Formulating Focus

The Travelling Carnies

Jake — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 04:51:42 +0000

15 years ago they met while working in the Vilas County Fair funnel cake stand. Today, happily married and proud owners of a travelling funnel cake cart. America’s entrepreneurs at their finest! (via facebook)

Open Science Summit 2010 – Berkeley, CA

Jake — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:02:13 +0000

Summary of the 2010 Open Science Summit

University of California – Berkeley

About Open Science Summit

From July 29-31, scientists, students, patients, and activists convened to discuss the future of our science/technology paradigm. Topics included: Synthetic Biology, Personal Genomics, Gene Patents, Open Access/Data, the Future of Scientific Publishing and Reputation, Microfinance for Science, DIY Biology, Bio-security, and more.

I recently attended the 2010 Open Science Summit “Updating the Social Contract for Science” in Berkeley, California (UC-Berekely). It was a very informative, inspiring, and motivating experience. Presentations were given from a very knowledgeable and diverse group of speakers. There was a good mix of policy makers, developers, popular authors, traditional scientists, grassroots scientists, biotech speakers, and software and hardware developers. The FBI was even gave a presentation encouraging citizen science to collaborate with the bureau to make the US a safer place where institutional and corporate science is failing and/or falling behind.

Many of the presentations and discussions began by identifying things that are hindering science and research (eg – lack of open data, lack of access to published research, patents, funding, exorbitant costs of hardware & software, distaste & disinterest for science in younger generations, academic culture & norms, time consumption & inefficiencies of the current research and publishing system, lack of efficient/effective collaborative research groups, etc.). Lively conversations ensued openly and behind the scenes (twitter & the back channel). The diversity of speakers, software, hardware, and ideas successfully spurred discussions, inspired new ideas & collaborations, and identified possible and probable ways to improve science & research in the future.

One very important bit of information I took away from the conference is how to use technology to create a more effective conference. A few technologies that were very helpful and received positive, realtime feedback:

backchan.nl (http://oss2010.backchan.nl/conferences/view/30) – Allows users to post questions (realtime) to be answered following presentations or during panel discussions. Allows for comments and instant feedback as well.
fora.tv (http://fora.tv/live/open_science/open_science_summit_2010) – live streaming of the conference allowed for folks who were unable to make the trip to the conference to view the sessions as well as provide feedback and contribute questions through the backchan or twitter
twitter.com (http://twitter.com/#search?q=Oss2010) – at the beginning of the conference the hastag (#oss2010) was given to the folks at the conference. Very lively conversations and exchanges took place realtime throughout the conference.

A few more things about conference planning (obvious to me but not always adhered to) that I gathered from the conference were to provide a proper amount of breaks, avoid having two or more speakers present on the same topic, and to provide enough time for questions and answers.

A few new scientific funding sources were introduced at the conference and would be a great opportunity for professors, community members, and teachers to take advantage of:

Fund Science – fundscience.org
Sciflies – scieflies.org – crowdsource funding internet site – Begins August 15th – can submit proposals now
kickstarter.com – broader focus but successfully funded (OpenPCR, and others)
EurekaFund (http://eurekafund.org/) – Interesting model for crowdsourcing – undergrad research project funding possibility?

For me it was an extremely interesting experience ‘looking in from the outside’. I am certainly not a scientist (at least in the traditional sense) yet I learned a lot about the challenges (institutional, societal, financial, etc) facing scientists, researchers, and professors who simply want to advance science and subsequently improve life for their community, nations, and the world. I believe many of the same challenges are present throughout the various disciplines in higher education. Many of the approaches the presenters and attendees are coming up with to advance science from both the traditional and grassroots levels are very inspiring and I hope to encourage the use of some of these technologies and strategies.

