LETTP M2 blog post

Oh the excitement of community seed banks!

Community Seed Bank

http://www.seedmatters.org/engage-grow/start-a-community-seed-project/

Within my own physical community and through social media sites such as Facebook, I have participated in sharing non-GMO organic seeds with other gardeners and small farmers. There are sustainable seed companies that offer non-GMO heirloom seeds, but the rate at which heirloom vegetables are being replaced (intentionally by some corporations, and unintentionally/unwittingly by food consumers) is dramatically limiting the diversity of produce throughout the world. Within crop zones, and even within smaller microcosms within a close vicinity of each other, there are always seeds that have been passed down through the generations that will only thrive prolifically in that exact location due to all climate and soil variables. (In my hometown of St. Augustine Florida, we had datil peppers, on this specific mountain plateau in the Blue Ridge, neighbors have shared their exclusive local goose belly beans). Governments and nonprofit groups have organized seed banks to preserve genetic diversity in the crops that can be grown and harvested. Using the internet to create a community of practice in the form of seed banks and seed sharing is an example of technology based learning and networking that has innumerable community, environmental, financial benefits.

 I wanted to share this resource, even though it is already in action on various levels and far from a conceptual source - because it provides a model of how technology can be used to protect the most fundamental resources that we need for survival. Education, community outreach and localized cooperation can be used to share and store non-genetically modified seeds. (For those of you who may not fully understand the inherent danger of GMO seeds and corporate proponents for them such as Monsanto - GMO seeds are typically modified for a number of reasons, often pesticide resistance. Unlike "natural" seeds, the crops they produce cannot produce viable seeds for the following planting season, forcing farmers to buy new seed inventory every year, and unable to replant seeds from the previous years. This is a serious problem, especially for subsistence farmers in the developing world who cannot afford to buy seeds every year with profit yields from their crops.)

The more I delve into the use of emerging technology as a tool to empower individuals, and groups of people working for a common good, the more I appreciate the serious potential for positive change in the world... One small seed at a time!

1st Blog Post

I learned that I am far more capable than I had anticipated when it comes to working with technologies. (Albeit a serious work in progress!) The new territory attempted in this module was my first, rocky foray into the realm of Second Life. I have had no prior experience in creating an avatar or exploring a virtual reality – online or in any form of gaming. That was a definite challenge, but I came out of it feeling a lot of relief that I am overcoming the anxiety associated with learning how to navigate through this new territory. It also contributed to a greater sense of self-efficacy in knowing that I can figure out these types of technologies. I also had a number of technological challenges upon entering this course simply by having to wipe the malware off my computer and make sure I was up to date on the tech requirements  – an excellent learning experience in and of itself. I have created a blogger site for my other course this term and look forward to adding one for LETTP as well for the next blog post.

Reviewing the work of my classmates has provided me with great examples for the areas in which I need to improve my own work with new technologies as this course progresses. I have been giving quite a lot of thought to whom my audience will be and how I can incorporate emerging technologies with informational projects related to sustainable agriculture, as well as my own personal goals of starting up a small profitable farm. It is becoming abundantly clear that technology has a critical role to play in the growing slow-foods movement that I have chosen as a (partial) career path. I think it is an intriguing, and potentially very successful topic of interest to address by finding a balance between the modern technological world and the small farming practices that were utilized long before the web was even a preconception in the human psyche. I look forward to incorporating the two to provide emerging technology tools and access to cohesive information that can be used to support sustainable farmers and educate the public on the benefits of moving away from the “big agriculture” paradigm that our food culture is currently dominated by.