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Great to see some interest and enthusiasm around data standards! (usually a hard sell in my outreach work...) Louis, NEFKE is in the very early stages of development, still (and hopefully always) very open to the participation and input of others like you. We're looking at the standards mentioned as a guide, but have a lot of work to do toward implementing them in a practical way. The first thing we'll likely do is look at how we can better leverage and link existing organizational and network data via the [Farm to Institution New England](http://www.farmtoinstitution.org/) and [NEFOOD](NEFOOD.org) web sites when we migrate them to Drupal. We'll likely extend the VIVO ontology for that, possibly using the Drupal-based ontology editor Neologism Valeria Pesce used for AgriVIVO. This will be supported and articulated through [group value network mapping exercises](http://www.valuenetworksandcollaboration.com/mapping.html) that will enable us to identify the critical pathways and relationships between transactional food value chain players, and the wider support networks. I can see this something like this possibly happening at one of the upcoming Farm Hack gatherings, combining trained value network mapping facilitators with farmers, value chain intermediaries, support people (including info intermediaries like me) and programmers. In terms of data sharing and staging, we'll be looking at ways Drupal can be used to shared linked data using tagging/metadata, e.g. via [RDFa](http://www.slideshare.net/scorlosquet/how-to-build-linked-data-sites-with-drupal-7-and-rdfa). I'm hoping we can secure additional funding to do that in a more expansive way at some point. I'm having lunch with the former President of the [Data Commons Cooperative](http://datacommons.find.coop/) in a couple weeks to explore that particular model.
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One of the prerequisites for sharing and integrating data across actual and intellectual silos, and within larger decision making frameworks, are consistent and well documented open standards for creating/structuring and sharing/publishing that data. Here at Mann Library we've been working on that issue through our development of the [VIVO network](http://www.vivoweb.org), which has evolved to include the USDA, and now internationally as [AgriVIVO](http://www.agrivivo.net), using and extending the VIVO ontology (https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/VIVO/VIVO+Ontology). In several cases we've been able to capitalize on Drupal’s ability to both publish and ingest “linked data” like that generated through the [VIVO network](see http://impact.cals.cornell.edu/). Related efforts like the [Open Food Data](http://open-food.org/) and the [Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development](http://ciard.net/) movements are working on this as well. Once we have agreed upon standards, it becomes much easier to develop shared tools and networks for using and repurposing data. This is illustrated through the explosion of easy to use GIS tools as the result of Geospatial Web Services. I'd love to see the Farm Hack community take this up in earnest, perhaps partnering with NESAWG on our [Food Knowledge Ecosystem project](http://www.nefood.org/group/nesawgworkgroupforresearchassessments/forum/topics/northeast-food-knowledge-ecosystem), and others like AgSquared, and Public Lab.
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Hi R.J., OLE's work is fascinating to me -hope to learn more! You can find a wealth of curriculum resources on my Food Systems reference guide here http://guides.library.cornell.edu/content.php?pid=84833&sid=631485#2080119 . You might find useful resources scattered throughout the guide elsewhere too. Cheers, Jeff
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Great stuff R.J. -thanks so much for your thoughtful and enthusiastic comments. Yes, there is indeed an opportunity to join us in Ithaca! Would you like to co-lead this with me? I'm not a programmer, but do work closely with our IT staff here at Cornell's Mann Library in leveraging ITC tools and platforms to connect people with each other, and the data and information resources they need to be successful. In fact our library has done a lot of work with Drupal and open data. Check out http://aims.fao.org/tools/agridrupal, vivoweb.org, and more recently AgriVIVO, to learn more about some of this work. We've been developing ways to use Drupal as an interface for ingesting and publishing open data, including our http://impact.cals.cornell.edu/ site, which is kind of like a dashboard, that interacts dynamically with VIVO data. Though a bit out of date, this poster describes how: http://www.vivoweb.org/files/MilesWorthington_VIVO_conference_poster-web.pdf. Perhaps, as you suggested, we could structure the design charrette in a way to generate specific ideas for use of the farmhack site as a farmer dashboard host, possibly leading to some new shared Drupal modules? I'm currently working with several others on a proposal for a Northeast regional food knowledge ecosystem that could build on/incorporate this work. We're hoping to use Drupal and VIVO as part of this, and work with state, regional and federal data providers to make their data more accessible/usable (Mann Library works directly with some of these agencies, including the USDA, and serves as a repository/distributor for some data). Our ultimate goal with the regional knowledge ecosystem is to create an open platform based on open standards, that supports further work and innovations from people like you (including paid work). Ideally this would include occasional hackathons. I'll be meeting with Severine and a few other folks during the Ithaca Farm Hack, and hope to see you there as well! I'll follow up by email shortly to discuss. Cheers, Jeff