For more information see:

http://opensciencesummit.com/
http://twitter.com/#search?q=Oss2010
http://fora.tv/live/open_science/open_science_summit_2010

“The idea is in thyself. The impediment too, is in thyself.” – Carlyle

From the Gulf…

Jake — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:35:53 +0000

I think it is important that we continue to listen to the people that are being affected by the mess. The well may be capped but everyone knows this is just the beginning. The areas around the Exxon Valdez disaster still have not fully recovered and that was over 20 years ago.

Below – Drew Landry plays for the Presidential Oil Spill Commission and speaks from the heart. “There’s millions of volunteers that want to do something for almost nothing and instead we are hiring all these contractors and wasting our $20 Billion.”

“We’re not ready for hurricane season. There’s a gulf full of oil and we’re sitting here worrying about this right now when we need to be giving people HAZMAT training so they can defend their homeland…”

“It shouldn’t be about a policy change. It should be about what makes the most sense. How are we going to get these people working. I’m mean it just sucks, lets’s just do the right damn thing. It shouldn’t be this hard. It shouldn’t take a committee to listen to people… anyway.”

Happy Birthday Dad!

Jake — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:31:08 +0000

So it has been a little over 5 years since you passed on into the dark. You would be so proud of your sons, daughters, and grandchildren. Wish you were here.

–Jake

Dad’s Cabin

Jake — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:09:07 +0000

Dad and sons (but mostly Dad) built this log cabin between 1998 and 2000. Day by day, log by log, shingle by shingle. Probably my most favorite place to go and relax in all of the world. Thanks Dad!

A Revival of Urban Gardening

Jake — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:43:51 +0000

“If more Americans grew a little food instead of so much grass – our savings on grocery bills would be astounding.”
- Rosalind Creasy, who grew $700 worth of produce in a 100 square foot garden.

As many readers and community members are well aware, a new movement is sprouting up in America’s neighborhoods. This movement is pulling many people away from their TVs and computers and into their backyards closer to their neighbors, their communities, and to nature. According to the American Gardening Association, 84 million Americans gardened in 2009. Community gardens now number over 1 million throughout the country. Locally, in Menomonie, landlords are finding that there are more and more requests for gardening space, the farmer’s market is expanding into a larger location, school gardens are being established and expanding, and a new community garden has just taken root.

The revival of the urban or backyard garden is due in part to the economy, the awareness of the nutritional benefits of fresh vegetables, the recognition of the health and exercise benefits of gardening, and because the the American people are increasingly understanding that growing and eating local, sustainably grown food is another way to green our daily routine.

Today, the average distance food travels to the American plate is about 1500 miles. Although this number has gone virutally unchanged the past 30 years the volume of food being transported has increased substantially. This industrial food system leaves us all at the mercy of rising fuel costs and natural disasters which gets passed on to the consumer in the price of the food we buy. Many consumers are also becoming more aware that to grow their own food and to sometimes pay a bit more for locally grown food keeps the money locally, improving our local economy.

As a result of the increasing demand for local food “urban farms” are becoming more attractive and profitable. If you have not heard the name Will Allen you soon will. Recently on the Time 100 list of Heroes, Will Allen has organized, protected, and maintained the last farmland within the city limits of Milwaukee. On two acres in urban Milwaukee stand six greenhouses, four hoophouses, goats, turkeys, chickens, rabbits and beehives. For many urban Milwaukee youth this may be one of the few opportunities they have to connect with nature and see where their food comes from.

Operations like these that connect youth and community to nature are increasingly popping up across the country. The movement towards establishing the Menomonie Community Garden has many of the same goals. The Menomonie Community Garden hopes to provide a space for people who live in apartments or shaded backyards to grow their own vegetables. It will provide an opportunity for members to create a place of beauty and sustainable agriculture, as well as enhance community bonds by providing space for gardens, gardening education, and a gathering spot for community members. It is Menomonie Community Garden’s hope to establish a legacy of stewardship for the land in upcoming generations.

