chris.Dean@mariner.amc.edu.au
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 1994 09:22:34 -0500 (CDT)
Content-Length: 191
I personally like the 'Notebook' database because it has unlimited
fields.
'Paradox' is a commonly used _relational_ database that supports a
number of operating platforms.
Bart Hall-Beyer
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Date: Tue, 13 Sep 1994 09:37:41 -0500
To: Chris.Dean@mariner.amc.edu.au (cdean1@cs.amc.edu.au)
>From: d.richardson@mail.utexas.edu (Dick Richardson)
Subject: Re: Farm community database software?
Hi, again, Chris.
What do you do with you HRM?
It's basically a decision making process. Beginning with the
identification of a Whole -- People, land, economics. Then the people
begin to form a single goal with three parts -- Quality of Life,
Production, Environment. The whole often includes neighbors, bankers,
businessmen, but always the kids and spouses of all who are on the land in
the whole. (These terms are modified a bit if the whole is primarily a
"business" or a community.) As the goal is formed, an evaluation is made
of "where we are" and "what options do we have". There are certain things
we've learned are potential stumbling blocks. For example, "tools" in the
goal will tend to cause dissention, but values bring people together.
"Problems" to solve in the goal are basically transitory, and maybe
symptoms of deeper processes that are the appropriate focus, and therefore
are distractors in a goal. They become counterproductive in giving a sense
of direction. Anyway, the decision to use a tool (take action) is screened
against a series of testing guidelines, involving financial, ecosystem
process effects, social and ethical criteria. From the options, we pick
the best according to the testing sequence. Then, after acting, since we
NEVER have enough information to be sure we did the "right" thing, and even
if we did, conditions will change and unexpected results emerge, we assume
we must pay close attention to monitor what the results become, and be
ready to repeate the process.
I guess you can imagine this is a very brief sketch. No tool is
automatically eliminated, such as pesticides, but they RARELY pass the
testing guidelines. The general result is the operation becomes organic,
community based, collaborative, etc., and the learning of why the forces of
rationality and the goal based on values and ecosystem PROCESSES leades us
there. It's harder to disagree with the choice of tools when they are FOR
something rather than against something. This has a strong effect of
"bringing skeptics into the fold."
>I know about Excel, does MapiX run on MS-windows?
MapiX is, indeed, Windows based, whether PC, or workstation. The company
that produces it is a small privately owned company that is primarily an
environmental engineering company that produced the software for its own
use. They don't advertise much, but fully support others, even middle
schoold (6-8 year old kids) learning to use it. Their name is Delta Data
Systems, Inc., 131 Third Street, Picayune, Mississippi 39466. If you're
interested in followup, check with Ren Clark there. They're not on
Internet.
Nice to hear about the direction of agriculture/community you're doing.
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R. H. (Dick) Richardson * (512) 471-4128 (w)
Zoology Department * (512) 471-9651 (FAX)
University of Texas * (512) 476-5131 (h)
Austin, TX 78712 * d.richardson@mail.utexas.edu
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Date: Thu, 15 Sep 1994 04:01:43 -0700
>From: Mark Ritchie <mritchie@igc.apc.org>
To: cdean1@cs.amc.edu.au
Subject: Wanting More Info
I would like to get more info on the farm community database software you
requested.
Thank you. Mark Ritchie
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Discalimer: The views, statements or data expressed here are my own and
do not necessarily represent those of anyone else,
nor my employer.