As Menomonie community member Kris Recker states, “The idea of having a small garden (at the Menomonie Community Garden) is exciting because its within walking distance…my children can take advantage of the park amenity when the peas are picked and we can meet people and run into friends, while filling the pantry with healthy vegetables we’ve raised ourselves. In essence, the Menomonie Community Garden supports our efforts to live more healthily and sustainably and integrates us into the community socially.”

If you are interested in assistance with starting your own garden contact the Dunn County Master Gardeners through the Dunn County UW-Extension office (715-232-1636) or the Menomonie Community Garden (menomoniegarden@aol.com) for more information.

Derek Sivers: How to start a movement

Jake — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:27:47 +0000

Encouraging Sustainable Change

Jake — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:34:18 +0000

“Each small change paves the way for future efforts.” – Christie Manning

On February 2, I was fortunate enough to assist in the facilitation of a community event here in Menomonie, WI hosted by Sustainable Dunn. Over 50 people came together from almost as many community groups, businesses, and government agencies throughout the Chippewa Valley to talk about bringing about sustainable change in the community.

The event kicked off with a very inspirational speech by Christie Manning, Assistant Professor of Environmental Psychology at the University of Minnesota. She used a series of slides, pictures, and stories to depict the magnitude of our societal habits on the environment and how we might encourage sustainable change in our communities by properly framing our ideas and passions for the general public. For instance, in the image below Chris Jordan depicts the 2.5 million plastic bottles we use in America each hour. If information like this isn’t properly framed and presented depending on the audience in may be received in an unwanted or ineffective manner leading recipients to varying reactions of disbelief or being overwhelmed to the point of feeling too small to make a difference.

Chris Jordan's Depiction of the 2.5 Million plastic bottles Americans use each hour

Christie’s presentation continued with a focus on providing positive feedback for those acting sustainably. (Giving thumbs up to the guy riding bike to work when it is below zero.) At the same time, she pointed out, that negative feedback is almost never helpful for those not acting sustainably. When a municipality recently placed frowny faces on the electricity bills of homes in a neighborhood using more energy than their neighbors the reaction was not what was intended – in some cases electricity use actually increased thereafter. In short, positive reinforcement and providing people with sustainable options first was generally the message.

Afterward discussions broke off into an open space meeting where local topics and issues were identified and then discussed. Topics such as transportation, waste reduction, water, supporting local, energy, food, using the internet to tell our story, and a community garden were all discussed and information and ideas exchanged. It is now a month later and many of these ideas continue to grow and take root. More exciting updates to come!

“Your efforts will inspire and empower those around you.” – Christie Manning

“We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi

Sustainability at Organic Valley

Jake — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:04:31 +0000

Last week we dropped by a talk by Jennifer Harrison, Sustainability Program Manager of Organic Valley. The event was part of the Applied Science Speaker Series here at UW-Stout.

Based in La Farge, Wisconsin, Organic Valley is the nation’s largest and oldest organic farm cooperative. It prides itself on its brand, its image, and the fact that their average size of an Organic Valley farm is just 77 cows. The cooperative boasts over 1600 farms across the United States and distributes products ranging from cheese to butter to milk to orange juice to eggs. Prior to the downturn in the economy Organic Valley saw yearly growth rates of 20% with revenues of $527 million in 2008. Their current revenues remain near constant despite the recession.

Jennifer’s presentation focused on the basics of the farmer owned cooperative and what they are doing as a cooperative to promote sustainability within their business without reducing the amount of money they are able to pay their farmers, producers, and growers for their products.

There are many benefits for individual owner operators under the cooperative system – one of the main ones being the ability to avoid downsizing or the expiration/dumping of product that many conventional farmers experience when supply is high and demand is low. The beauty of the cooperative was relayed in a story by Jennifer of a recent meeting in which the owners had to decide whether to shed farmers or reduce production across the board. Instead of putting one of their fellow farmers out on the street they agreed to each reduce production across the board until demand once again increased.

Another idea that the cooperative is exploring is the renewable energy idea. Jennifer stressed that the company strives to be sustainable in three ways: economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable. They recently installed solar panels at their headquarters in La Farge. Despite the effort and positive publicity the project is producing about 1% of the electricity for the coop’s headquarters which was built to Silver LEED Design Standards. But she stated that it is a start and they are looking into other possibilities such as wind and anaerobic digesters to increase the amount of power they are getting from renewable sources.

The cooperative also operates a separate endeavor for its owners, 3PL shipping, which ensures that produce from each region stays in the region and travels the least distance possible to market.

One thing that didn’t get brought up was the cooperative’s eggs & poultry production and policies. The majority of the talk focused on their cows and beef which are held above most organic and pasturing standards. The cooperative takes pride in these standards which are thousands of times better than the CAFOs and farms across the country with thousands of milking cows and beef in concentrated areas. But how are their chickens treated?

All in all it was a good presentation and the presence of a local co-owner helped to put a face to the organization. Am I willing to pay $3 or more for a half gallon of Organic Valley milk? Although I really don’t consume that much milk, for the little I do I may be able to sleep better at night knowing that they make sure their farmers get good wages, no fellow farmer is hung out to dry, and that through their profit sharing system 45% goes to the farmers, 45% to employees, and 10% to the communities.

Youth Grow Local Conference and Growing Power

Jake — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:58:19 +0000

Last week I had the privilege to attend the Madison Youth Grow Local Conference and visit Growing Power in Milwaukee. These were two amazing days that really provided many ideas and inspiration for what a group of people are attempting to accomplish by creating a community garden here in Menomonie.

Growing Power & Will Allen have done an amazing job creating an urban farm in Milwaukee. As the last remaining farm in Milwaukee’s central city it is a great way for many urban children to get their hands dirty, see farm animals, and learn where their food actually comes from. Despite being a not for profit organization many of their techniques have been adapted by companies in the for profit sector.

An innovative, yet inexpensively built, aquaponics system creates a wondrous environment where they grow crops in a re-circulating water system.
Worms are the main laborers recycling waste from the Milwaukee area and creating the soil that keeps Growing Power producing year round. Bees, chickens, turkeys, and goats round out the farm.
A few of the greenhouses yield produce throughout the winter heated only by compost and sunlight.

They are continuing to find ways to become more sustainable and soon even water and electricity will be almost entirely “off-the-grid” through water collection, large solar panels, and an anaerobic digesting system.

Growing power provides jobs and internships for area youth and anyone is welcome to come and volunteer and participate. They truly are “Growing Power.” If you get a chance and have an hour or so, stop in and visit Growing Power. You are likely to leave inspired.

Here are a few photos from the trip:

The Madison Youth Grow Local Conference was also very inspirational for me. I learned a lot about how the Madison School District has incorporated school and community gardening into their curriculum in subtle ways. Folks with years of experience explained simple ways of grabbing the imagination and attention of students and using the garden to explore multiple subjects (math, science, social studies, english, art, etc) in a hands-on and memorable ways.

The keynote speaker was Tory Miller the Executive Chef & Co-Proprietor of L’Etoile Restaurant in Madison. One of his passions is working with the youth and inspiring them to eat healthier and giving them “more healthy options”. He was taken aback when he went into his former High School and witnessed the type of food that was being served from fast-food style windows every single day.

He currently inspires youth as a “Chef in the Classroom” to start thinking about their choices by introducing them to new foods, getting them to try things they have never eaten before, cook with them and show them how enjoy foods they otherwise wouldn’t eat alone, and get them to start thinking about the prolonged effects of having “cookie dough and Gatorade” for every meal – he joked that the kid in all of us would love to eat pizza and cheeseburgers for every meal.

The conference also provided a link to a number of exciting resources and people that will help give many of the new projects in Menomonie (from day care gardens, to school gardens, to community gardens) a boost this spring.